VIRTUAL INCUBATION PROGRAM
The OTBC VIP is an online incubation for entrepreneurs and startups that combines workshops (1 per week) with mentoring to provide entrepreneurs with practical, step-by-step information on how to start a company.
who is vip good for?
Why Sign Up for VIP?
Because when you start a company, you want to focus, follow best practices, and not become overwhelmed. In other words, you want to maximize your odds of success. Based on our 30 years of experience working both in startups and mentoring startups, VIP show you step-by-step best practices for validating your value proposition and your business model, developing a financial plan, protecting your company and your intellectual property, creating a practical strategy for funding your startup, and developing a go-to-market plan.
Who Should Apply?
VIP is for entrepreneurs and startups who are starting a growth business. What does “growth business” mean? It means a business that intends to sell a product or service not just locally, but regionally, nationally, or even internationally.
VIP - What You Get
- Video training modules with practical how-to information for entrepreneurs
- Weekly interactive online workshops where we discuss how to apply that week’s topic to your business
- Checklists and tools that help you apply the VIP topics
- Follow-on opportunities for local funding and mentoring
- You’ll be part of an entrepreneur cohort–which means you’ll get to know, work with, help, and get help from the other entrepreneurs who are participating in the class. Being an entrepreneur can be lonely–it helps to have a peer group to talk to!
- Bottom line: you get better focus, less confusion, and a higher chance of success with your startup
Topics We Cover In The Workshops
- How to test your value proposition and business model
- How to protect your company and your intellectual property
- How to analyze your market
- How to build a startup team
- How to fund your startup
- How to develop a Go to Market plan; Startup resource in Oregon
- How to develop an effective investor pitch
Funding
This is new! We’re working with partners to create seed funds in each of their regions so we can offer VIP graduates an opportunity to apply for seed funding for entrepreneurs in these counties:
- Coos and Douglas (in cooperation with RAIN)
- Jackson and Josephine (organized by SOREDI)
- Marion, Polk, and Yamhill (organized by SEDCOR)
- Columbia Gorge
- Southern Oregon Coast