Dolphin Pitch Tank to Help Float Business Ideas
Exciting business prospects likely abound in Geauga County and local business development leaders hope to bring them to life through a new monthly program.Businesses and…
Exciting business prospects likely abound in Geauga County and local business development leaders hope to bring them to life through a new monthly program.
Businesses and entrepreneurs are invited to share their ideas for a business or product, or help others get started at the Dolphin Pitch Tank, a networking group sponsored by the Geauga Community Improvement Corporation and the Small Business Development Center of Lakeland Community College.
The sessions will be held from 5-7 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Welshfield Inn, 14001 Main Market Road in Troy Township. The first session will be April 26.
Anita Stocker, director of the Geauga County Community and Economic Development Department, said the program offers a different platform than usual.
“We didn’t want the standard ‘I lecture, you listen, ask questions later’ approach,” Stocker said. “We wanted an … I guess old-fashioned approach to gaining knowledge.”
Each Dolphin Pitch Tank session will begin with quick introductions and then a speaker discussing a start-up topic. Then any individual may present an idea or issue and receive feedback from the group.
There is a 15-minute time limit to each presentation and no overhead projectors are permitted. Speakers can bring a visual if that will help them. No soliciting or sales are allowed, but exchanging business cards is encouraged.
Attendance is free and attendees may order their own dinner or drinks from the menu before or after the session.
Stocker expects the program to benefit both the start-up or expanding business as well as the business support group, and that both will realize the rewards of continuing the project.
“The fact that a company can express their vision to other experienced businesses for a back and forth is invaluable,” she said. “It’s real-time feedback that can cut through hours of research or a hefty consultant fee. The business may still need other professional assistance, but these sessions will help them narrow their focus to the primary issues facing them and it’s free. There are always connections to be made and insights to be gained and the Dolphin Tank can provide that venue free of charge and in a very relaxed atmosphere.”
Cathy Walsh, director of the Small Business Development Center at Lakeland Community College, said the program is already receiving support from the business community, with several business leaders committed to attending the first session to offer feedback.
“It gives entrepreneurs or would-be entrepreneurs a platform to test their idea or ask for feedback,” Walsh said. “A variety of people in the room might have ideas, but also serve as a marketing platform.”
For more information on the Dolphin Pitch Tank or to schedule a time to speak, contact Stocker at anitastocker@geaugaced.com, 440-279-1790; or Walsh at cwalsh@lakelandcc.edu, 440-525-7707.
You can also visit geaugacic.com or lakelandcc.edu/sbdc. Individuals or businesses do not need to reside in Geauga County to participate.
