Startup Mastermind Groups

Rapid Launch

Launching, or maybe even relaunching, your small business? Work with fellow business owners, sharing best practices and collaborating on your rapid launch during our new normal. (Hint: You will launch differently than you would have even a few months ago!)  Get it done and have some fun and support along the way!

Groups meet virtually online at pre-scheduled times over a four-month period. New groups are forming regularly.  Results require action.

Who Should Join a Rapid Launch Startup Mastermind Group? 

These groups as specifically designed for small business owners who are brand-spanking-new to business as well as owners who launched their businesses a while ago but have not been serious about growth; who are currently billing in the zero to very low-5-figure range; and who want to grow into solid, mid-5-figure companies.

Should YOU join? Ask yourself:

• Am I ready to grow my company into a solid business with sales in the mid-5-figure range?
• Am I choosing to get help and stop “spinning my wheels” for the next year-plus, stumbling along on my own?  (After all, that hasn’t worked for me so far, right?!!)
• Am I choosing to dedicate four months to get my business up and running, no excuses?
• Am I serious about creating a solid business foundation for future sustainability, profitability, and success – well beyond mid-5-figures, if that is the direction I decide to take?
• Do I like to work in a well-facilitated, collaborative team environment, where I am helping others and they are helping me?
• Do I need a safe place to brainstorm?
• Am I ready to crush fear and step into accountability?
• Do I want to work with an experienced small business coach who has helped thousands of other clients like me?
• Do I want to move forward with confidence, having my mastermind group serve as my ad hoc advisory board?
• Can I listen to constructive feedback from others and not be offended?
• Will I dedicate 1.5 hours three times a month for the next four months to my virtual, live mastermind group?
• Will I also dedicate time each week to work on my business, not just in it, so I can realize my dream?

If you answered yes to these questions, you are ready for our Rapid Launch Startup Mastermind Group! Congratulations! It is a powerful way to accelerate your small business launch. You will have support from your group of like-minded business owners, guided by an experienced small business coach and consultant. Now, the details.

What is a Mastermind Group?

A business mastermind group, at its simplest, is a meeting of two or more people who share a common purpose, where each person is committed to helping others in the group, including himself or herself, reach that common purpose through brainstorming, accountability, support, education, and sharing of knowledge and resources.

In short, many minds are better than one when you share a common purpose. In our rapid launch groups, the common purpose is to start or relaunch your company and grow it into a solid, mid-5-figure company.

Every member is dedicating the next four months to building a strong foundation and framework to make that happen. For a more detailed explanation of mastermind groups and reasons to join, please read Top 14 Reasons to Join a Small Business Mastermind Group, Part 1 and Part 2.

With an experienced facilitator and dedicated, open-minded group members, our mastermind groups can guide you to achieve more in less time.  You are challenged within a supportive environment.

The Process

As a Rapid Launch Startup Mastermind Group member, you:

• Meet 3 times per month, 1.5 hours/meeting, at pre-scheduled times
• Need high-speed internet access (we meet using Zoom)
• Can participate in one optional office hour per month, minimum
• Can access the Startup to Growth Small Business Vault, an online training and educational video resource
• Make a four-month commitment, minimum; group members may restructure after four months and move into a new group
• Will be part of a group with up to 12 members
• Help guide the agenda and focus of meetings

Within the group, you will set goals, prioritize them, and create your Action Plan for the next four months. Then you will create your Action Plan for the next five years. The group challenges the goals you set when they think it is helpful, making sure you are “playing big enough.”  They also hold you accountable to achieve your goals, by giving you feedback, brainstorming possible solutions, highlighting resources you might not have thought of, pathways you might not have considered.  In addition to support and encouragement, they also give you pushback and ask some hard questions you just might have been avoiding for a while.  In other words, your mastermind group functions as your ad hoc advisory board that has your back and your best interests – your success – at heart.  And you have theirs.  Your facilitator keeps things running smoothly throughout the process, and brings in additional resources and information.  The group decides together if they want to invite guest speakers to give a presentation, and possible topics.

In each meeting, one or two members will be in the “Hot Seat,” which rotates on a regular basis throughout the members during your time together. When you’re in the Hot Seat, you present the challenge you are facing that is stopping you from successfully launching your business, getting your initial clients and reaching your sales goals. The group listens, asks questions, gives feedback and brainstorms solutions with you.  They will challenge your perspective, often make you question your “why,” and encourage you to take a deeper dive into the issue. And that’s a good thing! Sometimes a possible solution is so obvious to others, but it is hidden to ourselves. Then you have time to think over all you have learned, choose what YOU believe are your next best steps, and implement your new plan of action before you are in the Hot Seat again. 

Even when you are not in the Hot Seat, you are learning. The act of helping your fellow mastermind members figure out their challenges inevitably leads you to that moment when you think, “Gosh, I need to do something like that, too! Why didn’t I think of that before now?!” In our groups, you are always learning.

Every member also reports in briefly at the beginning of each meeting, telling the group about their wins and challenges since the last meeting, giving updates, asking for advice, and staying on track.  These “weigh-in” sessions are shorter than Hot Seat sessions. At the end of each meeting, members set their goals for the next meeting. Those goals become their Action Plan to keep them on track.

Some of the areas we typically focus on are:

• Business name, entity selection and structure
• Brand identity – logo, tagline, website, print and digital materials
• Product and service descriptions, refining your ideas and testing them in the marketplace
• Identifying your target and how to reach them
• Marketing across all platforms, with an emphasis on digital and online marketing, including social media, podcasts, video, blogging, newsletters, ebooks, virtual classes/events, and even print!
  • As you might guess, once the foundation is in place, we spend a lot of time here!
• Sales (marketing is different than sales)
  • Yes, we spend a lot of time here, too!  Sales can be fun (really!!)
• Small business operations, hiring, management, establishing policies and procedures
• Financial projections – yes, you must do this!
• Business planning – hint, everything listed here is part of your business plan
• So many other areas!!

Your Next Steps

First, we need to meet virtually to make sure we are the right choice for you.  Please contact us at [email protected], and we’ll set up a Zoom meeting, discussing you, your business, and what you want to accomplish over the next four months.  If we both decide that we are a good fit to work together, we will ask you to fill out and submit an application. We will then decide which group you will join and you’re on your way!  We require a 4-month commitment for our Rapid Launch Startup Mastermind Groups.  Prepayment is also required, and we have different payment options.

If you don’t have time to fully commit to a Rapid Launch Startup Mastermind right now, consider joining a virtual MEG-Connect group. In our MEG’s, we meet 3 times a month for hour-long meetings where you can relax and connect virtually with like-minded small business owners. You are also working on your business, but without all the homework and structure. The more relaxed pace and social connection might be just what the doctor ordered as we all grapple with our new normal…whatever that ends up being! An application is required

Note:  A prerequisite for our Rapid Launch Startup Mastermind is that you have completed your business planning, either through our Small Business Blueprint class or by some other means.

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Robin Suomi, MBA, is an experienced small business expert and founder of Startup to Growth. She has assisted thousands of small business owners to start and/or grow their businesses for over 14 years. Working with clients remotely through video meeting platforms, she helps clients answer their technical business planning questions. She also encourages them to dig deeper, dream bigger, and works with them to create their Success Steps.  Check out the website for ongoing Small Business Blueprint classes, Mastermind Growth Groups, MEG-Connect and Powerup Your Practice groups, as well as 1-1 small business coaching. We love your questions. Reach out to us at [email protected] and let’s set up a free consultation.