The Axcelus Story

Axcelus began with two questions: "How can we bring affordable and high-quality business acceleration consulting to a large number of entrepreneurs?", and "How can we create a cadre of purposeful, versatile and effective consultants bringing breakthrough growth - Axcelus growth - to business owners all over the world?"

Paul Lemberg, co-founder and CEO of Axcelus started his entrepreneurial career by helping launch Henco Research International, an international banking software company, in 1981. That company, started with $3,000 of credit card debt, was sold for several million dollars in 1983. Next, Paul co-founded Vertex Business Systems in 1985, to serve the same industry. That company was sold to a German bank in 1988. Paul then spent a number of years working in market research and corporate strategy advising large technology companies like IBM, Anderson Consulting, EDS, Texas Instruments, and others. In 1992 Paul began working with individual professionals and entrepreneurs and in 1995 began offering entrepreneurial business consulting full-time.

After working directly with more than 100 different companies and dozens of industries, Paul began thinking about how to be able to bring his systematic approach to business growth to a much wider group of business owners. Working with so many clients in so many industries, he had developed a methodology which consistently increased profits and value for his clients, but was frustrated by being able to help such small numbers of business owners.

Paul began to work out the ideas for a system for high-quality business consulting, designed for smaller companies, that would consistently and predictably help business owners rapidly increase their profits, and at the same time reduce their business' dependence on them.

Most business consultants can serve up to around 15 clients each. Perhaps a few more, maybe 20, but not much more than that. And most consultants consult from their industry experience and particular expertise. For some clients their experience is a fit, and for others... well, it just isn't. Which means that some clients get the results they asked for, while others do not.

Paul worked on and off for three years developing a systematic approach that would use the same methods he had used successfully with his clients, and transformed it into a program any skilled consultant could offer.

That system - The Axcelus Business Acceleration System - is the basis of Axcelus.

The Axcelus Business Acceleration System

The Axcelus Business Acceleration System is a complete system for reliably increasing the revenues and profits in almost any entrepreneurial business.

Designed to work primarily with business owners and CEOs, the system is comprised of two main parts: a structured set of methods for how to help business owners work through their day to day problems as well as transform their businesses for sustainable quantum growth, and a complete set of Business Acceleration Modules with detailed step by step instructions covering everything from Leadership, to Marketing and Sales, to Human Resource Development, to Systemization - to what we call "More Profits and More Life." Each of these Business Acceleration Modules contains one or more detailed processes which will transform and accelerate a business in its designated area.

Three Tracks for More Profits and More Life

All our clients begin with a set of core Business Acceleration Modules including Vision and Values, Goal Setting, Financial Control Console, Marketing Messaging, Target Markets, Time and Priority Management, Business Planning, and Game Planning.

Beyond the Core Program, there are three major areas of focus.

• Business Development includes a complete sequence of marketing strategies, lead generation tactics, market communications, and lead conversion modules.
  


• Organization and Systems covers the entire process of Turnkeying a business, as well as other areas of organization, including hiring strategies, position descriptions, and staff development.
  


• Lastly the Personal Leadership series helps entrepreneurs transform not only the business, but themselves, to achieve "More Profits and More Life."

Each focus area has its own core modules, along with a number of optional modules to implement in a sequence custom designed to produce the best results for a business.

Automatic Accountability and Typical Results

In addition to the methods and the modules, our program uses a specially designed piece of software we call Axcelus Tracker. Axcelus Tracker keeps track of each of our clients' commitments and projects for the coming week, and helps clients stay focused on the activities that will produce the greatest results in their business acceleration program. Each week our clients commit to a series of actions and results, and Axcelus consultants help keep clients on track. The web-based Axcelus Tracker makes this easy and keeps an ongoing record of client's actions and progress.

Some examples of the kind of results we've been able to produce using the Axcelus principles and systems:

Internet Hardware Company
The CEO used the systems to "reinvent" the company, and was able to sell in a private sale to a large software vender, at a substantial multiple just before the dot-com crash!

Investment Banker
This Tax specialist worked with the system to double his income several years in a row, exceeding $1,000,000 personal income.

Music Publisher
This niche publisher used the system to revamp the sales force and entire sales process, as well as develop strategic alliances with major record labels. They also crafted a unique financing strategy, and as a result, the company increased revenue 200% in the first year alone.

Software Company
This software company used the principles in Axcelus' systems to salvage a dead brand. They created new sales processes, including "usage scripting" and superior access tools. Profits zoomed from a net loss to 35% net profits. The company is on track this year for even greater revenue growth, and is now turnkeying the entire operation.

Document Management
This legal document management company used the system to create new sales territories, new marketing alliances, restructured its sales process, and change the whole sales force. Then they reconfigured the entire product development process, resulting in better than 53% revenue gains, and more importantly, doubled operating profits.

Publishing Company
The CEO's goal was to sell his company for 20 million dollars. Using Axcelus principles we structured a reverse merger getting into the public equity markets, and sold the entire business nine months later. PS, the CEO got his $20 million.

Software Developer
This management-owned company used the Axcelus system to create an up to date and inspiring company and product vision, plus a completely new growth strategy. They turnkeyed their product development cycle, cutting months off the traditional project, and brought in record profits. The company has grown 3-fold since implementing our Axcelus strategies.

Records Management Company
As a result of the Axcelus strategic reinvention program, overall revenues grew more than double within nine months, resulting in a sale of the company to a public company, for a sum far in excess of the owner's expectations.

Consulting Company
This firm used the Axcelus consulting program to create a new strategic vision and multi-year implementation plan. Over three years revenues grew forty percent, each year, along with the introduction of several new service lines.

Database Technologies
The CEO and management team used our systems to create a new strategic business design, and fresh business plan which raised $2 million.

Financial Planning Company
Using the Axcelus principles, we facilitated a management transition for this family business. As a result of management and marketing changes, the first year's results exceeded prior years within 3 months, and broke all sales records. The following year revenue growth exceeded 40% - WITH NO ADDITIONAL WORK!

Office Products Distributor
The owner of this competitor refused to bow to Staples and OfficeMax. Instead, using Axcelus' marketing systems, they doubled revenues within 5 months by changing their marketing mix from advertising to targeted postal mailings and email, and instituting a phone follow-up campaigns to revive dead customers.

• Retail sales of all kinds
• Life insurance
• Property and casualty
• Securities sales
• Banking
• Financial planning
• Title companies
• Software
• Computer hardware
• Internet services
• Biotechnology
• Architects
• Medical device manufacturing
• Systems integrators
• Food services (restaurants, catering, coffee bars, event planning)
• Franchise developers
• Consulting services
• Other coaches
• Multi-level marketing
• MDs
• Chiropractors
• Printers
• Audio and video producers
• Dentists
• Training companies
• Real estate (investors, developers, brokers)
• Book publishers
• Music publishers
• Information publishers
• Oil-field services
• Chemical companies
• Attorneys
• Construction
• Mortgage brokers and bankers
• Office services
• Interior designers
• Construction supplies
• Office suppliers

The list goes on and on.

Axcelus certified consultants are trained in methods of building businesses that are universal. Not generic, but custom-crafted and custom-fitted. We employ a large suite of business development tactics, choosing only the right ones for a specific situation.

Which is better, an expert or a system?

People ask this question all the time, and they wonder if systemized doesn't mean "cookie cutter." They think that having an expert would be so much better.

But in fact, the opposite is true.

Of course, experts are great. But the problem with experts is this: their expertise is usually in a very narrow, focused area. They might be great for a specific type of company, but one has to ask if their exact expertise is a perfect match for a particular business. If it isn't, the client is likely to get the wrong advice.

Instead of an expert who may or may not fit a specific business, the Axcelus system is systemized - and we think that is a very good thing indeed.

Systemized means consistent, which means eliminating the ups and downs, producing positive ever-increasing results month after month and year after year.

Systemized means repeatable, which means the ability to expand to other locations, or sell the business model as a license, a franchise, or a business in a box.

Systemized means scalable, which means that as revenues increase, the clients get to keep a greater share of each additional dollar as profits.

Systemized means duplicable and trainable, which means that it is easier to find the people needed to expand a business, and that the business is no longer dependent on one or two key people.

Systemized means freedom, which means that because a business is no longer dependant on the owner, he or she is free to work on other projects, or just go on long vacations, and the business will still prosper. Clients are no longer tied to it and it is no longer tied to them.

Systemized means work-flowed and documented, which means that our methods and processes can be brought to a business by any of our consultants, and the business will benefit from a consistent approach, rather than the idiosyncratic approach that most consultants tend to bring with them. It also means that if a consultant should need to be away on leave, our clients can still get the help they need from Axcelus.

Systemized means expandable, which means that a Axcelus consultant can focus more specialized knowledge on a wide variety of business issues than any other single consultant could, and that no matter what the business challenge, Axcelus has a structured, proven way to address it.

Systemized - because it means consistent, repeatable, scalable, duplicable and trainable, work-flowed and documented and expandable - means that Axcelus Business Acceleration can help a business grow faster and more reliably than any other approach available today.

And systemized, never means "cookie cutter." In fact, just the opposite. "To a man who has only a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."

Axcelus Certified consultants have more tools in their tool bag than anyone else working in the field today, and that means that our solutions are never "cookie cutter" or "off the rack". They are completely custom-tailored to a business' exact needs, in a way that only a systemized approach could be. That's why clients will want systemized Business Acceleration.

And then again: our certified consultants are experts - they're experts in making the Axcelus Business Acceleration System work for clients, and bringing to life the possibility of a business without limits.

Read on...