New group to promote technology entrepreneurship by brainstorming and sharing ideas

EUSTIS — A new technology-based group, the AbacusTech Entrepreneurs (ATE), is inviting local residents who are interested in learning and sharing ideas about creating high-tech products and businesses, to their inaugural meeting. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at the Northeast Lake Business Opportunity Center, 1520 S. Bay St., Eustis.

The purpose of ATE is to help budding technology-minded entrepreneurs by discussing, as a group, the various parts of high-tech startups, to learn what resources are available and to hear from technology businesses as they share their success stories.

“There was a need to develop this type of group because I saw very few developed high-tech industries in Lake County,” said Vance Jochim, ATE’s founder. “This group will help encourage and motivate technology brainstorming and ideas, rather than teach coding or specific hardware skills, with the goal of facilitating learning and sharing information.” 

The group will meet during the evenings twice a month on the first and third Tuesday. Some topics the group will cover at their meetings include:

• How to finance new businesses, including crowdfunding sources, angel investors, venture capital and Small Business Administration loans.
• Methods to learn technology at low- or no-cost.
• Introduction to methods of business formation, including becoming technology “business partners” for specific technologies.
• Introduction to software and hardware technologies, including software platforms and sources for developing websites, blogs, etc.
• Review of social media marketing methods, both as possible businesses and for marketing a project.
• Online sources for technology enthusiasts.
• Introduction to support groups, including the Lake County Business Incubators and Small Business Development Centers.

For more information about ATE, contact Vance Jochim at 352-638-3578, email [email protected] or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/AbacusTech/.