It was through these interactions that he was recommended to advisors and more free office space at Idea Foundry, another non profit in the city that specializes in launching information technology and engineering related enterprises.
Check with your local university’s business school for resources and possible skill-based volunteer organizations. Lloyd used the Technology Collaborative at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University and sought free services at the Small Business Development Center, a Small Business Administration program housed at Duquesne University. Students at the universities did market research for him without charge and helped him create cash flow projections.
Demonstrate an ability to produce results. Organizations and individuals that offer skills-based volunteering want to be certain that they are not wasting their time and resources. Demonstrate your talent by building a strong Website and public face, says Echoing Green’s Dorsey.
“We have to have some sense that the entrepreneur can execute an idea because essentially ideas are a dime a dozen,†she says.
However, she also emphasizes that a charismatic personality is just as important as a strong business plan.
Resources:
Many universities have clinics to assist entrepreneurs. Check your area university’s business school for services.
Here are just a few:
Small Business Consulting Program at Columbia Business School
The Small Business Development Center at Duquesne University
Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University
Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Law School
The Small Business / Non-Profit Clinic at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law