Preconference Institute
Please note all fees listed are regular rates. Register by May 7 to receive these prices.
Serving Client Companies
Saturday, May 159 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Good incubators provide entrepreneurs with programs and services to help them succeed. The presenters will explain how to develop an effective lineup of client services, covering topics such as teaching business basics, creating service provider networks, setting up finance programs, preparing clients for investment capital, sharing services and space, offering marketing assistance, and more.
Jasper Welch, Director, San Juan College Enterprise Center, Farmington, N.M.
Joel Wiggins, CEO & President, Enterprise Center of Johnson County, Lenexa, Kan.
Please Note: This workshop is a requirement of the NBIA Incubator Management Certificate Program. Visit www.nbia.org/certificate to learn more about this program and its requirements.
Fee: $449 NBIA members/$549 nonmembers
The Fundamentals of Incubator Management
Sunday, May 169 a.m. – 4 p.m.
This workshop – for managers of established incubators – will cover various strategies and techniques to run successful programs. Topics will include defining a mission and governance structure, working with a board of directors, generating revenue and achieving financial self-sustainability, recruiting clients, and more.
Tom Strodtbeck,, Director of Events and Training, National Business Incubation Association, Liverpool, England
David Terry, Executive Director, West Texas A&M University Enterprise Network, Amarillo, Texas
Please Note: This workshop is a requirement of the NBIA Incubator Management Certificate Program. Visit www.nbia.org/certificate to learn more about this program and its requirements.
Fee: $449 NBIA members/$549 nonmembers
Developing a Successful Incubator
Sunday, May 169 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Are you developing an incubator or thinking about developing one? This comprehensive course addresses all aspects of incubator development. The presenters, who have helped launch more than 50 incubation programs, will cover topics such as needs assessments, incubator business plans, site evaluation, facility design, organizational structure, staffing and compensation, programs and services, and marketing and client recruitment. Materials will include the latest information on industry best practices (U.S. and international), lists of key resources, sample documents and more.
Carol Lauffer, Partner, Business Cluster Development, Menlo Park, Calif.
Jim Robbins, Partner, Business Cluster Development, Menlo Park, Calif.
Fee: $449 NBIA members/$549 nonmembers
Managing Your Clients’ Sales Process
Sunday, May 169 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Many start-ups struggle with how to take their products to market. This workshop will address the primary difficulties start-ups have in managing the sales process. Topics will include designing a sales plan, initiating customer meetings, demonstrating a product, making prospecting phone calls, managing sales activities, evaluating opportunities and more. Through the use of simple tools and templates, the course will provide incubator managers with a way to quickly identify clients’ needs and provide them with guidance that will increase their odds for sales success.
Frank Watts, Development Coach, University of Central Florida Venture Lab, Orlando, Fla.
Fee: $449 NBIA members/$549 nonmembers
By the Book: A Guide to Policies and Procedures
Sunday, May 169 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Having written policies and procedures in place at your incubator can make your work easier, as well as maximize efficiency for other incubator staff and aid in promoting client progress. Topics will include policies for building and suite leases, shared conference rooms, equity agreements, insurance and liability issues, and license and intellectual property agreements. The workshop will be interactive, with examples of various agreements and discussion of how to create a policy manual.
Mark Long, President, Long Performance Advisors, Greenwood, Ind.
Fee: $449 NBIA members/$549 nonmembers
Advanced Incubator Marketing: Growing and Managing Your Client Pipeline and Social Networking for Community Building
Sunday, May 169 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Register for Advanced Incubator Marketing: Growing and Managing Your Client Pipeline and Social Networking for Community Building, and you’ll reap the benefits of attending two half-day workshops for the price of a full-day workshop. In the morning, Stephen Hartlen and Shelley Hessian will share strategies for finding and managing high-potential entrepreneurs. After lunch, Chris Reddin will demonstrate how to use social networking to support clients and enhance your program’s profile. These workshops work together to help incubator managers strengthen relationships with clients and promote their programs.
Please note: These workshops cannot be taken separately.
Fee: $449 NBIA members/$549 nonmembers
-
Growing and Managing Your Client Pipeline
9 a.m. – NoonA healthy pipeline of prospective clients is vital to the success of any incubator. Learn from Innovacorp’s proven outreach strategy for developing, managing and growing the client pipeline. The speakers will cover the importance of building a healthy client pipeline, sources for identifying new prospects, tips on competitions you can offer, online strategies and tactics you can employ, and methods for developing a customer relationship system.
Stephen Hartlen, Vice President of Mentoring, Innovacorp, Halifax, Canada
Shelley Hessian, Senior Advisor, Business Ventures, Innovacorp, Halifax, Canada -
Social Networking for Community Building
1 – 4 p.m.How can you promote your incubator and your clients through social networking tools? The presenter will demonstrate how to use Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to cultivate client connections, establish relationships with the entrepreneurial community, raise your profile among key constituency groups, and hone your search techniques and strategies. You’ll have a better understanding of how to use these sites to build peer networks to support entrepreneurs and ensure that your incubator is a critical part of the community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Chris Reddin, Executive Director, Business Incubator Center, Grand Junction, Colo.