TechAlliance's business services team is here to help you start and grow your technology company and improve your chances for success. Our services are available at no cost to all startup and early-stage tech companies and entrepreneurs in the region (from Woodstock and Tillsonburg to Goderich, Sarnia and Chatham-Kent).

We've assisted dozens of companies from a wide range of sectors, including:

• Information/communications/entertainment/digital media technologies
• Life sciences/medical devices/health care
• Cleantech
• Advanced materials and engineering

Whether you have a company or just an idea, our in-house team of experienced analysts, advisors, and entrepreneurs-in-residence will work with you to understand your tech business and the challenges you face, and to help you access all the resources available to high-potential tech businesses in the area. In addition to the assistance available locally, we can connect you to the resources of the full Ontario Network of Excellence.

Some of the ways we can help you start and grow your business include:

FEEDBACK/MENTORING

TechAlliance analysts, advisors, and entrepreneurs-in-residence will work with you one-on-one to help you overcome your barriers to growth. We can provide feedback and guidance on business plans, business models, go-to-market strategy, funding, investor pitches, product evaluation, IP, operations, and other business issues. And, along with our in-house team, we can also draw upon provincial entrepreneur-in-residence network managed by MaRS in Toronto that includes in-depth expertise in nearly every tech business sector. We're also putting together a volunteer mentor network comprised of experienced business executives who can act as a sounding board and provide you with their insights and knowledge, both one-on-one and as a panel.

SERVICE PROVIDER NETWORK

In addition to our mentors, EIRs and in-house consultants, you can also receive assistance from professional service firms (legal, accounting, market research, communications, and so on) who are members of our service provider network. Many firms will provide special services or discounted rates for promising startups. We can refer you to the firms in our network that have the expertise and desire to assist high-potential early-stage companies and entrepreneurs.

FUNDING

TechAlliance can help you prepare to meet with prospective investors—working with you to strengthen your value proposition, business plan and pitch. We also have connections to sources of funding, including angel groups (such as SWOAG and GTAN), the provincial Investment Accelerator Fund and various other government-backed funding programs. We also run an invitation-only Founders & Funders event where entrepreneurs can get together in a social setting with the people who fund early-stage companies. In special circumstances—when a company is close to hitting a key milestone and just needs to complete a project to get there—we may be able to apply for funding of up to $20,000 to go toward the project costs.

CONNECTIONS

We're well-connected, and our network becomes your network as we look for solutions to your business challenges. Locally, our regional alliance includes The Research Park and Stiller Centre, WORLDiscoveries, Western, Fanshawe, and the regional offices of OCE and NRC-IRAP. Outside the area, we are the regional node in the Ontario Network of Excellence, and are connected to resources available through MaRS (including its entrepreneur-in-residence network) and OCE (such as its market readiness program), along with regional innovation centres across the province and sector-specific organizations such as HTX (medical and assistive technologies). We are also the regional connection into provincial programs such as Embedded Executive (have an experienced executive join your team for six months).

MARKET RESEARCH

Through TechAlliance, startup and early-stage companies can get free access to a broad range of market research reports from such organizations as Gartner, Frost & Sullivan and Forrester. We also have analysts who will work with you to extract the most useful nuggets from market research.

To get started, just fill out our online form so that we can get a basic understanding of your business. We'll get back to you within three business days—usually to set up a meeting with you and the business services team.

Contact Carmen Gicante, Vice President, Business Services (519.858.5043 or carmen [dot] gicantetechalliance [dot] ca) to discuss how TechAlliance Business Services can empower you to take your business to the next level.