Kauffman FastTrac Application Form

Kauffman FastTrac® Application
The Kauffman FastTrac® series is an educational program created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. FastTrac® is designed to help you evaluate and perfect your business concept and complete a comprehensive business plan. Whether you’re starting a food truck or a factory, a construction company or a consulting firm, you need a plan. This 10-week series offered twice a year can help. The program is most appropriate for those who are: either within a year of launching your business or have launched within the past year and are seeking a plan for establishing your business. You will study with a group of entrepreneurs, experienced facilitators, and people with start-up business experience who understand the pitfalls of starting a new enterprise.

Each week, you'll hear from our expert facilitator and a guest expert. You’ll also receive lifetime access to an online FastTrac® Toolkit. The Toolkit houses the business planning templates, action steps, activities, videos, and other helpful materials.

When you finish the program, you will know if your idea has profit potential, and will have an actionable plan you can use as a roadmap or take to investors.

In this ten module FastTrac® program, you will:
- Explore entrepreneurship and develop your business concept.
- Identify and research market needs.
- Set financial goals and determine start-up costs.
- Develop research skills and determine the unique features and benefits of your product/service.
- Research and analyze the market and prepare a marketing plan.
- Create a business image and marketing strategies.
- Build the organization team and understand legal structures.
- Plan for a profitable business, evaluate pricing and profitability.
- Learn how to monitor cash flow and seek funds.
- Determine and implement next steps to launch your business and complete your business plan.
The class features weekly online meetings with an expert teacher and a supportive cohort of other new entrepreneurs. Class sessions will often feature presentations from guest speakers who are accountants, social media consultants, attorneys, or other business experts.

Membership in the class also includes unlimited remote coaching sessions with the instructor and free access to all of WBEC-East's business training webinars and programs for the duration of the course.

FastTrac® Cohorts currently alternate between in-person and virtual. Spring 2025 is in-person and Fall 2025 is virtual.

If students are repeatedly absent, unresponsive, or disruptive, we may need to ask them to leave the course and rejoin in the future when they’re better able to focus and/or commit. No refunds are available for FastTrac® course fees.

Application Instructions:
- This form is accepting applications for 2025.
- This application is for both Spring (in-person) and Fall (virtual) Cohorts.
- Fill in all the information requested and provide as much detail as possible in the spaces provided.
- Feel free to attach any documents about your business concept, product or service, or business needs and strategies in the space below.
Space is limited! Applications will be considered on a first come, first served basis.

Upon receipt of your application, WBEC-East will contact you for a interview. If accepted, you must submit your payment by the due date indicated on your acceptance letter to reserve your seat.

The full fee for this class is $300, but as a mission-driven nonprofit, we want to be sure that the fee is never an obstacle to joining this class. Most FastTrac® participants recieve need-based financial aid, which you can apply for at the end of this application. Limited full scholarships are available and are able to be applied for at the end of the application as well. Your ability to pay the full fee will not influence our decision on whether or not you are ready for this class.

If you have any questions, please email Alexandra Mullins (Women's Business Center Director) at amullins@wbeceast.com, Evelyn Martinez (Program Coordinator) at emartinez@wbeceast.com, or Melanie McLeod (FastTrac Course Facilitator) at melaniemcleod10@gmail.com.
Applicant Information
Full name*
Street Address
City*
ZIP Code*
Phone number*
Email*
example@example.com
How did you hear about FastTrac®?*

WBEC-East EmailWBEC-East WebsiteFriend or ColleagueSocial Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn)Current or Former WBEC-East ClientOther Business Resource CalendarOther
Which Business Resource Calendar?*
A calendar or list of opportunities that is not via WBEC-East.
Business Information
Which of the following best describes your current status?*

Thinking about starting a businessAm in process of starting a business but have made no salesHave opened a business and made sales within the last 12 monthsHave been in business with sales for more than 12 months
How long have you been planning to start your own business?*

Less than a year1-2 years3-5 yearsOther
How many years of experience do you have in the same industry as your proposed business?*
How many years of experience do you have as a manager or supervisor in any industry?*
Why do you want to participate in the Kauffman FastTrac® program?*
Please describe the business venture you would like to work on in the Kauffman FastTrac® program. *
If you have several ideas, please pick the one that you feel is strongest, or the one which would benefit the most from a formal, written business plan.
What research have you done on your business concept's market potential, business model, and start up requirements?*
Research might include analysis of potential competitors, knowledge drawn from your own experience of the industry you plan to enter, general research about the state of that industry, questionnaires to potential customers, or anything else you have done to gather information your business concept
What does your research tell you about the potential start-up costs, profitability, operations, and challenges involved with your business concept? *
It's okay if you don't have all the answers (market research is a big part of the course), but we do want to know why you think that this business can succeed.
What is your current employment status (check all that apply)?*

UnemployedWorking full or part time in a job that is unrelated to your own businessNow working part time in your own businessNow working full time in your own business
Do you have access to a computer with internet service at home?*

YesNo
Do you feel comfortable with digital tools like google sheets, google drive, zoom meetings and internet research?*

YesNot now, but would be interested in learning via webinarI am not comfortable with these digital tools.
Is there anything else that you want us to know?
Which Cohort are you applying for?*

Spring 2025 (In-Person)Fall 2025 (Virtual)
Fall 2024 applications, financial aid reviews, and interviews will occur August-September 2024. Please complete the remainder of this application.
I would like to apply for the following:*

Financial Aid (sliding-scale cost)Full ScholarshipNeither
Full Scholarship Application

WBEC-East is proud to offer full scholarships for our FastTrac® and JumpStart programs through the support and partnership of generous corporate sponsors and individual donors. The WBC Scholarship Program will award one scholarship per entrepreneur to cover the full cost of one FastTrac® course in order to assess, launch, and/or grow their business. Please note that that the following collection of demographic data is for WBEC-East to better understand the constituents we serve and is in no way used as scholarship eligibility criteria - providing this information is optional. Scholarship awards are limited.
County
Race and Ethnicity
Age
Do you have a disability or disabilities?
Additional information based on previous question:
Do you identify as LGBTQIA+?

YesNoUnsure
What is your Veteran status?

I am a veteranI am not a veteranI am on active duty
What is your "Why?" as an entrepreneur?*
2-4 sentences.
How does your business idea stand out amongst similar businesses in the area?*
2-4 sentences.
How does community involvement fit into your business idea?*
2-4 sentences.
I am able to attend (virtually or in-person based on the Cohort) all 10 classes. Please compare FastTrac® dates to your own calendar*

YesNoOther
What was your approximate household income from last year?*
How many people, including yourself, does that income support?*
Will your household income this year differ significantly from the previous year?*

YesNo
If yes, please explain:*
What is your current employment status?*

Unemployed and thinking about starting abusinessEmployed by someone else and thinking about starting a businessEmployed by someone else and working part-time in your own businessWorking full-time in your own business
Please explain any circumstances that make it difficult for you to pay the program fee below.*
3-5 sentences.
What part of the program fee could you pay?*
Please upload any documents that you think would support this application or give us more information about your business.

Browse Files
This isn't required, but if you have something that you want us to see, please attach it! Cancelof
Thank you for your interest!

Review of Spring applications is ongoing and will close February 16, 2024. You will then be contacted to schedule a Zoom interview with our application team.

Again, if you have any questions, please contact Alexandra Mullins (Women's Business Center Director) at amullins@wbeceast.com, Eliot Gilkeson (Program Coordinator) at egilkeson@wbeceast.com, or Melanie McLeod (FastTrac Course Facilitator) at melaniemcleod10@gmail.com.
Should be Empty:

Kauffman FastTrac® Application

Application Instructions:

Applicant Information

Business Information

Full Scholarship Application

Thank you for your interest!