MISSION

The Acceleration Project (TAP) is an innovative, award-winning consulting firm focused on under-served small businesses, particularly women and minority-owned enterprises. Structured as a 501(c)(3), supported by grants and donations, TAP provides high caliber advice at an accessible price to hundreds of businesses across the country. These efforts have resulted in increased sales, improved margins and operations, and stronger financial management.

Our dual mission is to:

• Support under-served small businesses
• Channel talent into the economy

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HISTORY

The idea for TAP emerged out of our desire to fix a problem:  small businesses struggling to succeed in the face of pressures from the Internet and big box stores.  Our main streets, our places to gather, work, shop and dine are fighting for survival.  We've all seen the unprecedented rise in vacancies and shift in buyer behavior. These forces threaten our community, and we knew we could do something about it.
 
We recognized a great underutilized resource - the local talent pool, many having left their fast paced careers, who had skills that these small businesses could desperately use.  With that in mind, we developed a program to identify, train and mobilize this force to provide actionable business advice and in the process keep their skills fresh. 

In March 2020, when the COVID crisis hit, it immediately became clear that TAP’s mission to support under-served small businesses was more critical than ever​. We began offering free emergency services to any small business struggling in the face of the crisis.  As businesses begin to emerge post-COVID, we are helping them to rethink business models, products and services to best position themselves for success.