Accelerator and Incubator Programs: Empowering Entrepreneurs with LivePlan

Ready to take your advisory services and entrepreneurial support to the next level? This webinar, led by LivePlan experts Josh, Peter, and Justin, provides an in-depth look at how LivePlan can revolutionize your accelerator and incubator programs. Whether you're nurturing nascent startups or scaling established businesses, learn how to leverage LivePlan as a resource multiplier, expanding your reach and impact. Discover best practices, practical applications, and powerful features designed to empower the entrepreneurs you serve. Watch this webinar to unlock the full potential of your programs and drive greater success for your clients.

What You'll Learn

This webinar is packed with practical tips and answers to the most common questions from our partner community. Here’s a look at what we cover:

Understanding LivePlan's Core Capabilities

• Comprehensive Overview: Get a quick tour of LivePlan's key sections, including the Guide for structured planning, the Plan section for narrative development, and the Forecast for financial projections.
• AI Integration: Discover how LivePlan’s integrated AI assists in generating content and providing insights, starting with initial business type input.
• Visual Executive Summary: Explore the Pitch Page, a dynamic visual summary for quickly communicating a business's value proposition.
• Industry Benchmarking: Learn how the Benchmarks feature uses NAICS codes to provide industry data, helping entrepreneurs validate their financial assumptions and prepare for lenders.
• Direct Support: Understand the value of the in-app Support button for connecting with LivePlan's human customer advocacy team for real-time assistance.

Tailoring LivePlan for Startup Programs (Incubators)

• Defining Startup Programs: Understand the various names and formats for startup-focused programs, from "lean planning workshops" to "boost your business" initiatives.
• Benefits of Startup Programs: Explore how working with startups can create an ecosystem, funnel new clients, connect with community programs and funding partners, and diversify your Small and Midsize Business (SMB) set.
• Iterative Lean Planning: Embrace the concept of lean planning as a continuous, cyclical process of planning, evaluating, and refining, emphasizing flexibility over a static document.
• Practical Exercises: Discover how to integrate the LivePlan Pitch Page into iterative exercises for startups, allowing for rapid changes and continuous improvement.
• Program Implementation Best Practices: Gain insights from personal experiences on structuring startup programs, including the benefits of charging a fee (even if scholarship-backed for "skin in the game") and incorporating real-world tools and technology.
• Addressing Financial Forecast Aversion: Learn strategies to overcome entrepreneurs' reluctance to engage with financial forecasting, including spreading out tasks and emphasizing the feasibility stool concept (founder commitment, product-market fit, and profitability).

Leveraging LivePlan for Growth-Stage Programs (Accelerators)

• Core Principles Remain Constant: Understand that the fundamental principles of planning are the same for both startups and growth-stage businesses, with nuances in application.
• Meeting Businesses Where They Are: Learn to tailor LivePlan to existing businesses by refining their current models, identifying strengths, and exploring market opportunities for scaling.
• Customizing the Plan Outline: Discover how to modify LivePlan's default business plan outline to suit a growth-focused program, including adding sections like a SWOT analysis and company history.
• Program Milestones: Learn how to pre-load program-specific milestones and deadlines into LivePlan to help participants track progress and stay on schedule.
• Advanced Financial Forecasting with Scenarios: Explore the power of scenario planning to model growth opportunities, such as increasing sales, raising prices, opening new product lines, or expanding locations, while preserving baseline forecasts.
• Integrating Accounting Data: Understand how to initiate forecasts directly from QuickBooks Online or Xero data, providing a solid foundation in actual financial performance for more robust and realistic projections.
• Offboarding Strategies: Consider how LivePlan can facilitate the transition of businesses out of an accelerator program, providing them with a comprehensive plan and ongoing management tools.