Ken McElroy - The Sleeping Giant: The Awakening of the Self-Employed Entrepreneur. Twenty Inspiring Stories from Global Entrepreneurs.

THE SLEEPING GIANT: The Awakening of the Self-Employed Entrepreneur

Copyright 2010 by Ken McElroy

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13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9829108-2-5

First Ebook Edition

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Cover photo by Kelli Leslie

To my father, Ronald Charles McElroy,

rest in peace,

who gave me the greatest gift:

he believed in me.

Fall seven times,

stand up eight.

- Japanese proverb

The Entrepreneurs Organization (EO)

As the worlds most influential community of entrepreneurs, the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) is an innovative support system for todays business owners. Since 1987, EO has served as a global thought leader on entrepreneurship, enriching members lives through dynamic peer-to-peer learning, once-in-alifetime experiences and connections to experts. A non-profit organization, EO wields a powerful influence in the lives of 7,500 members across 118 chapters in 38 countries. EO members are some of the most successful business owners in the world, generating a combined US$124 billion in annual revenue.

EO also supports the growth of emerging entrepreneurs through its Accelerator program and the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA). Accelerator is an education-based program designed to accelerate the financial goals of first-stage business owners. In a series of quarterly, high-impact learning events, the program provides entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge and skills they need to generate more than US$1 million in annual revenue. In 2009, more than 200 entrepreneurs participated in Accelerator, of which 11 percent reached their revenue goal. Considering only four percent of all startups ever reach the million-dollar milestone, the success rate of Accelerator speaks to the strength of the program. Participants credit the tools, learning and connections made through Accelerator for helping them grow their business.

Similarly, the GSEA is the premier award program for undergraduate students that own and run businesses while attending college or university. Designed to recognize, celebrate and encourage todays Sleeping Giants, GSEA operates as an international series of competitions allowing entrepreneurs to compete against their global peers. Through GSEA, budding entrepreneurs are afforded new avenues of growth, receive substantial visibility and are rewarded for having innovative, profitable and socially responsible companies. Hundreds of student entrepreneurs have found success through the GSEA program, and many have gone on to become global business leaders.

Mentorship programs like Accelerator and GSEA equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge and experience they need to become giants of business and community. These programs are in service of beginner and experienced entrepreneurs, and they reflect EOs desire to stimulate the economy, foster job growth and encourage entrepreneurship in all corners of the world. It is this commitment to entrepreneurial growth that helps EO build a better tomorrow, today.

To learn more about the Entrepreneurs Organization, visit www.eonetwork.org. To learn more about Accelerator and GSEA, visit http://accelerator.eonetwork.org and www.gsea.org.