(Herndon, Va. and Cary, N.C.) Internationally renowned business strategy and funding expert Lea Strickland, MBA/CMA/CFM/CBM/GMC, recently led a half day workshop for small business grant recipients and a dozen private sessions with attendees invited by the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT).  The workshop provides a unique, integrated perspective on the strategic and transactional aspects of government funding assistance. The Virginia-based CIT asked Strickland to provide one-on-one counsel on startup and business management issues such as accounting and grant applications to technology-based companies across a wide spectrum of industries such as green tech, defense, biotechnology and life sciences.

“Startup and established companies have challenging choices to make all the time which may have a substantial impact on their business,” Strickland said, adding, “There really is a razor-thin margin of error between success and failure, and business leaders need to be ready to make well-informed and timely decisions on funding, compliance, and the strategic implications accepting government funds have on operations, intellectual property rights, and business processes.”

CIT is a nonprofit corporation that accelerates the next generation of technology, creating new technology companies through capital formation, market development and revenue generation services. To facilitate national innovation leadership and accelerate the rate of technology adoption, CIT creates partnerships between innovative technology startup companies and advanced technology consumers.

According to Strickland, companies dealing with innovative technologies are especially vulnerable to making poor business decisions due to their intense focus on the specific product or service they are developing.

“Many times businesses are spending so much time and money on research and development they neglect business fundamentals to the point where they reach “the valley of death” where funding for product development and commercialization is needed, but funding sources are not available from the government or private sources who want to see the “product” before committing more resources,” Strickland said.

The CIT is one of several nationwide business and technology organizations Strickland works with to advocate creation and implementation an effective business plan, sharing the do’s and don’ts of accounting, finance, compliance and strategy with businesses of all sizes, in addition to how to secure government grants.

For more information on Lea Strickland, visit www.leastrickland.com.

Lea Strickland, MBA/CMA/CFM/CBM/GMC, is an internationally renowned business strategy expert applying proven infrastructure management solutions to help businesses and organizations of all sizes build a baseline for success. Regularly leading workshops and presenting at a wide range of industry events, Lea is a sought-after public speaker and thought leader on how to effectively start and grow a business. She is a published book author; has been featured in national business media outlets; and is a contributing columnist to a number of national and regional magazines and websites. For more information, visit www.leastrickland.com or www.focusresourcesinc.com.