EO Accelerator

EO is the only global network exclusively for entrepreneurs, male and female, helping leading entrepreneurs learn and grow through peer-to-peer learning, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and connections to experts. Sharing that learning with entrepreneurs in the earlier stages of their business has led to the development of the EO Accelerator program.

The Accelerator program is the catalyst that enables first stage entrepreneurs to catapult their business to the next level. It is a learning program for entrepreneurs who want to grow their current business, with a turnover of €200,000 to pass the €1million mark.

EO’s mission for Accelerator is to empower you -

by providing you with access to experts, a recognised and developed toolkit and the prospect to develop a peer network of shared experience to support you grow your business. The opportunity to take control of your business through direct learning, access to mentors, expert leaders and peers is presented in this unique program.

Accelerator is a proven EO programme with more than 1,400 participants in 35 countries world-wide. The average number of employees in applicant companies is 3.3 and the average turnover is €450,000. EO is proud that female participation is 29% globally with the average age of all participants being 38 years.

This is the third year that the Accelerator program is being run in Ireland. EO Ireland is delighted to offer 5 spaces to  entrepreneurs with the guidance and toolkits to grow their business to more than €1million in sales over 2 years. Along with structured educational content focused on the core areas of business, the Accelerator Program affords a unique experience of learning to support the further development of entrepreneurial leaders in Ireland’s business community.

Who is Accelerator for?

The Accelerator program is for business owners with a current turnover in excess of €200,000 who want to grow their business to €1 million in 2 years. This program caters for business owners of all types of businesses from all over Ireland. Essential to successful participation on the Accelerator program is the ambition to grow your business, the desire to learn from others and a willingness to share your journey with those on this program. There are no restrictions to the type of business covered by the program, the learning applies to every business leader with an aspiration to grow their business successfully.

What are the aims of the Accelerator program?

The aims of Accelerator are as follows;

Strategy

Understanding who is your customer and what is your brand promise for sustainable growth

People

Aligning the people to the strategy, understanding the gaps between their skills and the contribution required to grow with your company

Cash

Managing the cash during a growth phase

Execution

Implementing the measures needed to execute your growth strategy efficiently for profitability and excellence

What is covered during the program?

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Strategy

Identifying a market opportunity and having a clarity of the business proposition are features of growing a profitable company and are discussed in detail during this module.

People

Identifying the people who will support you to grow your business and developing their skills within the business to take greater responsibility as it grows are key topics of this module.

Execution

Transitioning from a turnover of €250 to €1million requires a focus on execution to ensure discipline for consistent delivery of service/product is maintained. This module outlines the pertinent metrics to implement during this phase.

Cash

Managing the cashflow during a growth phase is critical and the lack of cash can so often be the downfall of what is a good business. Having a toolkit, supplied during this module, to understand the financial dynamics of your business in cash terms is critical to funding a growth phase.

How is the program delivered?

The delivery of this program has been planned to maximise each participant’s opportunity to engage with and learn from the experience of experts, coaches and other participants on the program. The delivery of this program is designed around 3 pillars;

LEARNING DAYS

There are four learning days per calendar year, one per quarter. These learning days will be held in Dublin (or via zoom if international travel/group meetings are not allowed/restricted due to COVID) and are led by a trained facilitator from the EO global team of facilitators.

Members of this team are international experienced EO members with a wealth of personal experience to answer your questions and support you to deal with the issues you face.

There is a full toolkit including practical tools such as spreadsheets and KPI measurement tools to support you implement improvement and scalable processes in each of the key areas of Cash, Strategy, People, Execution.

ACCOUNTABILITY COACHES

Accelerators are matched with other participants and split into groups (Accelerators).  Each group is moderated by an EO member who is already running a large and successful business, they will act as your very own accountability coach – ensuring you are implementing the learning tools into your business to generate growth.

The accountability coach meets their group of 5 Accelerators monthly to discuss progress with implementing actions from the learning days in their business.

There is powerful learning from the other 4 Accelerators as everyone experiences different issues – a framework is provided to help Accelerators keep in touch between meetings and keep each other on track.

Please note that the EO coach is a volunteer and is not paid for their service on the Accelerator program. These coaches are simply interested in helping young entrepreneurs drive their business to succeed.

PEER TO PEER LEARNING GROUPS

The greatest learning occurs from the sharing of experiences and the insights of participants during learning days and accountability coach sessions.

There are opportunities to network at each learning day when all Accelerators will be in attendance.

There are various EO events throughout the year and all accelerators are invited to network with business owners with businesses turning over in excess of €1million.

Please be aware that this is not a network for selling to each other, the purpose of this network is to share experience from different business sectors and regions, from established to start-up companies, where the lessons learned by each are shared in confidence so that others can benefit from these lessons.

Where does the content and curriculum come from?

The foundation for the EO Accelerator programme was developed by Verne Harnish and the four pillars fo the programme come from the work detailed in his book – Scaling Up.

How long does the course take?

Accelerators commit to one year at a time. If you are happy with the results of Year 1 - you can sign up to complete Year 2.

Some facts about Accelerator worldwide:

There are currently 1,400 people in the program worldwide in over 35 countries.

This is the third year the program is being run in Ireland.

The average number of employees in applicant companies is 3.3

The average turnover per applicant company is €450,000

The average age of applicant founders is 38

The percentage female participation in the programme worldwide is 29%

When does it start?

September 2021

How much does it cost?

  • Year 1:              €2,000

The cost includes all course materials and lunch on training days

How do I apply?

Apply directly to EO Global Accelerator program

If you’re ready to become a member of the Entrepreneur’s Organization, and join a community of top entrepreneurs who’ve been changing the business landscape for 25 years.

Apply for Membership