Accelerate Columbus is the premier program providing support to small businesses within the City of Columbus corporate boundary line. We are proud to partner with 11 Entrepreneurial Support Organizations to give support in areas of A.I. adoption, marketing, revenue growth, strategic planning and website design. Programs have varying start and end dates in accordance to what they are teaching. Businesses must be ready to commit to the full program length.
Our 2026 offerings include:
STORIES THAT WORK HARDER
A small business training program with message development, content creation, and pricing power to fuel the sales and marketing engine.
Our eight week virtual group program is a mix of video course content, virtual group training, peer accountability, 1:1 consulting services, and branded video content for your company. You’ll uncover the unique selling points of your brand, develop key messaging for communicating your brilliance, create social proof through video testimonials, and understand the pricing power you hold.
Walk away with clear messaging and the confidence to raise your prices.
Calling all Columbus-based Entrepreneurs! Get ready to launch or level up your website with Buckeye Innovation’s free 4-week Website Acceleration Workshop! This hands-on series guides you through content creation, design, and site management—no coding required. You’ll also learn to utilize AI tools to help build, test, and maintain your site. Whether you’re creating a new site or improving an existing one, you’ll receive expert-led instruction, one-on-one support, and one year of free web hosting after launch.
Cohorts are starting soon! Learn more and apply today!
Si quieres ser dueño de tu propio negocio, pero no sabes por dónde empezar, este taller es para ti.
NOTA: ESTE TALLER ES ÚNICAMENTE PARA PERSONAS QUE NO HAN ASISTIDO A ESTE TALLER ANTERIORMENTE.
Día – el martes 3- febrero- 2026
Lugar – Our Lady of Guadalupe Center, cuya dirección es
3631 Soldano Avenue. Columbus, OH 43228
Columbus Chamber of Commerce - Growth accelerator and general business advice (Application Opening 2/2)
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.
The Columbus Chamber is excited to offer two new formats for Accelerate, Spring and Fall. The Spring Grow Your Business: Ensuring Startup Success cohort will focus on completing a full working business plan, complete with financial projections to position business owners for accessing capital and evaluating their pricing strategy. Ideal candidates for this cohort are in ideation to 3 years of business, or in need of a business plan. In the Fall, the Beyond the Startup cohort will focus on growth strategy for seasoned business owners who need to ensure they are prepared for scalability by taking instructional workshop deep dives into topics such as understanding cashflow, marketing strategies, cybersecurity and asset protection. Ideal candidates for this cohort are those who have been in operation for 3 or more years.
Each cohort will be approximately 16 weeks in length over 8 – 10 in-person classroom sessions.
Columbus Empowerment Corporation is proud to return as a partner with the City of Columbus for Accelerate Columbus 2026!
This year, we’re offering hands-on business series for Creative, Food, and Construction-related entrepreneurs designed to strengthen foundations and accelerate growth.
Creative & Food Business Series participants will gain direct access to industry experts and peers while:
- Meeting with attorneys, accountants, bankers, and insurance professionals
- Developing a 12-month strategic plan
- Working with branding, media, and social media influencer experts
- Refining their brand story and customer engagement
- Receiving expert feedback during a private curated viewing
These cohorts provide practical tools, trusted guidance, and meaningful connections to help businesses mitigate risk and position themselves for success.
Blueprint Reading & Estimating Series is designed for contractors, small developers, and investors seeking to strengthen their blueprint interpretation and cost-estimating skills through a six-week, hands-on learning experience focused on commercial projects.
Program Timeline
- Creative Cohort: March 10
- Blueprint Reading & Estimating: Late Spring
- Food Cohort: Late Summer
Registration is now open!
The Smashing Your Sales Goals: Velocity Accelerator is a deep-dive into sales like you have never done before. This 10-week training hybrid learning experience equips you with key information, insights and resources to help small business owners, entrepreneurs and sales professionals develop or refine a step-by-step sales process that delivers results and increases revenues.
Get clarity and confidence to find your right-fit customers, start sales conversations, build rapport, and ask for the business with a step-by-step process that you can repeat over-and-over again.
- By the time you finish the Velocity Accelerator you will have:
- A step-by-step sales process to launch a new product or service.
- Refined strategies and best practices to close more deals faster.
- Enhanced pricing strategies to ensure alignment with revenue goals and business needs.
- Elevated prospecting with proven resources and strategies that help you qualify leads more efficiently.
Space is limited for Spring (March-May) and Fall (September-November) cohorts. This 10-week training program includes virtual training, coaching and technical assistance.
Turn Your Website Into a 24/7 SEO Sales Machine in Just 6 Weeks!
SEO Kickstarter is a 6-week, hands-on digital marketing and SEO / GEO training course that is FREE for qualifying businesses and non-profits. The Winter 2026 Hybrid Cohort runs from 2/12 - 3/26 on Thursdays from 9AM - 10:30AM, alternating between virtual and in-person (all in-person classes will take place at the Main Library).
In collaboration with Accelerate Columbus, this program is designed specifically for small businesses and nonprofits that already have a functioning website and are ready to grow. Led by Emerald Creative Content, this program gives you live instruction, practical strategies, and helps set you up for long term results.
The SYP (Share Your Purpose) program offered by First Sip Studios is a highly flexible and customizable curriculum designed to meet partnering organizations’ unique needs and goals. It can be purchased as a standalone program, equipping teams with essential skills in content creation, social media strategies, and more. Moreover, the SYP program is a powerful tool in collaboration with government organizations, empowering disadvantaged businesses within communities. Already deployed in diverse communities, from small townships to larger metropolitan areas, the SYP program ignites creativity, amplifies brand messaging, and cultivates digital success for businesses of all sizes.
Join other entrepreneurs and Ray Waite of Lighthouse Force in the Business and Nonprofit Resource Center, to explore together how you can responsibly and effectively harness the power of AI in your organization. Learn how to automate tasks, achieve efficiencies and expand your capacity, while keeping ethical considerations top of mind. Meetups will be held the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month, from 11:00-1:00. Ray will kick off each meet-up with a short talk about some aspect of Artificial Intelligence and then there will be plenty of time for discussion. Can't make it right at 11:00? Dropping in on the conversation is fine!
SBC Consulting, a Columbus-based bookkeeping and financial advisory firm, is providing free workshops and one-on-one financial consulting to small businesses through the City of Columbus–funded Accelerate Columbus Program.
For-Profit and Non-Profit small businesses located within the City of Columbus can participate in free workshops offered both in person and virtually throughout the year, along with personalized one-on-one support based on their specific needs. Support may include understanding financial statements, improving or learning QuickBooks, cleaning up financial records, and getting organized for growth or funding — all at no cost to participants. Interested businesses: Apply for Accelerate Columbus 2026 here!
'Planning is important – so is doing. Power Circles is all about doing – effectively dealing with the day-to-day. The key to the Women’s Small Business Accelerators Power Circle success is surrounding each of you with like-minded people for inspiration, honesty, and accountability.
Power Circles partners you with a group of like-minded peers and an experienced facilitator. Together you will meet monthly and discuss challenges and inspirations with everyone’s businesses, set goals and desired outcomes, and then track monthly activity for effectiveness and adjustment.
You have power over your accomplishments and over your peers’ accomplishments by doing the assigned work each month, holding your peers accountable for doing their work, and learning from your facilitator and each other. It’s that simple. Growth happens through intentionality and hard work.