Keys To Success July 13, 2006, Cleveland, Ohio

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Keys To SuccessJuly 13, 2006, Cleveland, Ohio
William D. Timmons, Ph.D. President, CTO,
Founder EnteraTech, Inc. [phone] SBIR_at_Enter
aTech.com
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Your Goal

• An innovative product or service withguaranteed
  growth and profitsthat is within your
  capabilities

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The Attrition Rate of New Product Projects
For every 11 serious ideas orconcepts - 3
enter development - 1.3 are launched - Only 1
succeeds!
Screening Evaluation
One Successful Product
Business Analysis
Development
Testing
Commercialization
Cooper, Robert G. Winning at New Products
Accelerating the Process from Idea to Launch.
New York, NY HarperCollins Publishing 2nd Edition
1993
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SBIRs Your Business

• Only one part of an overall strategy
• Know your business what innovations will lead
  to growth and profits
• Can be costly to prepare!
• Must fit within your plans, strategies, and
  capabilities
• Start With a Business Plan, or at leastA PRODUCT
  VISION

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Checklist

• Have you assessed the commercial viability?
• Have you spoken to the relevant Program Officers
  and are you sure of the fit?
• Do you have a talented professional to be PI?
• Is the PI supported by the right team?
• Do you have the resources to write the grant?
• Do you have the resources capabilities to
  execute?
• Do you have the business resources needed for a
  successful launch?

Plan for this before writing
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Begin with the End in Mind

• Start with the Product Vision
• Determine required features and specs
• Define Phase II The research needed to achieve
  the desired product features and meet the
  required specifications.
• Define Phase I The evidentiary data needed to
  convince the reviewers to fund Phase II.

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Project Manage

• 6 8 weeks FTE to write a Phase I
• Distribute
• Proposal Template
• Task Component Checklist
• Assigned Tasks
• Turn Tracking ON
• Release drafts early and at least weekly
• Designate point person who rallies the troops
  holds the controlled document (nominally the PI)

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First Things FirstVision, Aims, Methods, Budget

• Develop the proposal specification
• Sketch Vision Significance
• Identify Specific Aims (goals/objectives)and
  Criteria for Success
• Outline Research Design Methods
• Develop rough Budget

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Repeat
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• Stop!
• Do not proceed until
• Aims are crystal clear
• Design is feasible
• Budget is realistic

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Finish Grant

• Review V-A-M-B with Program Officer
• Outline remainder of grant
• Solicit feedback (internal external)
• Finalize
• Warning Allow plenty of time! Boilerplate is
  non-trivial.

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Parting Thoughts

• Read and follow the instructions!!
• Plan to resubmit
• Tell the Reviewers what they need to know answer
  the questions for them
• Writers Mantra So What?!
• Protect your IP
• First Timers Seek help