Made In Baltimore’s Home-Run Accelerator is a 5-month small business development program designed to help home-based entrepreneurs scale up and out into commercial production space. The program is specifically tailored for product-based businesses that are currently run by entrepreneurs out of their home or a shared makerspace. The curriculum focuses on the organizational tools needed to prepare a small business to scale, as well as some of the nuts-and-bolts of early stage growth, such as: how to hire your first employees, what to look for in a commercial lease, how to identify raw material suppliers, and much more.
The curriculum consists of two main components:
- Strategy School is a virtual learning platform developed and delivered by small business consulting firm, Twilight Quest. This 8 week curriculum walks business owners through the basics of developing strong foundations in operations, marketing, and business development. By the end of 8 weeks, participants will have authored a realistic plan to scale their home-based business into a commercial or industrial production space.
- Program participants will be paired with Peer Mentors who themselves have successfully scaled businesses out of their homes. The Peer Mentors will offer guidance and assistance to participants for three months following completion of Strategy School.
Throughout the program, participants will also be supported by Made In Baltimore staff to offer connections to resource providers, feedback on plan development, and assistance identifying locations to grow their businesses.
Participants that successfully complete the program will be awarded between $5,000 – $10,000 in seed capital to support their launch into a new facility.
For more information, including details on eligibility, timelines, and instruction team, download the Info Sheet here.
To register for our free information session click HERE
Program Receivables
- Instructional peer mentor support for the full duration of the program by Made In Baltimore members who have successfully scaled their businesses up and out into commercial production space.
- A comprehensive virtual learning program called Strategy School, developed in partnership between Twilight Quest and Impact Hub Baltimore.
- Up to $10,000 in funding to support your expansion into a commercial or industrial production space in Baltimore City
- Technical support from MIB and BDC staff to identify leasable spaces and connect to other resource providers.
Eligibility
The Home Run Accelerator will select up to 12 entrepreneurs to participate, with a strong emphasis on women and people of color. To be eligible, a business must:
- Either hold the Made In Baltimore business certification or meet the requirements for certification (produce a physical product in Baltimore City; currently be a business “in good standing” with the State of Maryland at time of application).
- Confirm your desire to scale into commercial or industrial space within the next calendar year.
- Be based out of your home or a shared makerspace at the time of application
- Have been a business entity in existence for a minimum of 18 months.
READY TO APPLY? COMPLETE THE APPLICATION BELOW
APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY MIDNIGHT ON APRIL 18, 2021
Please complete the form below to be included in the Made In Baltimore 2022 Lookbook. Participation is free, but businesses must meet the following requirements to be eligible: MIB 2022 Lookbook - Application Form
1. Applicants must be a certified Made In Baltimore business, with an updated and active profile on madeinbaltimore.org
2. Applicants must have an active e-commerce platform, either on your business' website or a third party platform such as Etsy (social media accounts do not qualify).
3. Applicants may only submit replicable products for inclusion in the lookbook; one-of-a-kind products do not qualify (Businesses applying under the Custom Fabrication or Custom Printing, Engraving, or Embroidery categories are exempt from this requirement).
The deadline to apply is MIDNIGHT April 3rd, 2022
