Sorry, Donncha for not getting back to you sooner, we are very busy – since I saw you at the Enterprise Ireland Startup Showcase in Croke Park SocialFeedia secured a place on an EU Accelerator with €70,000 in funding. “SocialFeedia secured funding at the 2017 Regional CSF. Without Donncha’s help and his expert inside knowledge of the process I am certain that SocialFeedia would not have achieved CSF status. SocialFeedia has used Donncha’s principals again in both filling out application forms and pitching to become a winner at the KBC bright idea’s competition
I would thoroughly recommend this online CSF Masterclass”. Eugene Crehan, New Frontiers Manager, Arclabs, WIT asked me to talk to this year’s New Frontiers group at a workshop last week and the first thing I said was that if any of them were thinking of applying fo CSF then they should contact you. As you know Social Feedia is an internet food platform for farmers who wish to use the latest technology to trade directly with their customers. At the outset, I suppose I found it difficult to explain my idea with my dyslexia. But you suggested that we focus on the customer problem and the traction gained in the market – good advice for any startup. Most discussions with investors and investment competitions require an application form/business plan document and pitch.
What I learned from you in applying (a few times) for CSF was the foundation of a good investor proposition and pitch – the pointers have been used subsequently to good effect. Could I please offer some advice, I think you should have a section on what happens if you do not get CSF, I think the phone call feedback is really important. I think that you need to ask very specific questions. I had my application form printed out in front of me when the phone call was made and then I was able to take down notes for each section, that phone call feels like it goes in seconds (10-15 minutes normally) and it is essentially gold when reapplying. Best of luck with the online training programme – a good investment of time and money for any ambitious startup