How to Ride the Peaks and Valleys of Running an ESO (Avoiding the Valley of Death)

When an Entrepreneur Support Organization has a history in their community, there is a time when it can be like a rocket ship or a sinking ship. The cash flow, the partners, the community might have other ways that show support but at the same time, the ecosystem isn't functionally "successful". Like a true startup, the Valley of Death can be daunting for the ESO's that work in communities that are under resourced.

Here are the 3 takeways to support the journey out of the valleys and when the peaks are few and far between:

• Identify the type of Valley of Death that you and/or your organziation are in - (burnout, board friction, lack of funding, competition, landlords, mission drift)
• How to recognize when you (and/or your organization) are in the Valley of Death with community partnership, diverse business models and alternative revenue sources.
• What are the core strategies to get out of it, so that the organization can not only survive, but thrive. Successful and not-so-successful examples and storytelling to further educate and enlighten your stakeholders (board of directors, government agencies, customers, grant organizers)