Adopt a Startup Professional-Technical Partners sought by KAST

Adopt a Startup? Promote your services? You Can Do That Here!

It takes more than a village (or miniature city, in the Kootenay case) to grow a technology company, especially if that village is situated in a beautiful but somewhat isolated rural setting with limited access to necessary professional and technical services more easily obtained in larger urban centres.

To better support our intrepid and entrepreneurial technology clients, KAST is looking to partner with six established and local providers of professional and technical services in the fields of:

• Legal;
• Accounting;
• Human Resources;
• Leadership Development;
• Online Marketing and;
• Engineering services.

Could you help? Adopt a startup, pay yourself, and let KAST advertise your company’s far-sighted contribution to community economic development, support for innovation and general awesomeness.

The High Value Expertise in a Rural Environment (HERE) program is available through the gratefully acknowledged support of the Discovery Foundation’s Technology Education Program. It runs June 1 – December 31, 2015. In this pilot year, KAST can provide reimbursement for this crucial support to future stars of the local tech sector of $100/hour for a maximum of 15 hours of service to startups, per partner.

Partners’ expertise will be available to clients of KAST’s Venture Acceleration business coaching program. Every year, the Venture Acceleration Program helps 15 high-potential technology startups develop their dream products, generate revenues, grow, and create jobs – right here in the West Kootenay. Annual revenues from companies in KAST’s coaching program topped $2.5 million in 14/15, the second highest return among 13 partner agencies across the province. Our coached companies have produced more jobs in the past two years than much larger centres such as Kamloops and Prince George.

KAST’s current VAP clients include innovators in sporting goods hardware; small mechanical design; industrial componentry manufacturing; metallurgical innovation; clean technology; utility engineering; drone technology and internet applications.

The 2015 cost of the HERE Program per chosen Partner is $500. In return, Partner agencies will receive substantial advertising benefits as listed below, love and more love from KAST, and an introduction to inspiring new clients who will value your expert assistance in raising their technology dreams, right here at home.

KAST Membership Program Benefits: Partner

• Cost per Year $500
• Eligibility Criteria Recognized brand presence; in-demand expertise; able to provide professional or technical services to technology companies at reduced rates: human resources, legal, accounting, online marketing, engineering, leadership
• Access to Clients Paid VAP client and member referrals ($1500 – 15h – max)
• Access to Talent Jobs at your company posted on KAST LinkedIn = 1500 connections
• Opportunities 1 week advance notice of opportunities, e.g. the BC Innovator Skills Initiative provides a voucher for up to $7500 to enable companies to hire a university student each summer for technical or business purposes
• Podcasts Sponsorship (logo/link) 4 podcasts annually = 1000 downloads each, 500-1000 facebook views; Free podcast app for iPhone
• Workshops Free workshop registration for all staff
• Billboard Logo on one billboard in each: Rossland & Nelson: 2 months
• Newsletter Logo/link on monthly email newsletter; annual promotion of company/partnership = 1000 recipients
• Website Logo/link on (new) “Expertise” page of KAST website
• LinkedIn Annual promotion of company/partnership = 1500 connections; LinkedIn KAST Members group invite
• Social Media Boosted quarterly promotion of company on Facebook, Twitter

Apply online: to apply, simply fill out this brief online form. Include one reference contact – preferably from a manufacturing or technology company you have worked with in the past 2 years.
Key dates:

• Application deadline: May 15, 2015 at 5pm
• Shortlist interviews and reference checks: complete May 22, 2015
• Final Partners chosen: May 28, 2015