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Daily Record: Understanding the High-Tech Ecosystem

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Understanding the far- and wide-ranging Maryland technology ‘household’ or ecosystem is essential to success, according to Glenna E. Cush, director of marketing with the state’s Small Business Development Center.

“The ecosystem refers businesses to how different components of technology support systems fit together,” she says, “Those components are organizations that provide expertise, technical assistance to different types of companies.”

But experts say novices should beware of swimming alone through an alphabet soup of acronyms for business development in Maryland, such as TEDCO, MIPS, SBIR, BWTech, SMIT, MDMEP, MTech, AIE and more. Learn them as you go.

Instead, a consensus of business experts says the place to start understanding the high-tech ecosystem for small businesses is at the SBDC. Its consultants in the statewide network in all 23 counties and Baltimore are dedicated to helping inventors start and grow a business. SBDC provides training, confidential consulting and market research to help aspiring and existing small businesses make sound decisions for successful operations. The consultants have owned or managed successful businesses.

In LaPlata, SBDC was instrumental in helping mechanical engineer Michael Steele launch Motobriiz LLC, a manufacturer of wind-powered automatic chain oilers for motorcycles.

“I had this idea in my garage and then I kind of went underground because I was afraid someone would steal it until I submitted a patent,” Steele said. “Once I emerged, I was amazed how much help is out there; many people in Maryland really want businesses to succeed.”

Steele was soon convinced that SBDC was a good place to start to build a company.

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