Building a Technical Assistance Program That Works (and Proves It)

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.