Things to consider before joining an accelerator

So you already have an established startup. You’ve put together a team, gone through all the legal steps, and set your roots in the market. But you want to learn more. You want to develop your product or service, talk business, meet investors, find seed funding and scale your business into a sustainable model in a fast-paced environment. This article intends to help you identify the top 5 things you should consider when joining an accelerator programme.

Business Accelerators being a recurring theme in conversations for the last couple of years, you might have found an opportunity to speed-up your growth and scape-up your business. But certain questions remain on the table. Why do I need to join an accelerator programme in Mauritius? If yes, which one? Where do I find it? Will it make my startup failure-proof? Let’s get into it with five things to consider before joining an accelerator. 

Growth and Scalable Objectives are more likely suitable if you consider joining an Accelerator. What are your objectives?

Knowing what your objectives are and what you want to achieve should be one of the deciding factors when choosing your accelerator. What are your goals? Entering a new market? Find new customers? Increase tractions and revenues? Getting access to industry expertise and mentors? Finding a proper niche? Answering these questions will not only help you in your decision-making but also make you understand whether you need an accelerator or not. You may also reach out to the accelerator programme you are most interested in and ask about their programme’s aims or what you can benefit from them. Defining your objectives is the best way to get started. In fact, it is the only way to know if your targeted accelerator understands your success metrics and is aligned with your goals. 

Find the right fit: which accelerator programme is suitable for your Business?

Which accelerator programme suits your business

Spend some time digging into the accelerators’ sphere as not every accelerator is right for every startup. With different models and programmes out there, you might find the best fit for your startup by ranking them based on their relevance to you. If you’re fortunate enough to find the values you cherish in an accelerator, connect with them right away without waiting any further. 

In fact, the accelerator you need might be just around the corner. Turbine offers a thriving accelerator programme to help entrepreneurs just like you turn their startup into success stories. Open for more established startups that need a boost to increase their sales and traction either locally or internationally, this programme will help you conquer the world with a cohort of other entrepreneurs so that you can get inspiration and motivation from your peers. This 6-month programme will give you another chance to prosper with free working space, fortnightly business coaching sessions, two days residential bootcamp, workshops with top speakers and experts among other benefits. Turbine might be your partner of choice in this sea of startups. If you want to further grow your startup and absorb years worth of learning within a few months, you already know what’s the next move. 

The Offer of the Start-Up Accelerator

If you think you’ve found a value proposition and a model that supports your vision, go and see what’s beyond the surface. The offer is the only thing that will tell you if the value you will get out of it is worthy. Is the programme giving you the opportunities you need to achieve your goals? Will it offer connections you don’t already have? Are you going to have training opportunities with qualified persons in the industry? After all, the accelerator will have to give compelling reasons to bring you in. Make sure to go through their offer and check all the highlights closely to see what you can gain from them. If the offer aligns with what you are seeking for your startup, enroll right now and enjoy the process.

Network, network, network.

In addition to the offer, networking is a massive component of accelerator programs. You will find a lot of accelerators in the market, but the best ones offer once in a lifetime networking opportunities. When it comes to accelerator programs and startup ventures, networking is everything.  Not only should the accelerator be a home for your startup with the relevant structure, a family and visiting mentors making you grow, but it should also give you access to potential business ventures throughout your journey. With the right network, you may find interesting collaborations with established business leaders if they find your venture interesting. And that’s what it’s all about. You should be able to find partners in this accelerator that will help you achieve the milestone that you need. 

Application for Business Acceleration Programme

The last important consideration is the application part. It involves filling up an online form outlining your current situation as a startup, what you want to gain from the programme, and why you deserve a place in it. It might be quite challenging to get approved as your startup model should captivate the decision-makers at the accelerator. However, if you outline in your writings why you want to join this specific accelerator and present your project in a concise and strategic way, you might finally get your starting point to progress on your business journey. 

Sending the right application to the right accelerator programme might be one of the best decisions a founder can make. It can definitely make the difference when throwing your startup into the game with the giants of your respective industry. However, bear in mind that this list is not exhaustive. You’ll probably consider more than five metrics before joining an accelerator. But at the end of the day, it’s important to find the right early partners. If you want to scale your startup and seek expert guidance, financing and growth, contact us through hello@turbine.mu and make us help you take your business to the next round!