NOVA | LAUNCHKIT

Now's the time to launch your business

60% of adults have a business venture in mind. Yet, 90% of these ideas will remain dormant. LAUNCHKIT's New Opportunities Virtual Accelerator (NOVA) is designed to reduce the barriers associated with starting a business and help new, traditionally under-resourced and underestimated entrepreneurs (and prospective entrepreneurs) throughout Minnesota bring an idea to life.

Join our 4-week virtual accelerator and launch your entrepreneurial aspirations.

Build a solid foundation for your business idea.

NOVA is a 4-week virtual accelerator program for ideation-stage entrepreneurs. Our team of business development specialists and experienced entrepreneurs will help guide you through a concrete set of steps to help you develop your business concept and prepare for launch. At the end of this program, you'll have a business plan, a pitch deck, initial branding, a basic website, and be ready to register your new venture. You'll also be ready to apply to the wide range of programs designed to bring your new startup to the next level!

If you've ever dreamt of starting a business, envisioned yourself as a business owner, or even just wondered "what if" about a potential venture, now's the time to get started.

Who can participate in NOVA?

To participate in NOVA, you must be a 1) Minnesota resident, 2) be in the ideation or prelaunch stages of business development without significant current business operations, and 3) be ready and willing to launch your business during the duration of this program. Our goal is to help support traditionally under-resourced communities or under-represented entrepreneurs (BIPOC, LGBTQ, veteran, persons with disabilities, persons experiencing homelessness, etc.), but NOVA is open to participants from all backgrounds.

Use this form to check your eligibility.

What topics will be covered in NOVA?

The core steps for legally registering a business are actually very simple: choose a unique name, register with the Secretary of State, and pay a filing fee. The process to build a robust, sustainable business, however, can feel much more daunting and complex. Our goal is to simplify this complexity.

Your entrepreneurial journey begins with two things: an initial team and an initial business concept. We have two main goals for this week. First, we want to better understand your starting point. We want to assess both your idea and your background as an entrepreneur, so we can better tailor the NOVA experience. Second, we want to guide you through some critical decisions to lay a solid foundation for business development.

This week, we’ll focus on a few key areas of business development: your customers, your financials, your product development requirements, and your initial value proposition. Luckily, these elements are all components of the Business Model Canvas.

Week 3 is centered on branding and marketing assets, which are foundational to growing organizational capacity. Whether you are looking to recruit personnel, increase sales, or secure external funding, the fundamental process of using communications to drive action is one deeply rooted in the principles of marketing.

In our final week together, we’ll focus on general growth strategies, including technology-based tools, efficiency gains through standardization and automation, risk management and legal structures, and next steps. We’ll also wrap up with some key decisions (should you formally register your business?) and finish up the creation of a business plan.

How much time will NOVA take each week?

This is a really difficult question to answer. Your results will depend heavily on the time and energy you are able to invest into this program. In addition to the weekly webinar (roughly one hour) and the weekly office hours (optional, drop-in, up to two hours), you will be asked to complete a series of forms related to your business. This provides us with the necessary information to help draft documents like business plans, make recommendations like colors and logos, and guide you through critical decisions. We anticipate this data to take between 2 and 4 hours each week to submit but may vary depending on what information you already have access to. In total, we anticipate roughly 20 hours over the entire program (4-6 hours per week).

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I eligible to participate?

Use this eligibility form to find out! If you are not currently eligible, add your name to our waitlist. Our team is actively seeking funding to help us expand programming and better support all entrepreneurs!

Are both for-profit and nonprofit entities eligible?

Yes! Our communities and economies need both types of businesses! While the specific steps may be different, the general concepts will still apply.

What is the application and selection process?

The application form will verify your eligibility. Once we receive your application, our team will review the information and be back in touch as quickly as possible (usually within a few business days). If accepted, you will receive some more information about the program and access to a scholarship request form, should the tuition present a personal financial burden.

How much does this program cost?

Based on the deliverables (e.g. a business plan, a sample website, an initial logotype, etc.), the instruction, and the overall guidance, we estimate the value of this program to be over $5,000. The cost of this 4-week program, plus lifetime access to the LAUNCHKIT NOVA network and program resources, is $1,200. However, for this initial Minnesota-based pilot, we're offering a $400 discount to make this process more accessible.

Who created NOVA?

NOVA is designed by the founding LAUNCHKIT team, pairing the technological efficiency of the LAUNCHKIT digital platform wtih structured guidance and support. Here's a brief introduction to our team.

Chad Poitra, Co-Founder/CEO

Chad is an entrepreneur, innovator, business development specialist, and an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians who leads with an equity-centered lens to support traditionally underestimated entrepreneurs. His experience in holistic resourcing helps client dreams and aspirations become more tangible realities.

Gordon Liu, Co-Founder/COO

Gordon is an entrepreneur, strategy consultant, and three-term AmeriCorps Alum who primarily works with low-resource entities: nonprofits, startups, and small businesses. He leverages creative strategy to help clients better reach business objectives despite resource constraints.

Have more questions?

Drop us an email! NOVA@LAUNCHKIT.co