According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 90% of all business startups fail. This risk is transformed into a high success rate through a path to business ownership called Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA). The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and Promise Partners, a nonprofit “ETA accelerator” focused on helping individuals with entrepreneurial aspirations become business owners, will be hosting the 2nd annual Richard L. Osborne Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Symposium on Wednesday, Oct. 25, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Tinkham Veale Center on the campus of Case Western Reserve.
ETA is a win-win for business professionals looking to make an impact and wanting to own their own business, and for private companies with the potential for growth and the need for smart leadership as part of a growth or succession plan. Both groups benefit from attending the symposium. The goal of the event is to bring together over 200 business owners and potential owners to understand the synergy possible through ETA. The half-day program will feature general sessions about ETA, private business valuation and buy/sell process, along with presentations from experts in the local acquisition ecosystem.
“There are so many upsides to ETA,” said Scot Lowry, professor of entrepreneurship at Weatherhead. “For those looking to become owners you avoid the startup challenges by acquiring a proven business model and established team often with support of experienced investors. For the private business, working with ETA entrepreneurs provides leadership with knowledge in changing business approaches for growth and broader exit options. This approach has been pioneered by leading business schools at Harvard, Stanford, Chicago Booth and right here in Northeast Ohio at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.”
Attendees interested in jumpstarting their ETA journey are eligible for the first of its kind three-day ETA course offered by Weatherhead Executive Education Jan. 5 to 7, 2024. Learn more about this course on the program page.
Find more information and register for the 2nd annual Richard L. Osborne Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Symposium on the event's webpage.
About Promise Partners: Cleveland-based non-profit ETA accelerator that exists to help aspiring entrepreneurs find a path to business ownership. The range of intellectual guidance starts with support to individuals with entrepreneurial spirit and strong business acumen to seasoned business professional seeking to buy existing companies. Over the organizations 30-year history, 65 members have become business owners and purchased over 85 businesses.
About Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University: The Weatherhead School of Management has been a pioneer in ETA education for over 30 years because of the late Richard L. Osborne’s vision and passion for student outcomes. Professor Osborne exposed students to successful ETA entrepreneurs and strategies in the classroom and co-founded the Promise Partners ETA accelerator in 1992. His passion and legacy for ETA education and student success using ETA is on par with the contributions to ETA education and application offered at Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business and more recently at Chicago Booth.