3. Acknowledgments
Consultants
INJAZ Al-Arab expresses its gratitude to the consultants for their contributions to the
development of INJAZ Al-Arab Startups Program. Their expertise in
entrepreneurship, startups, business, curriculum development and pedagogy has
significantly enhanced the quality of this program.
• Khaled Sadeddin, Entrepreneurship and Business Management Consultant.
• Maher Kaddoura, Founder and General Manager, Meydan Business Incubator.
• Ayman Basheer, Startups Business Consultant.
3
5. Contents
Program Overview P6
Incubators Checklist P8
Lead Mentors Checklist P9
Incubators
Registration P 10
Incubation Agreement P 12
Lead Mentor Appointment P 14
Special Expertise P 16
Startup Relocation P 18
Company Registration P 20
Lawyer P 22
Company Registration P 24
Bank P 26
Accounting Firm P 28
Seed Fund P 30
Lead Mentors
Incubation Framework P 32
Orientation Week P 34
Learning P 36
5
6. Respect and Appreciation P 38
Mentor Image P 40
The Weekly Meetings P 42
Corrective Actions P 44
The Interaction Model P 46
Monitoring Tool P 48
Virtual Mentoring P 50
Tools
Tool # 11 : The Milestones Template P 52
Tool # 15 : The Suggested Incubation Model P 53
Tool # 16 : Suggested Topics for Learning P 54
Tool # 17 : The interaction Model P 60
Websites P 61
6
7. Program Overview
Objective
The program aims to give carefully selected “companies” the chance to establish real business entities and operate
them into profitability as going concerns. Those selected companies would be provided with seed funding, physical
incubation by sponsoring businesses, and mentoring services provided by the incubators’ staff.
How does it work?
In collaboration with various corporate incubators across the Arab World and a funding entity, the new program aims to
bridge that gap in seed funding, eco-system support, and mentorship and offer the graduates of those programs a new
path leading them to set up profitable small businesses with the potential of growth.
Who Would Benefit?
Short Tem Targets
Companies that went through the JABE and Company Program are encouraged to apply and set up growth focused, for
profit business entities that are going concerns.
Long Term Targets
Any startup company in Arab countries where INJAZ operate can benefit from this program. A slightly different path is
set for them where such companies have to meet rigorous criteria before being admitted into the program.
7
8. The Process
• INJAZ graduates:
a. Apply to the program online
b. Application is subjected to a set of selection criteria
c. Once approved, the application is directed to the local INJAZ office/country where the company operates
or intend to operate in
d. Corporate incubation is offered through a match making process, where the incubator chooses the
company it wants to incubate based on its own evaluation of the services and support it can offer the
incubated company
i. The company is physically incubated for six months and after six months they graduate from the
program and have to be market ready and able to self-sustain through profitable operations or
second round of Angel investment or Venture Capital Investment.
e. Each incubator assigns a principal mentor
i. The mentor ensures adequate support to the incubated company through direct interaction with
him/herself and other mentors in the incubator or through mentor networking activities (where the
company is matched with business mentors from other companies).
f. Seed funding from INJAZ (which controls the funding process) is offered based on a submitted budget
(with maximum funding of $ 15,000 USD).
i. The budget is linked to certain milestones and the assigned mentor from the incubator is entrusted
with monitoring the expenditures of the incubated company.
ii. Expenses are monitored by the accounting entity who sign off on the account in collaboration with
the incubated company
8
9. Incubators Checklist
5 4 3 2 1
The Startup is Mentors with The “lead” Sign the Register for
physically specific mentor will be incubation and attends
6 relocated expertise are appointed / agreement with the matching
welcome and assigned the startup event
encouraged company
Startup
receives
cheque for
company
registration 7 8 9 10 11
fees
Startup hires a Startup Startup Opens a Startup hires an Startup
lawyer registers a bank account accounting firm receives seed
company funding from
donor
through INJAZ
9 Al-Arab
10. Lead Mentors Checklist
12 13 14 15
16
Adopt the Startup start Start with Treat startup
most with an the learning team with Be pleasant but
appropriate orientation respect and firm
incubation week appreciation
framework
17
21 20 19 18 Meet on a
weekly basis
with the
startups teams
A virtual You are You are Corrective
Mentoring provided with a provided with actions to be
tool is monthly an interaction taken by
available to monitoring tool model startup
you (SKYPE)
10
11. 1 Corporate incubator registers for
and attends the matching event
11
15. 3 The “lead” mentor will be appointed
/ assigned by the corporate incubator
and will serve as both a liaison officer
between corporate incubator and
startup company and as the lead
mentor to the startup “Internal
Mentor”
15
17. 4 Other mentors with specific
expertise are welcome and
encouraged to take part and
contribute their time and guide
incubated startup and provide
them with support and help
17
19. 5 The Startup is physically relocated
to the incubator premises or some
location belonging or used by the
corporate incubator and the
services list on the next page get
provided.
19
20. Providing the following services:
1. Internet access.
2. Office space that is clean and easily accessible.
3. Close proximity to the city.
4. Amenities (heating, telephone services, etc.).
20
21. 6 Startup receives cheque for
company registration fees from
INJAZ local office
21
33. 12 A guideline document (Refer to Tool #
15, Suggested Incubation Model)
provides a frame work for the six
month of incubation and can be
modified to fit the characteristics of
the corporate incubator and can be
tailored to best fit the needs of the
startup and the corporate incubator
33
35. 13 Startup start with an
orientation week provided by
the incubator and material
for orientation is to be
developed individually by
each incubator.
35
36. Individual policies for each incubator:
1. Office hours.
2. Rules and regulations regarding attire, attendance, noise, conduct.
3. Parking.
4. Expectations from startups (conduct, approaching people, treating
employees, working relationships with corporate staff and management).
5. Guest and visitors policy.
36
37. 14 Start with the learning
(Refer to Tool # 16,
Suggested Topics for
Learning). Refer to the next
pages.
37
38. Learning Start point Tips:
1. The timeline provided should help you identify gaps in the learning process
(if a certain topic was not covered on time).
2. Direct the startup team to the resources available on the INJAZ website.
3. The internet has an immense variety of free business resources, many are
very useful videos on YouTube and other channels.
4. Encourage the students to always seek answers on their own using the
internet and other available resources.
38
39. 15 Treat startup team with
respect, appreciation, and
provide them with all the
support and help they need;
after all their success means
your success and that of the
incubator
39
47. 19 You are provided with an
interaction model made of
three types of sessions:
(Refer to Tool # 17,
Interaction Model)
47
48. The three types of interaction sessions:
1. Discovery (brain storming for ideas).
2. Solutions (find solutions to problems the startup team is facing).
3. Tear down (stress testing any component of the business, e.g. business
model, financial model, work plan, etc.).
- A description of these sessions is provided with the Interaction Model
document.
48
49. 20 You are provided with a monthly
monitoring tool (Refer to Tool #
11, Milestones Template) that
would allow you to evaluate the
progress of the startup team in
achieving their objectives
49
50. Monitoring Tips:
1. Every month a meeting is set where the milestones to be achieved during
that month are agreed upon and signed on.
2. At the next month meeting, an evaluation is made of whether or not each
milestone was achieved or not, and if not WHY?
3. This would help startup team by giving them critical tasks that needs to be
achieved every week and is directly tied to their WORK PLAN (provided to
them in the Startup Tools Section).
4. A copy of the Milestones Template is to be sent to the local INJAZ office at
the end of each month.
50
51. 21 You might not be physically
available all the time to
mentor the startup, in this a
virtual Mentoring tool is
available to you, (SKYPE)
51
52. Virtual Mentoring Tips:
1. The Virtual Mentoring Manual would explain how to set up SKYPE to be a
very effective virtual communication and mentoring tool where you can
share documents as well as interact the startup team both audio and
video.
2. Follow the set up procedures identified in the Virtual Mentoring Manual
and add the startup team to your SKYPE account.
52
53. Tool # 11 : The Milestones Template
The Milestones Template
Month:
Milestones Critical tasks To be done by (Date) Achieved (Y/N) Comments
Sales
Product development
Operations
Marketing
Team
Capital raise
Mentorship
Budget tracking Projected Cash Balance Projected total revenue Projected total expenses Achieved (Y/N) Comments
53
54. Tool # 15 : The Suggested Incubation Model
Incubation Model
Phase Build Phase {12 Weeks} Launch Phase {12 Weeks} Growth Phase {0 Weeks }
Angel
Angel Investor (When and
Stage Orientation Shape Build Launch if needed)
Growth
Duration/Weeks (24 Seek at the right time for
1 1 10 12 0
weeks or 6 Months) the right amount
Incubator Equity
Share
None (unless the corporate incubator invest directly in the company)
So-early-stage Seed
Fund
Initial funds to be provided by sponsor (Boeing)
A clear of what , when, how,
A clear understaing of the A fully functional release Stabilize business and acquire first
Outcome where and why will do
business and how to build it 1.0 of the Business customer
Expand business and grow revenues
things at meydan
Startup Program Content,
Business Model/Financial Prototype, develop, test,
wokring at incubator, sales and marketing and fine tuning
Content success factors, prepare for
Model/WorkPlan/Investor marketing, sales, legal,
business processes
sales and marketing and networking
Pitch alliances, risk, dashboard
shape week
Self learning using
Self learning using reference Self learning using reference reference material Self learning using reference material Self learning using reference material
Training material available on the material available on the available on the website available on the website and other available on the website and other online
website website and other online online resources resources
resources
One-on-One pre-planned
One-on-One pre-planned per
On demand questions with per week Coaching One-on-One pre-planned per week
day Coaching Session of 15
the coach , with periodic Session of 30 minutes or Coaching Session of 30 minutes or
Coaching followup by the coach on
minutes per startup
more per startup more per startup company using our
At least 2 hours per week with each mentor
company using our sessions
progress company using our sessions model (D,S,T)
model (D,S,T)
sessions model (D,S,T)
Full Time: 8 - 12 hours per
Hours per Full Time: 8 - 12 hours
day, work according to daily Varies Full Time: 8 - 12 hours per day Full Time: 8 - 12 hours per day
week/pioneer per day
learning schedule
Legal status Registered Company
54
56. 21 Delivery
22 Customer Care
23 Infrastructure
24 Online Presence
25 Testing (Product & Service)
26 How To Differentiate Your Product
27 Resource Management
28 Operations Management
29 Financial Management
30 Managing Human Resources
31 Managing Material Resources
32 Implementing Processes & Standards
33 Launch Planning
34 Launch Readiness
35 Acquiring My First Customer
36 Soft Launch
37 Identifying Growth Opportunities
38 Growing Existing Customers
39 Introducing New Products
40 Cash Flow
56
57. Tool # 16 : Suggested Topics for Learning (Beginner)
41 My Entrepreneurship
42 Retention Strategy
Creating A Positive Working Culture
43
Within Your Business
44 Time management
45 Negotation
46 Selling
47 Presentation Skills
48 Resilience
49 Communication
50 Team Building
51 Leadership
52 Conflict Resolution
53 Delegation
57
58. Tool # 16 : Suggested Topics for Learning (Intermediate)
Project Management - Getting
1
things done on time & Budget
Product Development - Release
2 Planning/prototyping/Cont.
Improvement
Financial Management - cash is
3 king, running dollars and leveraged
assets
Personal Productivity - punching
4
above your weight
Presentation Skills - Killer
5
presenations
6 Sales Effectiveness – sell, sell & sell
Networking for Success - who you
7
know defines your reach
8 Pitching - the art of persuation
Social Media - cost effective way to
9
increase your reach bandwidth
Valuation - the right value at the right
10
time
Growth Strategy - the only sign of
11 life is growth
{how,where,when,what,why,who}
58
59. Tool # 16 : Suggested Topics for Learning (Advanced)
Business progress -
1
Dashboard
Pioneer progress -
2
Dashboard
"One page"
3
financial model
4 Full financial model
Review Business
5
model
6 Blue print
7 10 week work plan
Sales and marketing
8
strategy
Sales model/process
9
- Click & Brick
Product
Development
Strategy -
10 features/value
proposition/cost/pro
duct release
schedule
Alliance
development -
11 marketing/
sales/content/technol
ogy
Networking &
12
Connecting
Legal setup -
13 what/where/how/wh
y/when
59
60. Tool # 16 : Suggested Topics for Learning (Adv. Cont.)
Payment and
14
collections
15 Pitch
16 Angel investor
Financial
Management - Cash
management/expens
17
e
control/investments
timing
Recruiting and
18 developing the right
team
Partnerships among
19
the pioneers team
Valuation - the right
20 value at the right
time
60
61. Tool # 17 : The interaction Model
Discovery Solution Tear Down
Idea generation Cause root or symptom? Challenge assumptions?
Possible scenarios What are possible solution(s)? Why these figures?
Best Practices Who can provide it? What are the facts?
What's new Where at? Is this the right answer/model?
Modifications and changes At what cost? Is it the only plausible answer/model?
Potential Risks When to implement? Do the numbers make sense?
Various aspects to an idea Contingency plans? Are the items in the work plan in the correct sequence?
* These sessions are 30 minutes each and they focus on important challenges the pioneers are encountering
61
