Manchester Tech Trust (MTT), the non-profit organisation which links investors and early stage tech businesses, is partnering with Manchester start-up Twine to provide a toolkit of essential software for聽start-up and scale-up companies.
The聽Startup Toolkit is made up of seven free or heavily-discounted software packages including best value solutions for web build, cloud telephony, cloud hosting and CRM tools.
With five of the seven packages from Manchester start-ups, it is also a showcase for the world-class quality software coming out of Manchester and the North West.
The toolkit, which can be accessed via the Manchester Tech Trust website, has been assembled by Twine, which connects companies to creatives by making it simple to write a project brief and curating the best quality freelancers.
Twine MD Stuart Logan says: 鈥淭he steps in starting-up are common to all companies.
鈥淕etting a logo, building a proof-of-concept website with an explainer video, sending out your investment deck to potential funders, getting in touch with your first customers and keeping a track of them on a CRM.
鈥淭he Startup Toolkit is a package of unique offers for the most appropriate services and products.
鈥淭hese will help you present your business idea or product professionally, increase the productivity of your team and enable you to grow faster.鈥�
The kit includes software from North West companies Twine, which was named one of Creative England鈥檚 2017 Top 50 Future Leaders, Cindr, CircleLoop, Capsule, FlowX, Ifarm and US firm ZenDesk.
MTT CEO Peter Lusty says: 鈥淎ll start-ups and growing businesses require essential software packages.
鈥淭hese are now being made available to new businesses for free or for minimal cost through our partnership with Twine.
鈥淭hese are super helpful basic tools for new businesses, but what鈥檚 so pleasing about this toolkit is that most are software packages developed in Manchester and the North West and showcase the quality of the enterprise tech sector here.
鈥淥ther similar toolkits are available but tend to offer software developed in the US.
鈥淲hen North West start-ups access the toolkit from the MTT site, they are getting best-of-breed packages, but they are also actively supporting the Manchester digital economy.
鈥淭ech Trust aims to expand the offer over time, and as well as promoting these services in Greater Manchester, we will also seek to work with organisations like Creative England to promote these home-grown services across the UK.
鈥淭hrough the Manchester Tech Trust website and events, we have established ourselves as a super connector, the 鈥榞o to鈥� organisation in the city to bring people, support and finance together to make things happen quickly and effectively.
鈥淢TT has utilised its mentoring network to help over 60 local entrepreneurs and young companies in 2017.鈥�
MTT’s next mentoring event takes place on Thursday 28th September at Manchester Science Partnership鈥檚 brand new Bright Building.