Become a Sirti Client

Sirti clients are innovative technology companies with defensible intellectual property, large market potential, and founders who show a strong desire to grow the business. We look forward to working with innovative, technology-based start-ups and fast-growth companies that represent a broad cross-section of industries. The following key attributes are common to our client companies;

• Our clients demonstrate an innovative technology-based business concept that satisfies clearly defined market needs in a market niche. This generally means that they have defensible intellectual property.
• Our clients have an experienced and committed management team, preferably from within the industry or technology critical to their business success. The leaders of our client companies include both first time and serial entrepreneurs.
• Our clients possess innovative technology with large market potential and a management team that demonstrates a strong desire to grow the business to its full potential. Our mission is to accelerate the development and growth of these technology companies. Our success is measured by the number of high quality technology jobs created and revenue generated in the Inland Northwest.
• Our clients are willing to work closely with our experienced staff as well as participate fully in Sirti’s proven innovation continuum process. This innovative process defines the individual needs of each company and allows Sirti staff to tailor support, using a wide array of business tools and workshops, to satisfy those needs.
• Sirti Client Services Business Consultants facilitate and advise member companies and the companies themselves actively participate in client workshops and the strategic planning process. Sirti Marketing and Communication Consultants advise member companies and regularly formulate strategic positioning and perform the content and design work necessary for initial development of corporate identity and brand.
• Our clients have developed, or are willing to develop, a business/strategic plan with which they can familiarize Sirti staff with their business and technology, and which serves as the start of Sirti’s incubation process.
• Sirti clients who choose to occupy the well-equipped incubation space in either Sirti building agree to work diligently toward graduation by the end of their third year of occupancy.

Sirti clients move through a 5-step admissions process:

Step 1 Sirti Interview: Prospective clients Contact John Overby (johno@sirti.org) to set up a meeting to review their business concept and determine if it is compatible with Sirti’s “high technology” charter. This meeting is also an opportunity for you to interview us and fully understand our mentoring process and everyone’s roles and responsibilities.

Step 2 Complete Application: Prospective clients complete and return a Sirti Client Application Form. This application provides the information we need to set up a client account.

Step 3 Submit Business Plan: The client submits the company’s business or strategic plan to Sirti’s Client Services Group for review. If you have not yet developed a business plan, two options are available; you can download the GrowThink business plan template which will guide the development of the business plan, or you can complete Sirti’s Concept Shaping Tool which helps you generate a “mini-business plan” by answering the questions then forwarding the completed document to the Client Services Group.

Step 4 Client Services Meeting: The client meets with the Client Services Staff to discuss the business, review Sirti’s mentoring process, assign a point of contact, and schedule a “Critical Issues Workshop”. If you do not fit Sirti’s admission criteria, we will help you identify other business support organizations that might be of assistance.

Step 5 Critical Issues Workshop: The Critical Issues Workshop signals the official start of Sirti’s mentoring process.

Nondisclosure

All Sirti employees sign a Sirti non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement prior to commencing work as a Sirti employee.

If you would like to discuss our process, or any other detail related to becoming a Sirti client, please contact John Overby at johno@sirti.org, or by phone at 509-358-2000.