Looking For Funding In All The Right Places

By Ellin M. Dize

The Maryland Small Business Development Center in Columbia is helping new businesses to succeed in the NeoTech Incubator. Here’s a look at one of its residents, a young company called a2z, Inc.

a2z, Inc. provides web-based solutions to trade organizations, helping them to serve their industry, improve their customer relationship management and increase their bottom-line profitability.

The company got its start in March of 1998 in the one-bedroom apartment of its founders, Rajiv and Hima Jain. A couple of computers, Rajiv’s programming skills, and Hima’s web design skills got husband and wife started towards pursuing their dream—to own a successful company of their own. The plan was to create easy-to-customize business applications that could be used throughout an entire industry. The couple’s first idea was to create a product that could be used to teach online.

The first product to go into full production was a2zClass. Things started looking up when two courses designed with a2zClass were approved. Spurred on by the initial success, Rajiv and Hima started toying with ideas for future projects and came up with the concept for a2z’s flagship product, a2zShow.

“The idea behind a2zShow was to give extended exposure to the exhibitors of trade shows—to build a space online where exhibitors could display their products year round instead of the three or four days they would get at a live trade show,” said Rajiv Jain. In the end, a2zShow would become much more than a virtual marketplace, and today is considered one of the most comprehensive solutions for managing and marketing events.

In October 1999, Rajiv and Hima met Michael Hatch of MHI Communications in Rockville, who liked the concept of a2zShow, and joined a2z as vice president of Marketing and Sales to market it. After that, things began to really take off.

“Right about the time we had signed our first contract for a2zShow and were looking to rent office space, the NeoTech Incubator opened in Howard County,” said Jain. “We jumped at the opportunity to be one of the first companies in the building, because we knew what a valuable resource the Business Development Center, which supports the incubator, could be.”

When the Jains and a2z moved into the NeoTech Incubator, a relationship with the Maryland Small Business Development Center was immediately started. Rajiv Jain met with the SBDC consultant for assistance in getting a loan for marketing, sales and equipment. They also pursued several loan funds. Now, Jain and the SBDC are meeting with venture capital firms for additional money. The job of SBDC is to look at a2z as a long-term client, not just to help with funding, but to stay with the company to assist it in hiring more employees and increasing the company’s gross sales and profit. Since the SBDC is located in the same building as a2z, it is easy for the SBDC staff to keep up-to-date with all of a2z’s accomplishments and to be available to deal with concerns.

As a2z moves into the future, it looks as though the company will surpass the original expectations of Rajiv and Hima Jain. With the help of the SBDC, they are creating the successful company they envisioned.

Ellin Dize is a SBDC consultant and a partner with Howard County Economic Development Authority. She is located in the NeoTech Incubator and can be reached at 410-313-6550.