| I'm continually impressed with the initiatives and | | | | Start by contacting the school entrepreneurship |
| resources I see from local universities to help | | | | support organization. |
| startups. These definitely are not limited to students, | | | | 6. Finding a team. If you need part-time engineers to |
| since every university wants and needs the real | | | | build a prototype, you can always find high-caliber |
| world exposure and experience of entrepreneurs | | | | grad students with the latest theory ready to work. |
| who already have credibility in the marketplace. | | | | If you need experienced executives, the best |
| Here is a short list of the areas where you should be | | | | professors and entrepreneurship staff will have the |
| able to find help: | | | | contacts you need into the local talent pool. |
| 1. Finding an idea. Universities are brimming with new | | | | 7. Mentoring. Similar to finding experienced |
| ideas from their students, their professors, and their | | | | executives, you can use university contacts who do |
| own research, but need entrepreneurs from the real | | | | consulting in the real world. Most schools also foster |
| world to decide which ones are viable in the | | | | relationships with local executives "Entrepreneurs in |
| marketplace. Start by contacting a professor in your | | | | Residence" whom they use to lecture in MBA |
| area of interest or expertise. | | | | courses, judge student business plans, and assign as |
| 2. Research and development. Take advantage of | | | | mentors for spinoffs (I am one of these). |
| the labs, equipment, and skilled students available and | | | | For example, I live in the Phoenix area, near Arizona |
| looking for real world problems to research. They are | | | | State University. They have several "outreach" |
| likely to be able to get grants to fund development | | | | programs to help startups, including their Technopolis |
| for you in strategic focus areas, like alternative | | | | program to train you for a nominal fee on how to |
| energy sources, that would otherwise cost you | | | | write business plans, provide executive mentors for |
| many thousands of dollars. | | | | six months, and provide office space at Skysong |
| 3. Business plan creation. Every university has | | | | during your gestation period. |
| educational courses and can provide assistance on | | | | Other engineering departments at ASU often provide |
| creating your initial plan. Look for evening courses, or | | | | grad students to build prototypes, and even venture |
| special programs for entrepreneurs, like the | | | | funding for certain projects. In the last year alone, |
| Technopolis program mentioned below, available to | | | | they worked in concert with the Science Foundation |
| non-students. | | | | of Arizona to distribute $33.6 million dollars in |
| 4. Funding. Don't look here for venture capital levels | | | | Innovation Investment Grants throughout Arizona in |
| of funding, but certainly early-stage government | | | | 3 strategic focus areas: Information and |
| grants and entrepreneurship incentives are available | | | | Communications Technology, Sustainable Systems, |
| from endowments and state funds. Collaborative | | | | and Biomedical Research. |
| efforts with companies, like Siemens Venture Capital, | | | | I have several contacts I use at ASU, and I've |
| are available for certain technology and focus areas. | | | | enjoyed doing some guest lecturing in their MBA |
| 5. Legal advice. Most universities have some sort of | | | | program on the practical issues that every startup |
| an entrepreneurship legal clinic, to address concerns | | | | should be aware of. Let me know if you need a |
| like protection of intellectual property. These may be | | | | connection in this area, and don't forget to explore |
| available online, and are usually staffed by outside | | | | comparable resources in your own geography. |
| lawyers working on a 'pro bono' basis with the school. | | | | |