SERVICES OFFERED TO ENTREPRENEURS

 
Key services, include strategic, operational and technology mentoring and coaching, furnished “plug and play” office space in a secure environment, access to shared resources such as reception and conference facilities, internet access, access to professional service providers and networking opportunities. In additional to its physical incubation model, Softstart BTI offers virtual incubation through an internet domain and the Tertiary Education Satellite Incubation Programme (TESIP), hosted at a number of tertiary institutes throughout South Africa.
 

THE SOFTSTART BTI DELIVERY MODEL

 
Softstart BTI improves enterprise performance, enhances profitability and growth, and offers technology and management support to South African ICT SMMEs to enable them to develop their innovations to full commercial potential.
 
Concept Phase
A substantial portion of the innovation and business development support delivered to clients by the incubator falls into this category. Clients in the Concept Phase are at the very early stages of exploiting an innovation. They have no sales, investors or profits to speak of, and are primarily focused on analysis and refinement of the venture concept. This stage aims to shape an optimal business and technological approach based on a first-cut assessment of the strategic environment.
 
Development Phase
Clients in the Business Development Phase have shown evidence that a real business opportunity exists. They have achieved sales or garnered investors and are primarily focused on validating initial market opportunities through real-world sales and operations. The limited nature of their current operations typically means that they have not shown a profit yet. This stage focuses on feasibility, development and go-to-market strategies that aim to provide formal evidence that the business concept is feasible, to develop the first resources that will be required to enter the market, and introduce the product into the market in anticipation of a full-scale launch. The technology is normally in a feasibility, engineering prototype or pre-production prototype phase.
 
Commercial Phase
Clients in the Commercial Phase are exploiting current profitable market opportunities, and are focusing on expanding the depth and breadth of their businesses. This stage focuses on growth and maturity that aims to grow the business to its full commercial potential and extract the maximum value from a business through careful operational management, with the technology being in the production phase.