Let's Do Launch
“Let him that would move the world, first move himself.” –Socrates
I have worked for some great companies in my career and been blessed with some true-minded mentors. Sales and business development in technology domains have constituted an exciting path for me. But as many of my colleagues have experienced firsthand, the flip side of this excitement is the volatility and risk inherent in both technology and sales. I don’t envy the leaders who must choose which employees stay and which must be sent on to other pursuits when times get tough.
Many boring and obvious articles have been written on the transition away from lifetime employment with a single company. It is accepted that even great workers will find themselves at some point filling a box with their office trinkets and changing their LinkedIn headline to “Seeking new opportunities.” Recently, I found myself in this exact position, but after consulting with some trusted advisors, decided instead to make a new opportunity.
In the eyes of the great State of Florida (my adopted home), July 30, 2015 is the creation date of Technology Associates and Products, LLC (“TAP” for short—a marketing-friendly acronym that is not an accident). In reality, the disciplined, measured approach I took to creating this company and setting it up led to a true launch just last week.
One thing I learned throughout this process is that while working for a company which prescribes goals, performance measures, and expectations makes it easy to manage one’s work, that shelter also can prevent one from knowing what is happening outside the walls of the company. I am stunned that I knew so little about the robust high tech entrepreneurial community here in Orlando. More impressively, entrepreneurs in Orlando have been incredibly generous with me in sharing network contacts and referrals.
At Technology Associates and Products, LLC (TAP), we provide short- to intermediate-term sales, business development, capture, and proposal support in the Orlando Area to technology companies, through consultancy and agency. Our key customer profiles include:
Small businesses/start-ups in high tech that lack funding or budget to have fulltime professional sales and BD on staff
Established companies (all sizes) needing burst support for new business initiatives/markets and proposals
Large Systems Integrators needing Capture support for large program proposals
Any company needing related services, provided directly and through our network of professional resources
Technical writing and editing
MARCOM development
Project Quality Monitoring
Graphics
We have a special passion for working with small businesses and start-ups very focused on developing new technology but lacking the skill, will, or budget to sell it. TAP enables them to focus on refining their technologies instead of sales and marketing. By outsourcing sales functions to TAP, these companies can stay focused on growing the thriving tech community here in Orlando, to the world’s benefit. I think Socrates would be pleased.
