Application for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce Spring 2025 cohort is now open to residents of Columbus, Ohio. The free offering sponsored by the City of Columbus Small Business office for small business owners in the City of Columbus is expected to commence in two batches of Program 1 Accelerate Your Business Spring Session from March 18, 2025, and Program 2 – Accelerate 2.0 Spring Session from March   12, 2025.

To be eligible for this program, your business must be located in the City of Columbus.; and If you have not yet started your business or if your business is home-based, your residential address must be located in the City of Columbus.

Successful candidates are expected to learn about the vast resources in the Columbus community ecosystem like the Columbus Metropolitan Library Business and Nonprofit Resource Center and navigating topics like Business Planning for Profitability, Minority Business Certification, accessing Capital and preparing to Pitch.

Accelerate Columbus is a comprehensive initiative that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders to create an environment that fosters innovation and growth by offering assistance in all facets of entrepreneurship, from networking to accessing capital, ensuring you have the support and resources needed to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape.

Accelerate Columbus is a joint initiative of the City of Columbus, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and six additional Entrepreneur Support Organizations to facilitate various activities in direct relation to the needs of each small business that applies.  

Program 1 – Accelerate Your Business

Spring Session (3/18, 3/25, 4/1, 4/15, 4/29, 5/13, 5/27 and 6/3) – 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Are you a solopreneur ready to grow and set your business up for success? Accelerate Columbus is a program of The City of Columbus and The Columbus Chamber of Commerce targeting and catering to minority-owned, small businesses and solopreneurs beginning their business journey. Utilizing the Chamber’s network of hundreds of subject matter experts that specialize in all aspects of entrepreneurship and small business, trainings will explore topics in the areas of: Community Resources, Business Management and Operations, Marketing and Branding, MBE Certification, Networking, Banking, etc.). Tailored for those in ideation phase or within the first two years of operations, focusing on providing the essential knowledge and tools needed to lay a solid foundation for their business. 

Program 2 – Accelerate 2.0

Spring Session (3/12, 3/19, 3/26, 4/16, 4/30, 5/14, 5/28 and 6/4) – 3:30-6:30 PM

Are you an entrepreneur looking to scale and grow your business to meet the growing needs of the Columbus Region? Accelerate 2.0 is a program of The City of Columbus and The Columbus Chamber of Commerce targeting minority-owned, small businesses on the path to growth and expansion. Utilizing the Chamber’s network of hundreds of subject matter experts that specialize in all aspects of entrepreneurship and small business, trainings will explore topics in the areas of: Community Resources, Business Management and Operations, Securing Funding, Building Business and Strategy, MBE certification, etc.). Aimed at entrepreneurs who have been in operation for three years or more, offering a deeper exploration into the fundamental principles of entrepreneurship to ensure the scalability and sustainability of their business operations.

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