Business Development Laboratory

1. News
2. About
3. Projects and Seminars
4. Companies
5. Start-up application
6. Contacts

1. NEWS

PBN agrees to support the Business Lab
The PBN Company (www.pbnco.com) is an international strategic communications consultancy serving clients worldwide from offices in Washington DC, London, Moscow, Kiev and Riga. The Business Lab is continuing to widen the scope of support available to its members, and starting from February 2007, Business Lab members have the opportunity to receive legal advice from the PBN office in Riga. We are looking forward to a long a fruitful cooperation!

The Business Lab welcomes new members
We are glad to announce that in 2007, two new members entered the SSE Riga Business Development Lab: Mārtiņš Kālis and Igors Grigorjevs. Both are students of SSE Riga and will be the first so-called “long-distance members” of the Lab, namely, they will use the help provided by the Business Lab, but will operate elsewhere. Mārtiņš is in the process of registering his company that will deal with podcasts, and Igors is starting an Academic Integrity Centre.

New cooperation project between the BDL and LU Innovation centre
Starting from December 2006, the Business Lab and the Latvia University Innovation centre are organizing a project that will include students from both universities. The essence of the project is to bring together students with both economic and technical backgrounds to develop commercial projects for promising new inventions. At the moment four SSE Riga students are participating in the project and hopefully the project will develop into a long-term cooperation between the two organizations.

2. ABOUT

Business Development Lab – a base for young entrepreneurs.

The Business Lab is contributing to the entrepreneurship climate of Latvia and the Baltic states by providing a dynamic base for young entrepreneurship. It provides infrastructure, knowledge and an interactive experience.

The Business Lab is a base for young entrepreneurs – it offers recent graduates, or students in their final year of studies, the support that is necessary to start a private company. The Business Lab also organizes various activities for students to foster entrepreneurship as well as to educate and motivate young people to start their own business activities.

The Business Lab offers an array of services to young entrepreneurs free of charge. These services are provided not only to teams that are based in the SSE Riga premises, but also to those that run a business from another place but would be interested in receiving Business Lab support. These services include:

• Promotion of business teams through the Business Lab homepage
• Support in registration of the company
• Accounting support
• Legal support
• PR and marketing help
• Participation in the Mentorship programme
• Business Development program: follow the development of the business
• Infrastructure for new Business Lab teams
• Interactive problem solving

The main expenses for start-up companies are costs connected with office rent, utilities, communications, and other infrastructure items, for this reason infrastructure is priority number one among the services provided by the Business Lab. The teams that apply for and are admitted to the Business Lab can use the Business Lab infrastructure for free for six months, and for a small cost afterwards.

3. PROJECTS & SEMINARS

Who wants to be a millionaire? Entrepreneurial success stories from SSE Riga alumni
Did you know that around 50 SSE Riga alumni are owners of companies? Did you know that more than a half of them do business not only in consulting, finance, but also in lots of other areas. The seminar cycle will include three seminars covering the topics of entrepreneurship, the business start-up process, and the challenges and main forces that drive one towards success. SSE Riga graduates who have founded companies and are now successful entrepreneurs will be speakers in the seminars.

Innovation commercialization project with LU Innovation Centre
Starting from December 2006, the Business Lab and the Latvia University Innovation centre are organizing a project that will include students from both universities. The essence of the project is to bring together students with both economic and technical backgrounds to develop commercial projects for promising new inventions. At the moment four SSE Riga students are participating in the project and hopefully the project will develop into a long-term cooperation between the two organizations.

Business Laboratory experience exchange project
In 2007, the SSE Riga BDL is planning to organize an event for existing and potential coordinators of business laboratories and incubators around Latvia in which experiences in developing and operating business laboratories will be exchanged. The main aim of the event is to foster the development of new business incubators and share best practices in business laboratory operations around Latvia.

4. COMPANIES

SIA Realister produces notebooks (FormuluKlades) for secondary school students, and develops ideas to make the study process more interesting and efficient for teenagers. On the inside cover of every FormuluKlade, there is a condensed selection of the most important formulas for different subjects – currently there are different FormuluKlades (physics, mathematics, and chemistry). In addition to formulas, the notebook also contains some entertainment (sudoku, mobile ringtones, etc., practical ads), as well as a calendar, a table for recording test grades, and room for personal info. Most of the notebooks have already been sold, but next year you can hopefully find them in the biggest supermarket chains all over the Baltics. Further info can be found at http://www.formuluklade.lv

SIA Aksedo is a research and consultation centre that was established at the beginning of 2006 and is offering project management services. Services include market research and analysis, public opinion polls, and attraction and analysis of financing to investment projects. The name of the entity (accedo - latin) symbolizes persistent growth and a willingness to improve - ideas that are used as a basis for successfully executed projects and recommendations for our clients. More details about the company can be found at http://www.aksedo.lv

GatewayBaltic was started two years ago by SSE Riga graduate Inese Andersone. Through the years GatewayBaltic has gained unique experience in export consulting, by assisting Latvian companies to export to Sweden and Scandinavia. GatewayBaltic carries out projects in partnership with the Latvian Investment and Development Agency. Our strengths are that we are young, flexible and professional and we always work in the interests of our clients with the aim to increase their sales and profitability. More information is available at http://www.gatewaybaltic.com

SIA Focus is the oldest inhabitant of the BDL, founded by SSE Riga graduate Kaspars Vītols. During three years in the BDL, the company has changed its focus several times. It started as a market research and consulting company, and now Focus is developing a new e-learning concept that is scheduledforlaunch in the beginning of 2007. One of many side projects of Focus includes ZeBlox – the free student notebooks SSE Riga and other Latvian university students can receive several times a year.

5. START-UP APPLICATION