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Earlier this year, the Salt Lake Chamber and Women's Business Center of Utah concluded the inaugural cohort of their Diverse-Owned Business Accelerator. Designed for diverse small business owners to help them enhance skills and set a direction or strategy for their business, this seven-week program kicked off with enormous success.
"We are excited to complete our first accelerator cohort designed to help diverse-owned businesses thrive in Utah," said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber.
"These business leaders are part of a new landscape of entrepreneurs working to serve customers and build community in our state," Miller added. "We are here to support and sustain these business owners as they expand the map of products and services in our community and show others it is possible to achieve anything in Utah."
To keep providing support for new businesses and entrepreneurs who call Utah their home, the Salt Lake Chamber and the Women's Business Center of Utah are accepting applications for the next Diverse-Owned Business Accelerator set to kick off this fall.
If you're a diverse business owner looking to enhance your skills, this program might just be the perfect fit for you. Here's what you need to know about the free, seven-week Diverse-Owned Business Accelerator program.
Why you should join
This course sets you up for success by helping you immediately implement what you learn, so you don't have to wait weeks or months to start seeing results. You'll also be guided by expert mentors and business owners who are dedicated to helping you overcome challenges and seize opportunities.
If you know your business goals but have a hard time bringing your vision to life, this course will help with that, too. The Diverse-Owned Business Accelerator will help you develop a captivating brand style guide to set you apart from the competition.
You'll also be joining a powerful network and forging long-lasting relationships well beyond the accelerator program.
And this might be the most attractive prospect of all: This course, with all of its invaluable information, is completely free. Graduates benefit from invaluable insights, mentorship and resources with zero financial burden — so you've got nothing to lose!
What you'll learn
The Diverse-Owned Business Accelerator is a seven-week cohort program where you'll walk away with knowledge, tools and resources to help you be successful in your business goals. Among the things covered by the course, you'll learn:
- How to design and niche your business to be more competitive and outline a roadmap with milestones toward your exit strategy.
- How to construct and utilize a brand style guide for consistency in brand and effective marketing.
- How to clarify your revenue streams and COGS/fixed expenses and identify your break-even point and then confidently adjust pricing and sales goals.
- How to systematize and automate processes and create a list of outsourcing options to multiply accomplishments.
- How to establish a 90-day action plan to make progress toward your exit strategy.
If you're willing and able to dedicate four hours per week for seven weeks, the instructors would love to have you in this cohort.
Location and schedule
These classes will be in person at the Salt Lake Community College West Valley Center and include weekly mastermind meetings via Zoom, which will be determined by each group. You'll receive a link to the virtual meetings after registration. Classes will run Thursdays beginning Sept. 21 through Nov. 9 (except for Nov. 2) from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. One-on-one assistance will also be available from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Cost and value
Thanks to the generosity of Bank of America, the Women's Business Center of Utah, the Salt Lake Chamber and other organizations, this seven-week program — valued at $5,000 per person — is available to participants at no cost. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up before all the slots are filled!
Register before the deadline
If you want to take advantage of this unique opportunity, be sure to fill out the online registration form before the Sept. 14 deadline. The application process includes two steps:
First, complete the online registration form, which includes several short written sentences. You'll need to type your answers in a different document and then copy and paste them into the form.
Second, upload a headshot photo using this link, or you can take a headshot at the first lesson.
For questions about the program, contact info@slchamber.com.
