Nashville Entrepreneur’s Organization Creates Program To Help Businesses Reach $1 Million in Revenue

‘Catalyst’ Will Help Members Reach The Threshold For Becoming An EO Member

Information For Release

NASHVILLE, Tenn. July 6, 2011 – If there is a defining symbol of the first decade of the 21st Century, it is the entrepreneur. As the old business model moves to China, entrepreneurs are creating a new breed of capitalism in America with sizzling tech start-ups and reinventions of traditional business models. They are rapidly reshaping the way we live – and doing very well, thank you, during one of the deepest and longest recessions in our nation’s history.

It seems everybody wants to be an entrepreneur these days. And in this town, the highest concentration of this rockstar archetype is found in the Nashville chapter of the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO), which is currently vying for first place as the fastest growing chapter of EO’s worldwide network of successful business owners.

Problem is, your business must generate at least $1 million in annual sales to join EO. So how do budding entrepreneurs get invited to the party?

Now there’s a way.

“We realized that there are many great businesses in Nashville that could get to $1 million in annual sales with the right kind of help. So we decided to offer that help,” said Debbie Gordon, EO Nashville chapter president and president and CEO of S3 Asset Management and Snappy Auctions. “Our members want to give something back to the business community that has allowed them to be successful, and what better way to give back than by helping others succeed?”

To serve entrepreneurs whose companies have not yet reached $1 million in annual sales, EO Nashville has partnered with the Nashville Entrepreneur Center to create a new program called “Catalyst.” The inaugural 18-month Catalyst program will begin Aug. 30.

“This program, modeled on EO’s own brand of educational programs, experience sharing, and team problem solving, is designed to assist these small business owners grow their companies with the help of others in this community who’ve already done so. The best way to correct a mistake is to learn from someone else’s and avoid the problem altogether,” said Benjamin Goldberg, president of Strategic Hospitality. Goldberg and Dan Hogan, president and CEO of Medalogix, are the EO Nashville board members responsible for the Catalyst program.

The first Catalyst class will consist of 20 members. To qualify you must be the founder, co-founder, owner or controlling shareholder of a local company grossing between $250,000 and $999,999 in annual revenue.

The program will cost $2,500 and participation will offer three distinct benefits: education, experience sharing and mentorship.

Education

The program will kickoff with 12 biweekly classes taught by EO Nashville member Michael Burcham, president and CEO of the Entrepreneur Center. Other EO Nashville members will take part in each class to share experiences with participants.

“The first six months of the program will allow these small business owners to refine their business model, and establish a roadmap to get over that $1 million revenue mark,” Hogan said.

Experience Sharing

At the conclusion of the classes, Catalyst participants will be broken into smaller peer-to-peer forum groups. The groups will meet monthly for 12 months with the first six meetings led by two EO Nashville members. Catalyst participants will also be invited to EO members-only learning seminars and social outings.

Mentorship

Catalyst members will also engage in one-on-one mentorship with an EO Nashville member.

“Our members are very excited about this opportunity to share what they've learned with other business owners,” Hogan said. “Actually, I think EO members will get as much, or more, out of this program as the Catalyst companies will. This is also the kind of program that ensures EO Nashville attains and maintains its place as the fastest growing EO chapter in the world.”

Interested business owners can attend one of two informational meetings hosted by the Entrepreneur Center on July 12 and August 9 at 5:30 p.m. RSVP instructions can be found under the “Catalyst Schedule” tab at http://www.eocatalyst.com.

Contact: Jeff Bradford/Erin Gagnon, 615.515.4888, info@bradfordgrp.com

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