Are you ready to go and grow?

Launching and growing a business is tough!  We all have ideas, but gaining the knowledge, skills, resources and relationships to maximize the value from our work is tough.

Fortunately, we are in the age of technology, where knowledge is abundant (and overwhelming) and there are free and cheap tools everywhere! Information overload! What do you do?

Accelerate Africatown was created to provide knowledge and inspiration from a supportive community of aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with support from successful entrepreneurs and subject matter experts.

Who can apply?
Open to existing and aspiring entrepreneurs (ages 18 and up) who are interested in taking the path of an entrepreneur or interested in a practical crash course in business building fundamentals. Must be willing to commit to 4 six hour bootcamps and 5 workshops over the next 6 months. Priority is given to participants whose business helps to preserve and develop the presence of African American businesses in the Central District.

What to expect
The accelerator will feature a cohort of entrepreneurs participating in a series of business skills bootcamps and workshops with established entrepreneurs and subject matter experts. Over the course of 6 months there will be 4 full day bootcamps, 5 workshops, opportunities for consultant office hours, as well as connections to other resources.

Timing and Scheduling

1. Jan - April 2017

2. Weekend Bootcamps & Weekly Workshops

5. Consultant office hours.

Entrepreneurs will learn and apply best practices:

Take an idea and develop a product
- Business idea development and validation
- Design and test Business Models and Value Propositions for your product/service
- Supplier sourcing
- Develop a go-to-market strategy

Customer Discovery

- Identifying your ideal customer and reaching them cost effectively
- Finding the best channels to reach your customers
- Effective Messaging Techniques
- Brand identity development and positioning
- Looking good on a budget
- Execute on a business plan

Crunching the numbers

- Revenue modelling
- Short and long-term business planning
- Capital funding and budgeting

Operations

- Project management tools
- Fundamentals of  legal, accounting, finance, HR, tax,
- Building your winning team
- Vendor management