In this episode, EIC CEO David Ponraj, VP of Clients Molly King, and Associate Product Owner David Oliver break down what it actually takes to build a technical assistance (TA) program that serves entrepreneurs well and produces the data story your funders need to see. From intake form design to impact tracking, this is a practical, field-tested guide for economic development organizations, SBDCs, and small business program managers.

What You'll Learn:

• Designing your program structure — How to clarify whether you're delivering one-on-one coaching, cohort-based TA, or a hybrid model, and why getting this right from the start prevents burnout for coaches and abandonment by business owners
• Minimum viable intake — Why collecting the right data at intake is critical (and why it's nearly impossible to get after the fact), plus how to reduce friction with two- or three-question interest forms and range-based demographic fields
• The no-wrong-door approach — How to build a referral network so that every business owner who comes to you gets connected to the right resource, even if they don't qualify for your program
• Setting advisor expectations — How to structure coach/provider relationships, ensure clarity on hours, payment, and case logging, and build in bi-monthly feedback loops that keep advisors engaged and sharing best practices
• Getting out into the community — Why a website and newsletter aren't enough, and how to activate minority chambers, Main Street organizations, CDFIs, and community partners to reach underrepresented entrepreneurs
• Tracking what matters — Key metrics including capital accessed, jobs created or retained, revenue growth, business survival rates, session volume by advisor, and time-to-first-contact
• Handling mismatches — Practical strategies for identifying and resolving mentor/mentee misalignment before it becomes a problem, including CSAT surveys and monthly feedback forms for both parties
• How Catalyzer automates all of this — A live walkthrough of how milestone properties, intake forms, and session logging work together so advisors never have to leave a session to update economic impact data

Key Quote:

"What gets measured, gets managed—and gets told as a story." — Molly King

Try Catalyzer:

👉 catalyzerapp.com/start — set up a free account and see how it works for your community.