Our best days are ahead of us
The phrase “American Dream” was popularized in 1931 by historian James Adams, who framed it as the hope that life can be “better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” This is a very American concept.
The United States still shines as a beacon of this hope around the world. Entrepreneurship exemplifies this dream – it offers autonomy, creativity, and independence, creating opportunities for significant social and economic elevation. While professions like medicine, law, and engineering provide stable incomes, entrepreneurship offers a greater opportunity for generational wealth and provides significant positive impact to local communities.
Entrepreneurship, however, comes with its own set of challenges: Statistically only 20% of privately held businesses survive their first year. Only half of those survivors make it beyond five years. For those that make it further, survival does not always mean success – many businesses exist in an unhealthy state, weak and underperforming. The weight of survival (and of success) is heavy on business owners.
Now, imagine a world where these bold, inspirational, risk-taking individuals were given a leg up – a world in which success did not rest solely on their shoulders. How many more people could be employed in this world? How many new ideas could pave the way to innovation? How many more communities could be positively impacted and locally enhanced, instead of falling prey to large corporate takeovers? Cogent Analytics exists to lift these small businesses and individuals up – to inspire and provide entrepreneurs with the resources to make their dreams become reality.
Cogent Analytics has accomplished much in its 12 years, completing over 3,800 Discoveries, serving over 2,280 small businesses, and employing 225+ people who live our mission, vision, and values every day. We have proven our capability. We have proven our impact. And we are just getting started.
There are 2.25 million privately held companies across the United States in our prime industries of contracting, manufacturing, distribution, professional services, transportation, and technology. That’s 2.25 million entrepreneurs fighting for their American Dream.
Right now, we are only reaching 0.01% of those entrepreneurs. What if we could reach 0.5% of this community? That’s 11,250 clients in active representation; 225,000 client employees benefited; $67.5 billion in total client revenue, and an average of $2.5 billion in profit enhancement. This would position Cogent Analytics as a national brand, sought after and known for fighting for the entrepreneur, for the American Dream.
Work at this scale would improve the statistics of failure both in startup and generational succession. Providing economic stability for privately held businesses would increase wages, drive innovation, and promote competition and market diversity.
Over the next 10 years, we will pursue this dream in service to the American entrepreneur. We will continue to position ourselves as the fighters, the implementors, and the change agents that facilitate entrepreneurial success. We will improve our capabilities through continued and increased investment in training and attract the top intrapreneurial minds to achieve these goals. We will focus on client retention and measure our success through positive economic impact within the small businesses we serve. The words of Edgar Guest echo how I feel when confronted with a challenge:
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure,
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
That “cannot be done,” and you’ll do it.
This vision is bold. This vision is transformational. We will achieve it. What makes us great is our resilience, our aspiration, and our relentless commitment to the American Dream. Buckle up, let’s do it.
VP of Operations
Cogent Analytics
