The Business Accelerator Project.

• Author: Lewis, Di

The Business Accelerator Project

Utah is home to great companies. A hard-working culture mixed with a business friendly government creates a state where business owners love to be. An entrepreneurial spirit has driven many of the states residents to start, grow and build companies.

But even with good people and a supportive environment, more than 50 percent of businesses fail during their first five years. And even successful businesses sometimes need help and advice to get to the next level. In the spirit of boosting local companies, Utah Business created the Business Accelerator Project.

The project is a jumpstart. Whether a business is still new and in need of mentorship or has survived the test of time but needs help pushing past a plateau, the project aims to help companies reach their full potential.

Our lop-notch Business Accelerator Team will spend the next several months working one-on-one with selected companies, and we invite you to join their journey in this special, quarterly series.

The Team

We've gathered three professionals from the tops of their respective fields to join the Business Accelerator Team.

Niel Nickolaisen is an experienced and innovative operations and IT leader. He has a history of leading companies to dramatic improvement. Nickolaisen is also a prolific author and a popular speaker.

James Clarke is the managing partner of Clarke Capital Partners. Clarke founded CLHARLINK. He has held advisory roles on the many boards on which he has served.

Kent Thomas is the CRO and founder of Advanced CFO Solutions. He is an active volunteer with several community organizations and was a founding member of Olympus Angel Investors.

The Business Accelerator Team will work with one company per quarter, providing focused, intensive advice. Utah Business will publish quarterly reports examining each company's weaknesses and opportunities, as well as periodic updates regarding how the companies have implemented the given advice and their results.

Introducing Apex Logistics Group

The Business Accelerator Projects first company is Apex Logistics Group, a freight brokering organization based in Salt Lake City. The process began with an intensive month-long evaluation in which the team...