Providing incubation services for new start-up businesses and businesses experiencing fast growth has become an essential business development support tool worldwide.
Softstart is a technology and business incubator located on the CSIR Campus in Pretoria that assists innovative, early stage software entrepreneurs with mentoring and support in the strategy and practice of growing a sustainable business.
Softstart improves enterprise performance, enhances profitability and growth, and offers technology and management support to South African SMMEs to enable them to develop their innovations to full commercial potential. Key services include strategic and operational mentoring, furnished "plug and play" office space in a secure environment, shared resources such as reception and conference facilities, internet access, access to service providers and funding sources. Rentable resources such as printers, PCs and projectors are also available.
Softstart is supported by the GODISA Trust of the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Trade and Industry, and receives additional financial support from the European Union. Its founder partners include the CSIR, University of Pretoria, Tshwane University of Technology and The Innovation Hub.
Softstart has grown phenomenally during the last two-and-a-half years of its existence and is now investigating how it can extend its services to the software and related industries as an incubator. TechnoScene, a small management of knowledge, innovation and technology consultancy based in Pretoria, is conducting an incubation survey on behalf of Softstart.
If you are an existing or intending entrepreneur operating in software, computer technology, telecommunications, media or electronics markets, we are interested in hearing from you. Indicate to us your business phase, or what state of development your business is in. That is, are you still conceptualising the idea and have no sales or start-up funding yet, are you in the start-up phase and have some sales or funding, or is your business growing steadily and you are moving to self-sustainability, but you may need some incubation services?
We are interested in various types of business such as product developers, professional service providers and value-added resellers in these markets. Even if you do not have any business concept going at present, but you have strong ideas about what incubation services should look like, please respond to our survey.
We would like to hear how you value the existing Softstart services or whether you have new ideas for services that Softstart can develop.
By submitting your inputs, you automatically are entered into a competition to win a mobile phone. This cellphone, which is also a camera and PDA, is sponsored by TechnoScene and the draw will be done by Softstart, under the supervision of auditors.
Please visit the survey Web site at http://www.technoscene.co.za/incubate/ and let us have your input by submitting your response to the survey questions, which shouldn't take more than 10 minutes of your valuable time. We appreciate your contribution and believe it will improve the entire incubation experience for small businesses in their exciting establishment and growth phases.
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