Why 18 months?
The WT Enterprise Center has provided incubation services for 20 years. Based on previous experience in helping clients grow their businesses, 18 months has become the average timeframe for a client to achieve growth goals and learn the ins and outs of running a successful business.
Who is this program for?
This program is designed for growth-minded entrepreneurs seeking support and resources for an existing business to reach the next level of growth. Whether you are in a season of transition, launching a new product/service, exploring new markets or just need extra support in learning how to be a successful entrepreneur, this program is designed for you.
How much does it cost?
The Growth Academy is $350 a month. This includes certified coaching sessions, experienced mentor meetings, quarterly strategic planning sessions, benchmark assessments, five leadership/entrepreneur books, five professional training seminars, CEO roundtables, exclusive merchandise, certification of completion and access to quality resources throughout the program.
Why is there an application?
The application is used to determine best fit for the program and how serious the entrepreneur is about growing their business. This also helps our staff and coaches get a better sense of the challenges and opportunities the entrepreneur is facing to determine what resources may be needed to achieve growth benchmarks from the beginning. We also determined this program works best when done in groups (cohorts) and the application process helps determine cohort groups.
What is the difference between a coach and a mentor?
Our certified coaches work with the entrepreneur at the beginning of the program to co-create a strategic plan for growth, based on benchmark assessments and long-term goals for the business. Each month, your coach will work with you to navigate the path in achieving the growth goals determined for success.
Our mentors, experienced entrepreneurs in the community, give advice based on previous experience and provide feedback on handling challenges and opportunities you may face as an entrepreneur. Both approaches work together to capture both the big picture and the day-to-day operations.
Do I get to pick my lead mentor?
When you begin the Growth Academy, you will have the opportunity to interact with our mentor community through Mentor Mingle events. Following these events, our staff will ask for your feedback on mentors you feel could add the most value to your business. Our staff will assign a lead mentor who is the best fit according to compatibility, business industry, and availability. You will meet with a lead mentor monthly and have access to the entire mentor community for one-on-one meetings for the duration of the program.
What do you mean by “cohort-based” program?
A cohort is simply a group of people bound together by a similar purpose. We designed the Growth Academy as a cohort-based program because we have seen the value of having a community of fellow entrepreneurs to take this journey of growth with. Cohorts allow entrepreneurs to collaborate and support each other in their pursuit of growing their businesses.
What will my time commitment be?
The Growth Academy will take about 4 to 5 hours of your time monthly. Remember, it’s important to take the time to work ON the business and not always IN the business. These hours will be spent on:
- Coaching Sessions
- Mentor Sessions
- Quarterly Strategy Sessions
- Quarterly CEO Roundtables
- Professional Development Trainings
- Book Reviews
- Time spent on assessments quarterly, reading, and follow-up tasks from meetings
What can I expect to have accomplished by the end of the program?
One of the first steps in onboarding is discovering where your company stands currently. Your onboarding coaching assessments will help you decide your growth goals and where you want your company to be at the end of the 18-months. Part of the program is reviewing your growth benchmarks quarterly with your coach to determine if you’re on track to reach your growth goals. This program is about development, accountability and ultimately helping you reach success as you’ve determined it.
