Page 31 - Innovation Delaware 2019

WHY DELAWARE?
NCCINNOVATES SERVES AS GUIDE TO DELAWARE’S ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITY
BY CHRISTI MILLIGAN
Solid research and the right connections can change the trajectory of a new business venture. But how do you connect with eager investors, flesh out your business plan and flag potential problems without spending months on Google searches and meet-ups?
Enter NCCinnovates, a new web-based platform that is streamlining research and networking efforts for entrepreneurs by offering key data points, connections and resources to grow business in Delaware.
NCCinnovates is a web portal launched by the New Castle County Office of Economic Development in August 2018. The platform provides customer, market and industry information, workforce data, and even helps scout available commercial
HOW TO USE NCCINNOVATES
YOU ARE: A bioscience entrepreneur considering a relocation to Delaware
YOU WANT TO: Analyze your competition
STEP 1: Go to https://nccde.ecdev.org.
STEP 2: Scroll down and click on “Analyze Your
Competition.”
properties, according to Tamarra Morris, New Castle County’s director of economic development.
Users can review the business climate, discover industry trends, identify land uses and analyze competition for nearly 20 different industries ranging from agriculture and forestry to transportation.
“We took a look at some of the data and identified core industries we felt we would focus on supporting,” says Morris, adding that small companies and startups simply lack the funds of larger companies, who can hire site selection firms and development consultants to flesh out their business models and identify what part of the country would work for them.
The free platform, which updates in real time, breaks down the analysis that every business plan requires to confirm that what you’re working on makes sense, adds Morris.
“I wanted to make sure if there was a startup or small business in New Castle County, you would be able to go to one place to gather data and analysis regarding the business climate here,” says Morris. “We want to increase the quality of life
for people by making sure there are opportunities to grow; we feel like that is our responsibility in local government.”
Last summer, New Castle County also presented its first NCCinnovates grant, to local startup D150 Fueling, in partnership with the Emerging Enterprise Center.
STEP 4: Choose from the list of industries the one that is the best for your company (e.g., diagnostic substance manufacturing).
fit
STEP 5: Analyze the results: Who are your competitors, where are they located, and tips for how to use this information.
STEP 6: Get a PDF report of your research by clicking on “get report” or contact Tamarra Morris at New Castle County Economic Development.
STEP 3: Enter your industry.
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