Please note that the Growth Accelerator is a program offered exclusively in English.
Futurpreneur is proud to present the Growth Accelerator, an exciting opportunity for Futurpreneur entrepreneurs looking to take their business to the next stage. This program will connect a cohort of young Futurpreneur entrepreneurs across the country, enabling them to network, learn together, and share ideas as they grow and pivot their businesses.
The Growth Accelerator is designed to support young entrepreneurs with businesses approximately 18 months to 3.5 years old to create a new or updated business strategy for the next 3-5 years. The series of workshops will culminate in a strategy pitch competition in Toronto. Judges from our title sponsor and partner, Spin Master, will be onsite and a cash award of up to $10,000 will be given to the entrepreneur who is able to best articulate their vision for growth.
Eligibility
-Must be a Futurpreneur-supported entrepreneur, who received their loan between August 1, 2019 and August 30, 2021 (i.e. your business is between 18 months and 3.5 years old by January 2023)
-You must be able to articulate a goal for growth. Goal examples are available in the application form (we will help you with your strategy)
Important Dates
Please note that all applications must be submitted by November 21, 2022.
What’s Included?
The program includes:
-Nine two-hour virtual workshops hosted by subject matter experts
-A strategy pitch competition in Toronto (two days and one night)
-The potential to receive a cash award of up to $10,000
-Through the use of case studies, an opportunity to put learnings into practice
-Access to a network of young entrepreneurs from across the country
Topics will include a focus on
-Marketing;
-Operations; and
-Finance.
When are the sessions taking place?
There will be a total of nine sessions, taking place over three months, with the culminating practice pitch competition in Toronto. Dates and topics are as follows:
February 2023 – Marketing
Tuesday Feb 7 – Establishing a Marketing Strategy for Growth
Tuesday Feb 14 – Understanding how to use paid ads on Social Media
Tuesday Feb 21 – Move from sales to creating customer experiences
By the end of February, you will have created an implementable marketing strategy for your business.
March 2023 – Operations
Tuesday March 7 – Creating a hiring plan to strategically delegate your work
Tuesday March 14 – How to create processes using technology
Tuesday March 21 – How to scale your products/services
By the end of March, you will know what operational assets you need, and how to implement/access them.
April 2023 – Finance
Tuesday April 4 – Review/audit your numbers for KPI benchmarking
Tuesday April 11 – How to manage business credit and access further financing
Tuesday April 18 – Understanding business and personal taxation during growth
By the end of April, you will have a strong awareness of your current and future financial numbers to make informed financial decisions for growth.
Each of the above sessions will end with an actionable task for you to implement into your business.
Pitch competition – Live, in-person in Toronto, accomodation and transportation for the Growth Accelerator participants is covered by Futurpreneur
Thursday April 27-Friday April 28, 2023
Please note that topics are subject to change, and will be updated based on entrepreneur needs expressed in the applications. In addition, all successful applicants will be required to attend at least seven of the nine sessions to qualify to attend the strategy pitch competition in Toronto.
