In the early stages, ATI Business Innovation Advisor, Mike Robertson, hosted a number of strategy meetings and workshops to help Once I鈥檝e Gone identify, and prioritise, the best projects to take forward.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e trying to run a start-up and you鈥檙e already being pulled in a million different directions, actually having someone to guide you through a process is fantastic and that was one of the real benefits of working with ATI2.鈥says Ian.
In line with the key objectives of the business, it became clear that the security of the platform would be fundamental to attracting new users, partners and investors. For this reason, ATI2 awarded Once I鈥檝e Gone with a grant to further enhance the security levels of the platform, whilst paving the way for organisations to link directly to the platform in the future.
鈥淥nce I鈥檝e Gone is a business based on securing client information. We are constantly looking to evolve and improve the functionality of the platform, providing higher levels of partner and client interaction and increasing the value proposition.鈥 Ian explains.
鈥淲e are constantly trying to make sure that people feel comfortable adding information to our platform and the recent features under development will be focused on giving people far greater peace of mind over the security of their data.鈥 he adds.
As a small but growing digital start-up, Ian highlights the true value of the grant and how it has accelerated the businesses ability to innovate:
鈥淭he funding has enabled us to speed up the production of key features and scale far quicker than we would have done otherwise. We are a start-up and need to carefully manage our finances, and there would have been a longer delay in being able to achieve our goals. By having the financial support of ATI2 we are actually ahead of where we wanted to be in our development.鈥
In addition to the funding support, Once I鈥檝e Gone have benefited from access to ATI2鈥檚 extensive knowledge exchange network and this is something that will continue to support the business to do great things in the future, says Ian:
鈥淭he access to the knowledge base is incredible. As we grow as an organisation we are constantly going to maintain our head office in Cornwall, so any access to knowledge and any assistance with applying for finance or grants is huge for the company and enables us to achieve things that we wouldn鈥檛 have otherwise been able to.鈥
When we can, ATI2 like to connect clients where there is synergy and potential for collaboration. In the case of Once I鈥檝e Gone, Ian鈥檚 Business Innovation Advisor, Mike, was able to introduce him to another innovator who was embarking upon a similar journey to him.
鈥淥ne of the things about being based in the South West is that you kind of feel isolated from knowledge. It鈥檚 not like setting up a business in London, where there are countless organisations always within a stone鈥檚 throw away.鈥highlights Ian, who sees a lot of potential in partnering with like-minded businesses within the South West.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the ability to share journeys with people, to develop and be part of a network in the South West 鈥 we can really help one another. Working with ATI2 has been a fantastic experience鈥 the support we have received has been fantastic, not only the regular phone calls but the face-to-face meetings [before the Covid-19 pandemic] and the zoom meetings during this second phase of the project too. It鈥檚 been faultless from start to finish.鈥 says Ian.
Once I鈥檝e Gone has been a labour of love and years in the making, but perseverance pays off and Ian鈥檚 hard work is finally coming to fruition. As is often the case with online digital platforms, Once I鈥檝e Gone is constantly evolving and ATI2 are continuing to support Ian鈥檚 journey by providing ongoing business innovation advice, helping him to focus his ideas and identify the next area of innovation for his business. We cannot wait to see what鈥檚 next.
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