"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

- Thomas Edison

In 2012 my partner and I launched and ran a very successful accelerator helping companies grow an average of 14% per week. I'm also a mentor at the largest accelerator in Canada, FounderFuel. Through StartupPlays.com, I've developed relationships with several startup accelerators and have collaborated with graduates from all of them. As an entrepreneur, mentor, and investor, I've spent a lot of time researching, running, and getting to know how accelerators work.

They're great at helping you refine your idea, speed up execution, build your network, and introduce you to potential investors.

This guide isn't a complete replacement for an accelerator program. However, it will help you speed up your execution and get traction for your product. This singular focus with strong results will help you build your network. In today's crowded early-stage startup market, traction is king.

This guide will help you get traction through structured assessments, research, brainstorming, planning, executing, and iterating on a number of strategies to grow your business. While some of these strategies may fail, many will succeed, and hopefully a couple of them will become the foundation for a healthy and fast-growth business.

I'll also discuss mentorship, where to find mentors, how to approach them, and optimizing your relationship with them. Although not a replacement for an accelerator program, mentors can help you refine your ideas and make introductions to key customers and influencers.

Once you've completed this guide, you may still want to apply to an accelerator program. With the skills and experience you've gained going through this process, you'll have a better chance of being accepted and be much more prepared to benefit from everything they have to offer.

Let's get started!