Real Estate + Technology + Business
EO
Accelerator Program Launch
Jun 6th
For the past year I’ve had the pleasure of serving as President of the non-profit Entrepreneurs’ Organization Dallas Chapter, and it has been a pleasure meet and learn from so many amazing and successful entrepreneurs in the Dallas / Fort worth area!
This year, we are launching an exciting new program called Accelerator!
If you are an entrepreneur, do you remember when you first started your company?
I do.
And I remember having to learn everything as I went, from from accounting, sales, and managing people, to strategy and defining my mission/vision & values. I made a lot of mistakes, and at each step, I tried to find mentors to guide me through the process so I could learn from their mistakes and grow my company faster.
My membership in Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) largely serves that function now, and has provided more real-world business education than any MBA could.
This is why we are starting Accelerator. To give early stage entrepreneurs the foundation to quickly grow their companies to over $1 million in annual revenue so they contribute more to the local & global economy, have a greater chance of long-term success, and qualify to join Entrepreneurs’ Organization for continued growth and learning.
Accelerator is part of our EO Mission – To Engage Leading Entrepreneurs to Learn and Grow – and is only for those individuals who are committed to company growth and are willing to dedicate the time, effort and learning required to do so.
This program is by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, and affords participants the unique experience of learning from, and connecting with, the world’s most influential entrepreneurs.
ACCELERATOR FAST FACTS
- Accelerator is a program of Entrepreneurs’ Organization
- Applicants must have gross revenue of $250k to $999k in the previous 12 months, and be a founder or majority owner of their company
- This program is non-profit, and entirely funded by sponsors and Accelerator participants
- Only 30 applicants are accepted each year, with a focus on those dedicated to company growth
- This is an annual program with 3 years of curriculum. The expectation is that within 24-36 months a participant will graduate to over $1 million in revenue and exit the program
- The program consists of:
– Monthly accountability group meetings made up of 4 participants and an EO mentor
– Quarterly learning days focused on Strategy, Sales, People and Finance - This curriculum is best of breed, and was selected by the U.S. State Department for their “Entrepreneurs for a New Beginning” program
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
There are many ways to get involved and support the Accelerator program!
- Mentor – if you’re an EO member, share your entrepreneurial expertise and experience with early stage companies
- Nominate – do you know an early stage entrepreneur who wants to grow? nominate them for membership
- Support – give back to the entrepreneurial community by sponsoring Accelerator
- Apply – apply to be a participant in the Accelerator Program
- Attend – if you are an EO member, attend the Accelerator learning days!
- Follow – we’ll be blogging about the process and participants, listen in as we tell the stories of success!
Join me on this exciting journey, and I promise you will be inspired, learn a lot, and grow along with the rest of us!
Jeremy Brandt
CEO, 1-800-CashOffer, FastHomeOffer.com
2010/11 – EO Dallas Chapter President
2011/12 – Accelerator Program Champion
Mayor Leppert says Dallas Entrepreneurship Day is November 19th
Oct 29th
Mayor Tom Leppert has officially named November 19th as Entrepreneurship Day in Dallas!
On November 19th, Entrepreneurs’ Organization will be holding an event to celebrate EO24 and Global Entrepreneurship Week – to inspire entrepreneurial activity in Dallas and around the globe.
Our event will bring together prominent Dallas area business leaders and entrepreneurs for a panel discussion on entrepreneur activity in Dallas, the economy and other topics of interest to business leaders.
Entrepreneur Lessons from The Container Store co-Founder & CEO Kip Tindell
Aug 14th
Recently I invited Kip Tindell, the Co-Founder, CEO and Chairman of The Container Store to speak to the Dallas Chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization.
They hosted our event at their corporate headquarters, including a tour of their amazing logistics facility, from which any item that is in one of their stores originates.
A true entrepreneurial story, Kip has grown The Container Store from a single 1,600 sqft location in Dallas to 43 locations throughout the country, that average 25,000 sqft in size.
The big take-away from his talk was over-communicate to your staff, your partners and your vendors. If you put your employees first – revenue and profits will follow.
The Container Store philosophy is that 1 great employee = 3 good employees, and 1 good employee = 3 bad employees. So only hire great employees and over-pay them compared to the market.
Kip also says he gives the same power-point presentation on the company’s status to his board of directors and his employees. Employees feel they know what is going on in the business and won’t be surprised.
Maybe that is why Fortune has named them one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For – 10 years in a row.
Being an Entrepreneur
May 20th
This is a great video put together by a fellow company in Entrepreneurs’ Organization that does a fantastic job of telling the story of why we do what we do.
Plus, it’s not a bad bit of ‘viral marketing. Enjoy.
Ken Blanchard – The One Minute Entrepreneur
Feb 12th
I recently had the opportunity to meet Ken Blanchard and his wife Margie Blanchard, son Scott Blanchard and Scott’s wife Madeleine Homan.
What a talented family They were speaking to a group of entrepreneurs about Ken’s upcoming book – “The One Minute Entrepreneur” that is similar to “The One Minute Manager” in format but focused on helping entrepreneurs think through the skills needed to create a successful company.
I was able to review a manuscript and I believe it will be a great resource for those thinking of starting a company. It covers a lot of the basic skills and “common sense” things that unfortunately aren’t as “common” as they should be. The forward is by Michael Gerber, who has an amazing track record of helping small businesses to
create processes and systems to succeed.
If you ever have the opportunity to hear any of the Blanchards, especially Ken, speak, I highly recommend you do whatever you can to attend. They are all highly sought after speakers who do an excellent job of engaging their audience while
providing a lot of in-depth data and analysis.
And when “The One Minute Entrepreneur” comes out, be sure and pick up a copy!