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Become a Client

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We support entrepreneurs and businesses throughout all stages of innovation.

Home • Become a Client – Launch

Launch

You’re nearing start-up or in the early stages of business operations. You’re implementing your business plan and testing your business model, learning more about what’s working well and what isn’t. You need support as you scale operations and build your revenue streams and customer base.

The questionnaire below will help Link North staff assess how we can support the development of your business in our initial consultation with you. Don’t worry, this form is confidential and for internal use only.

Step 1 of 5

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Section 1: Contact Information
Name*
First Last
Position
Email Address*
Enter Email Confirm Email
Personal Telephone Number*
Alternate Telephone Number
Secondary Contact Person (if applicable)
Name
First Last
Email Address
Enter Email Confirm Email
Personal Telephone Number
Alternate Telephone Number

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Section 2: Business Information
Business Operating Name*
Legal business name (if different)
Business Address*
Business website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Q1. What sector does your business operate within?*
- Agrifoods
- Manufacturing
- Resource-sector based services
- Health Sciences
- Information Technologies
Q2. Business structure?*
- Corporation - provincial or federal
- General partnership
- Limited partnership
- Sole proprietorship
Q3. How long has the business been operational and consistently selling product/services and generating revenue?*
- Less than 3 months
- 3-6 months
- 6-12 months
Q3a. Number of founders/shareholders involved in the business day-to-day:*
Q3b. Describe the roles of each in terms of day-to-day operations and management.*
Q4a. Of founders/shareholders, how many are francophone?*
Q4b. How many are indigenous?*
Q5. Including yourself, how many paid employees do you have?*
Q5a. How many are part-time? (less than 28 hours weekly)
Q5b. How many are full-time? (28+ hours)
Section 3: Business Model and Value Proposition
The next series of questions will help us better understand your business model and value proposition. Link North’s programming and services centre around the Business Model Canvas, which is a popular one-page tool that visually communicates the feasibility, desirability, and viability of your business model. Among other things, the business model communicates how your offering creates and delivers value to your target customers, and how the business generates revenue and profit.
Q6. Describe the products and services that you offer.*
Q7. Which customer needs does your business satisfy? What customer problems do you resolve?*
Q8. Provide a profile of your target customer(s). Consider their age, income levels, interests, location, etc. Describe your interactions and relationship with them.*
Q9. What value do you create and deliver to the customer? Consider different values such as price, risk reduction, convenience, accessibility, performance, brand and newness.*
Q10. What activities drive revenue generation and customer retention?*
Q11. What value is your customer willing to pay for and why?*
Q12. What are your revenue streams? Which revenue streams contribute the most to your overall revenues and profitability?*
Q13. What key factors drive your operational and production costs?*
Q14. What are your profit margins? What products/services have the highest and lowest profit margins?*
Q15a. Consider your business plan/model developed prior to launching operations. What aspects are working well/as planned? What aspects aren’t?*
Q15b. Consider your project and business development plans over the next 6-12 months. Describe how they impact your business model and value proposition?*

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Section 4: Business Development Challenges & Opportunities
This section will help us understand the challenges facing your business and operations and opportunities for business and market growth. We can then look at how our BOOST funding program can support and identify other supports available through the regional and provincial innovation ecosystem.
Q16. Consider the top challenges with developing and scaling your business? Which challenges are most important to overcome at this stage of your business? (select up to 3)*
- Sales - Customer acquisition
- Boosting sales, repeat sales
- Marketing and branding
- Market development
- Employee attraction and retention
- Production and work processes
- Financial - cash flow, accounts receivable
- Financial – funding, financing
- Business model
- Other: please specify below
Q16. If chose "other" above, please specify:*
Q16b. Elaborate on these challenges.*
Q17. Consider the opportunities to grow and/or improve business and operations. Which opportunities are most feasible and desirable to pursue within the next 12 months? (check all that apply)*
- Market development
- Product or service development
- Integrating technologies to enhance work processes and operations
- Modernize, new equipment
- Employee and/or management training
- Pivot the business model to shift focus to better meet customer demand and/or boost sales
- Revisit business, marketing or branding strategies
- Financial – funding, financing
- Other – please specify below
Q17. If chose "other" above, please specify:*
Q18. Link North’s BOOST program supports short-term projects (< 6months) that enhance operations and grow the business. Describe the project(s) and costs you’re looking for Link North to support.*

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Section 5: Financial Information
Q19. What is your revenue for the last three months?*
Q20. What is your revenue for the last twelve months?*
Q21. Have you reached or surpassed the break-even point with your business operations?*
Q22. Have you applied for, and/or been approved for funding from any of the following programs or organizations in the last year?*
- NOHFC – Innovation stream
- NOHFC – launch stream
- Starter Company Plus
- Financial institutions
- Angel investment or venture capital
- Did not apply for funding or financing
- Other - please specify below
Q22. If chose "other" above, please specify:

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Section 6: Entrepreneurial Assessment
Link North collaborates with innovation ecosystem organizations across the region and province to develop and deliver workshops, seminars and events that build business knowledge and create networking opportunities for entrepreneurs. The next series of questions will provide us with a basic understanding of your business knowledge and experience, so we can identify opportunities for you to build your business capacity.
Q23: In the past year, have you or other management attended any of the following Link North workshops or events? (check all that apply)*
- Investor Ready/Venture Timmins
- Building your business model
- Understanding your customer
- Financial fundamentals
- Perfecting your pitch
- Other - please specify below
Q23a. If chose "other" above, please specify:
Q24: Provide details on business workshops and events by other organizations that you've attended in the past year*
Q25. How much experience do you or other management have operating/managing a business?*
- No experience
- < 1 year
- 1+ years
Q26: What areas of operating a business do you feel are strengths of you and others in management?*
- Marketing and social media
- Customer service and interaction
- Sales and business pitch
- Financial – bookkeeping, planning and forecasting, margins and profitability
- Human Resources – employee recruitment, retention and management
- Purchasing and inventory management, dealing with suppliers and distributors
- Managing day-to-day business operations
- R&D, product and market development
- Information technologies, work processes and work flow
Q27: What areas of operating a business could you and others in management strengthen? (check all that apply)*
- Marketing and social media
- Customer service and interaction
- Sales and business pitch
- Financial – bookkeeping, planning and forecasting, margins and profitability
- Human Resources – employee recruitment, retention and management
- Purchasing and inventory management, dealing with suppliers and distributors
- Managing day-to-day business operations
- R&D, product and market development
- Information technologies, work processes and work flow
Before you submit the questionnaire, please provide any additional information you feel is relevant
Consent
Were you referred to Link North?*
- Yes
- No
Please specify which organization or channels.
Agreement*
- I have read and agree to Link North's Terms of Service.
View terms here
Stay Updated
- Keep me updated on the latest news, events and workshops from Link North and the TEDC

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About
Client Services
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FAQ’s

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About
Client Services
Programming
FAQ’s

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Timmins, Ontario P4N 2M5
T 705-269-1354
TF 1-800-861-9726
E info@linknorth-nord.ca

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