About us

Hi, I’m Jeff Williams, Chief Coach for Bizstarters and creator of the Virtual Incubator Business Startup Program.

How I Started

My first group of startup clients were corporate managers downsized during the 1990 recession.

Backed by funding from the U.S. Department of Labor several freelance coaches and I worked with dozens of clients formerly of some of the largest companies in Chicago, including Sears and Motorola.

To serve these clients I developed my first startup training curriculum and opened a walk-in coaching center, called the Go Smart Center.

Our entrepreneurial training program won an award from the State of Illinois Department of Commerce as “best entrepreneurial training program in Illinois”.

Soon, we were offering the curriculum through dozens of small business centers across the Midwest.

Through the  years, most of our clients have been in the same age range…folks over age 50. Today this group includes the older members of the Gen X generation plus the youngest Boomers. By 2001 we were exclusively working with these individuals to launch successful new lives as independent business owners.

In 2015 the editors of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine selected our Virtual Incubator business startup program as “The Best Entrepreneurial Guide for People Over 50”.

Who I Help

I love working with people in this age demographic for several reasons:

They know the value of good advice.

Want to improve your golf swing? Experienced people know to take lessons from a golf pro. Want to improve your business idea? He or she will hire a coach like me. I help aspiring entrepreneurs “improve their swing,” so to speak.

They’re driven.

Something happens when people turn 50. A switch flips, and they realize time is running out. If they’re going to pursue an alternate path for work, now is the time.

They don’t need an employer to be happy.

Older managers weary of corporate life are ready for something new. They’ve realized they can walk away from the ego politics, unexpected downsizings, and lack of balance between work and leisure time. Those who, like me, found that corporate employment was not as fulfilling as they’d hoped quickly learn that being an entrepreneur can be everything they dream.

Typically, my clients fit one of these descriptions:

• They always dreamed of being an entrepreneur and are now ready to make the leap.
• They never imagined they’d start a business … until they got laid off.
• They retire (perhaps via an early retirement package) but don’t want to stop working entirely.

What I Do

Businesses succeed for one simple reason: They solve people’s problems.

I teach clients to identify problems that their particular expertise can solve. Then together we build a business to their specifications.

Once we solidify the business idea, I guide the client through each step of setting up a business.

But I don’t just tell them what to do. I help them do it.

That’s why my coaching program is different than other resources.

I provide a team of experts to execute critical business tasks so everything gets done, in the right order — from business registration to website creation to a sales promotion process.

For clients who came up in the corporate world, accustomed to working in specialized departments, this type of support is a natural fit.

I’ve shown thousands how to start a business after 50.

The Virtual Incubator Business Startup Program

To see how we help you “fit all the pieces together,” take a look at our Virtual Incubator Business Startup Program.