Buy, Fix, or Grow a Business. Without Carrying It Alone.
Owners carry more than anyone knows — and most carry it alone. Buying, fixing, or growing a business means constant hard calls: pricing, cash flow, who to hire or let go. The Small Business Accelerator gives you a real plan and a private coaching session every month with operators who've been where you are.
30 minutes. Bring your hardest problem. Leave with a plan — whether you hire us or not.
6 private 1-on-1 sessions · 30 lessons · 104 tools · lifetime accessThree Ways Owners Come to Us. One Flight Plan.
Different starting points, same problem: the call is yours to make, and you're making it alone. Find yourself below.
You're buying a business
Around 10,000 baby boomers retire every day, and millions of profitable businesses are changing hands. Buying beats starting from zero — if you buy the right one, the right way.
You'll get: Pre-Flight due diligence, valuation sanity, and a clean transition so you take the controls with confidence.
You've hit a plateau
Revenue is flat, you're the bottleneck, and the days are full. What got you here won't get you further — and you're too close to it to see the fix.
You'll get: sharper pricing and positioning, systems that scale, and a team that owns outcomes instead of asking you.
You're in a turnaround
Margins are slipping, cash is tight, morale is thin. You need clear eyes, hard calls, and someone who has actually done this before.
You'll get: stabilized cash and margins, the broken things cut, and a rebuild plan run off your real numbers.
Two-Thirds of Businesses Don't Survive a Decade.
Almost none of them died from a bad idea. Most owners could see the problem coming. They just had to face it alone — every hard call theirs to make, with no one in the cockpit who had made it before.
That's what actually breaks people. Not the hours. The weight of deciding — on pricing, on cash, on the person you know you have to let go — and carrying every one of those decisions by yourself, hoping you called it right. You don't need more hustle. You need a plan, the right sequence, and two operators who have already made these calls.
"You need a co-pilot that helps you produce fuel — cash flow — and charts the right flight plan."
I've Sat in That Seat.
A few years ago I walked into a turnaround with the P&L bleeding red — the wrong products, the wrong people in the wrong seats, leases out of control — and every one of those calls landed on me inside the first six months, with no one to hand them to.
I know that pressure. I made the calls, and twelve months later the business was in the black.
I don't coach this from a book. I coach it because I've lived it, survived it, and learned exactly what it costs to carry those decisions alone — which is why we built the Accelerator, so you don't have to.
Three Phases. One Clear Path to Growth.
Whether you're buying, breaking a plateau, or turning one around, the Small Business Accelerator follows the arc every growing business has to fly. From establishing, building, and scaling, each phase pairs coaching with the lessons and tools that actually move the needle.
Get the Foundation Right
Clarity on your numbers, pricing, and offer, with the essentials in place. Whether you're just starting or resetting to grow, you build from a plan — with someone who's built one before.
Build Momentum
A real system to find and close customers, clean operations, and repeatable processes — so growth comes from a method, not luck.
Scale With Confidence
Manage cash and margins, decide from your numbers, and grow past founder-only — building something that lasts.
Coaching, Lessons, Tools & Community — All in One Place.
Work at your pace, get answers between calls, and never build alone. Everything lives inside your private Small Business Accelerator online classroom.
- A private 60-minute 1-on-1 session every month with Josh, Franklin, or Marc
- Instant Message access for quick answers between calls
- 30 on-demand video lessons across every phase
- 104 practical guides, templates & tools
- "Pre-Flight" transition guidance for launching or buying
- Group live-call recordings in your feed
- Private online community of owners on the same climb
- Lifetime access to all training, tools & community
Who the Accelerator Is — and Isn't — Built For.
This is for you if…
- You're starting, buying, scaling, or turning around a business
- You're a solo founder or leading a small or mid-size team
- You want a proven flight plan, not trial and error
- You value a personal coach in your corner
- You'll do the work between sessions
This is not for you if…
- You're looking for a magic pill or passive shortcut
- You want to watch videos and never implement
- You're not willing to look honestly at your numbers
- You just want an idea validated, not to build
- You're not ready to invest in doing it right
Coaching From Operators Who've Done It.
Every 1-on-1 call is with Josh Chumley, Franklin Santagate, or Marc Burmich — the partners behind XCL and operators who have started, scaled, led, and turned around real companies. 100% real world experience. No theory.
Josh Chumley
Josh has run a $30M P&L, led teams of 400+, and driven millions in revenue and fundraising. With a decade-plus in both for-profit and nonprofit leadership, he helps owners turn vision into aligned teams, clean execution, and real growth.
Franklin Santagate
Franklin makes brands win. Growth strategies: 15% to 80% market share in 3.5 years. Microsoft: 10x marketing ROI. The same strategic principles that scaled Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, and Humana — built for small businesses ready to claim their next chapter.
Marc Burmich
Marc has built and advised 30+ organizations, led brand and go-to-market strategy through two CMO/CCO seats, and doubled revenue rebuilding one of Arizona's largest nonprofits from the ground up — 25+ years turning clarity into results that hold up under real numbers.
Hear It From an Owner Who's Done the Work.
"Josh and Franklin are the best. Their insights helped me move from feeling overwhelmed to having a focused, strategic plan, giving me the clarity and accountability to confidently grow my business. I couldn't more highly recommend them!"
CEO/Co-Owner, Tints Polish
"Franklin and Josh build unique strategy tailored to your business and its desired outcomes. Empowering people with resources and applicable insight on how to execute is the key to breakthrough — XCL Group makes that happen!"
President, Trelevate Inc.
"Franklin combines strategic thinking, clear storytelling, and a collaborative approach. He brings structure to complex ideas, aligns teams around a shared vision, and is the kind of teammate every organization benefits from."
Founder & CEO, Clickstop Inc.
Buy a Business Instead of Starting From Zero.
- 10,000 baby boomers retire every single day
- 2.3–3M businesses — about $10T in assets — change hands this decade
- ~78% of them are already profitable
- "Pre-Flight" readies you: due diligence, valuation & a clean transition
Buying? Get the FREE Pre-Flight Due-Diligence Checklist
Getting Started Is Simple.
No long application. No hard sell. Just a conversation about where your business is and what it needs next.
Book a free call
Thirty minutes with Josh, Franklin, or Marc. We'll find the real constraint on your growth.
Get your flight plan
A clear, sequenced plan for the next six months — built around your numbers, not a template.
Fly it with a coach
A focused monthly session, Instant Message access in between, and 104 tools to execute. You never fly it alone.
Six Months From Now.
Not a vague promise about "growth." Here's the specific difference between carrying it alone and having someone in the cockpit with you.
- You open the laptop and work on whatever feels most urgent
- Your pricing is a gut call you've never actually tested
- Cash surprises you at least once a quarter
- Every hard decision lands on you, alone
- You're busy constantly — and can't tell if it's working
- Growth stops the moment you step out of the building
- You start each week knowing the one thing that matters most
- Your pricing comes from your numbers — and you can defend it
- You can see cash 90 days out instead of hoping
- You bring the hard calls to two people who've made them
- You can point at what moved the needle, and why
- The business runs on systems, not on your memory
And if nothing changes? The next twelve months happen either way. You'll be a year older, a year more tired, and still answering the same question you're asking right now: what am I supposed to do next? That's the real cost of carrying it alone — and you pay it quietly, in a year you don't get back.
Three Levels of Support. One Conversation to Find Yours.
Every path includes lifetime access to the SBA training and private online community. We'll help you pick the one that actually fits on your call.
- 1× 30-min 1-on-1 call / month (Josh, Franklin, or Marc)
- Instant Message support & accountability
- Lifetime: Pre-Flight video training
- Lifetime: 10 comprehensive launch tools
- 1× 60-min 1-on-1 session / month (Josh, Franklin, or Marc)
- Instant Message support & accountability
- SBA group live call recordings
- "Pre-Flight" transition-phase guidance
- Lifetime: full SBA video course + Pre-Flight
- Lifetime: SBA online community
- 2× 60-min 1-on-1 calls / month (Josh, Franklin, and/or Marc)
- Tailored business strategy plan
- Tailored marketing recommendations
- Instant Message support & accountability
- SBA group call recordings + Pre-Flight program
- Lifetime: full SBA course, 104 tools & community
Not sure which fits? Book a call and we'll point you to the right path.
Before You Book.
How does the coaching actually work?
You get private 1-on-1 coaching each month with Josh, Franklin, or Marc — one 60-minute session per month on the Accelerator, two on the Coach Intensive, plus Instant Message access for questions and accountability in between. The video course and 104 tools are self-paced inside your private online classroom.
Who is this for?
Small and mid-size business owners and entrepreneurs at any stage — whether you're launching, buying a business (the "Pre-Flight" transition), scaling an established company, or working through a turnaround. Solo founders and owners with a team both fit.
What's the difference between the three packages?
Pre-Flight is the 2-month on-ramp for launching or buying a business. The Accelerator is the full 6-month program and the one most owners choose. The Coach Intensive is also 6 months and adds 60-minute calls, a tailored business strategy plan, and tailored marketing recommendations. On your free call we'll tell you honestly which one fits — including if that's none of them.
How long do I keep access?
The coaching runs for the program term, but you keep lifetime access to the SBA video training, the 104 tools, and the online community — so you can revisit it as your business grows.
What's the investment? Can I split it?
Each path is priced differently, and payment plans are available — you can pay in full or split it into two payments. We'll give you the exact numbers on your free call, once we know which path actually fits your business. No surprises and no pressure: if it's not right, we'll tell you.
What results can I expect?
Revenue growth, a market analysis that pinpoints your best products, pricing, and differentiators, stronger operating systems, and leadership development — all rolled into a final strategic plan so you're measuring what matters and growing at a pace that's both sustainable and scalable. Real results require doing the work, which is exactly what your coach and the "Do the Work" guarantee hold you to.
Let's Find Your Next Right Move.
Thirty minutes with Josh, Franklin, or Marc. No pitch, no pressure — we'll find the real constraint on your growth and tell you the one thing to fix first. If we're a fit, we'll walk you through the paths and the investment then.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · UPS Store survey, cited by the U.S. Small Business Administration · Gallup, 2019
Free · 30 minutes · Straight to Josh, Franklin, or Marc — not a sales rep. Bring your hardest problem; leave with a plan, whether you hire us or not.
Buying a Business? Get the Pre-Flight Due-Diligence Checklist.
Before you sign anything, run the business through this. The exact financial, operational, brand, legal, and transition checks that separate a great acquisition from an expensive mistake — pulled straight from the SBA Pre-Flight toolkit. Free.
- The 5-part due-diligence review every buyer needs
- The red flags that should make you walk away
- The documents & templates to request before you buy
Tell us where you are and we'll send the Pre-Flight Checklist right away.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fly It With Someone — or Learn It the Hard Way.
The next year of your business is happening either way. You can spend it carrying every hard call by yourself, or spend it with a proven flight plan, operators who've made those calls, and a room of owners in your corner. Choose your path and get building. Follow the plan and execute, and the business doesn’t just survive — it takes off. And the real payoff isn’t the margin. It’s getting your life back.
Book a Call →