https://www.tortoiselabs.com/blog daily 0.75 2024-06-08 https://www.tortoiselabs.com/blog/how-to-talk-to-potential-customers-about-pricing monthly 0.5 2023-03-08 https://www.tortoiselabs.com/blog/scale-startup-sales-faster-with-cold-outreach monthly 0.5 2022-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/bc686c9f-67c3-4d75-a462-64c57e6af17a/Tortoise+Labs+Eariously+Cold+Outreach+Offer+Value Blog - Scale Startup Sales Faster With Cold Outreach - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/5c9013a0-278b-4557-95f3-b6ca2f4c69fb/Tortoise+Labs+Tree+Free+Fire+Cold+Outreach+Offer+Value Blog - Scale Startup Sales Faster With Cold Outreach - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.tortoiselabs.com/blog/the-best-27-startup-resources-and-tools-we-use monthly 0.5 2024-06-08 https://www.tortoiselabs.com/blog/free-money-to-grow-your-startup-apply-for-grant-funding monthly 0.5 2022-08-18 https://www.tortoiselabs.com/blog/8-diy-tools-to-build-your-startup-landing-page-faster-and-cheaper monthly 0.5 2022-08-18 https://www.tortoiselabs.com/blog/47500-in-2-weeks-from-maines-startup-pitch-competitions monthly 0.5 2022-08-18 https://www.tortoiselabs.com/blog/build-your-startup-mvp-with-tools-you-know monthly 0.5 2022-08-18 https://www.tortoiselabs.com/blog/10-tips-for-the-best-media-interview monthly 0.5 2022-08-18 https://www.tortoiselabs.com/blog/14-best-free-online-graphic-design-tools monthly 0.5 2022-08-18 https://www.tortoiselabs.com/case-studies daily 0.75 2023-05-09 https://www.tortoiselabs.com/case-studies/how-lisa-built-the-business-of-her-dreams-and-recruited-25-new-clients-in-her-first-year-coaching monthly 0.5 2022-10-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/94e537bd-22e6-4220-a884-1d5605f728cc/Hallee-circle.png Case Studies - How Lisa built the business of her dreams and recruited 25 new clients in her first year coaching - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.tortoiselabs.com/case-studies/how-5k-and-a-little-grit-led-to-an-mvp-that-did-150k-in-transactions-in-three-months monthly 0.5 2022-10-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/ad1dc905-87fa-4b27-9c2a-7899b414aede/1571347420297.jpeg Case Studies - How $5K and a little grit led to an MVP that did $150K in transactions in three months - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.tortoiselabs.com/case-studies/how-faith-went-from-not-a-software-person-to-selling-her-first-enterprise-solution-at-4kyear-in-just-three-months monthly 0.5 2022-10-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/98e99c12-2fad-4765-bbc6-88373a3a138d/imageedit_11_3035061677.png Case Studies - How Faith went from “not a software person” to selling her first enterprise solution at $4K/year in just three months - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.tortoiselabs.com/case-studies/how-dylan-used-customer-research-to-6x-his-revenue-and-become-an-entrepreneur-in-three-years monthly 0.5 2022-10-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1f3bcd2b-af77-4c60-a3e6-609f2c1d4850/imageedit_9_8088924592.png Case Studies - How Dylan used customer research to 6x his revenue and become an entrepreneur in three years - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.tortoiselabs.com/case-studies/heather-built-a-pizza-dough-business-from-scratch-now-shes-doing-16k-months-and-still-scaling monthly 0.5 2022-10-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/bcf0a7a3-e0c1-4517-bf81-5d538e6ca23b/imageedit_7_9139639600.png Case Studies - Heather built a pizza dough business from scratch. Now, she’s doing $16k months and still scaling. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.tortoiselabs.com/case-studies/how-kia-up-leveled-her-skills-at-23-years-old-and-went-from-studying-ux-to-leading-ux-research-at-omaha-steaks monthly 0.5 2022-10-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/457f71e7-741f-43f9-95a2-cd8ae19410e8/imageedit_4_2438643909.png Case Studies - How Kia up-leveled her skills at 23 years old and went from studying UX to leading UX research at Omaha Steaks - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.tortoiselabs.com/case-studies/how-tortoise-labs-helped-elaine-go-from-full-time-employee-to-full-time-founder-in-two-months monthly 0.5 2022-10-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/fda86b6d-a951-4e95-a990-8d2938b08d85/download+%283%29.jpeg Case Studies - How Tortoise Labs helped Elaine go from full-time employee to full-time founder in two months - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.tortoiselabs.com/home daily 1.0 2024-09-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/fdce53f0-7370-4c08-a596-89fbb8b25c1e/Summer+Startup+crew.jpeg Home - That’s why we created Tortoise Labs, the incubator that helps driven founders go from idea to paying customers to long-term sales growth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833468628-HSP5V4LXGZRRHQIBML1G/1.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833468548-CD05R8A8GR03GQN8J2N7/2.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660834386934-GMFX8HTU8VWX4SE53BST/Untitled+design+%288%29.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833468935-6BFXAE9BA0IGI9VS7JUS/3.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660834278622-JSGSMBZ6LY49MRGK7ISO/Untitled+design+%288%29.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833469153-QT612KMY22CY05EOAB5U/4.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833469541-2QZ80VX9UKQVIYQL23JG/5.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833472182-KAKROGWAYQWXACTB18WJ/15.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833472458-0U8N6U57PT1UZQ7MSBEA/16.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833469710-9ONBSA9QZT0HQKFT00WH/6.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833470030-1YNEFTBA3O33KV2FL5FL/7.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833470294-GWNCOKGX1EWTS8HQ31XC/8.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833470532-02NEASH6WMMG56MX166L/9.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833470844-9QR6M3SRXJQLK4FWGCK4/10.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833471051-U7M33940L1MP4UJ1LZ5U/11.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833471293-2R8KS9XZTSAHD11BT4BG/12.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833471624-ZEMGA5SVE4BQVE9VIBU7/13.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1660833471819-DYA5FIE2A61SDL68UFTG/14.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1658088060102-K52ZB93YFS75SJKRA0FV/Bill-and-Joan-Alfond-Foundation-cropped.jpeg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1658088168185-5JJQO6MC8CAPM14OVB6I/CEI-BadgeName_RGB.jpeg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1689607316815-E3CE95Y1H4VHSL706EKA/Untitled+design+%285%29.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1658088115888-ECX0SFICFZ02W3TZ4S3Z/KVCC-Logo-1.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1658088060059-1M3F3APOGAUEEDFYQD27/HAIBI-Logo-002-1.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1658088060512-E9HP1YQTYGCAPJZOIARN/Roux-1.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1658088060689-GKR1TPIFE92EBU7H1E2Z/WBC-logo_RGB-600x244.jpeg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/96c7ac95-eb94-475c-9dcf-bbb01fbb460a/21742013_13crust.png Home - If you have a business idea you’d love to bring to life, and ... You’re excited about the prospect of making money from your ideas for the first time ever You have a unique skill that’s difficult for other people to do — and an idea for a service that would monetize it You have a product idea that you’ve been imagining for a while ... but you haven’t actually done anything about it yet You have a software idea (but you’ve never built software before) You’re committed to working independently — you need guidance to get your first customers, but you’re ready to put in the work to get there, and beyond https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/2b37b484-a2ed-4d82-a8f6-a27bbf0f5b04/Good+Crust+Team+Portrait%2C+4_22.png Home - If you have a business you'd love to grow, and ... You're eager to experience the thrill of taking your business to new heights and expanding your success You already have a product or service with a clear target audience Your business has a strong foundation, thanks to steady sales You need help figuring out the best ways to boost sales and expand your customer base You're interested in conducting customer research to identify growth opportunities and areas for improvement https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/e6e531be-c5fd-48b9-bbe7-9a611fdf8c60/CEI-Propeller-67-edited-600x600.jpeg Home - If you’re looking for programs for entrepreneurs, and ... You want a curriculum that’s customized to fit your audience’s needs and your institution’s goals Accessibility is important to you, and you want to hire facilitators who explain entrepreneurship in simple terms You care about the connections and community that participants create with each other You want your participants to get practical, actionable advice, so they can nurture their business ideas and move forward to their next step https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/d1bd160f-308a-4e0a-85ab-5adf5fd3979a/190902_Watervill_Summer-Startup_1_opt.jpeg Home - We believe that small steps lead to thriving businesses. But you need to take the right steps to build a sustainable company — starting with evaluating your idea and getting your first customers. Unlike a lot of other incubators and business advisors, we care about helping our founders thrive at their own pace. That’s why we go beyond checklists, how-to’s, and actionable advice, and share our philosophy for growth: Move slow. Learn things. https://www.tortoiselabs.com/services/founders daily 0.75 2023-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/53c05dab-66ad-43ac-9d7d-e9ff2fe2363f/nathan-dumlao-rWJ2RthM-gc-unsplash.jpg Services for Founders - Starting anything can be overwhelming. Especially if you’re starting a business. Maybe you’ve tried getting guidance from one-size-fits-none programs, or from “mentors” who have never actually built their own businesses... Maybe you already have a full-time job, kids, lots of stress, little time, and even less forward momentum ... Or maybe you’re just feeling stuck, with no clear next step. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/70f8c51c-a4cb-482b-8534-78ad74c44490/IMG_0722.jpeg Services for Founders - We believe that small steps lead to thriving businesses. But you need to take the right steps if you want to build a sustainable company — starting with evaluating your idea and finding your first clients. We’ll show you how to get there, step by step, so you can keep moving forward and bring your idea to life If you don’t know where to start, start here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/e3e4c74e-fa24-4f6b-8661-18eb139b0dad/190902_Watervill_Summer-Startup_1_opt.jpeg Services for Founders - Get 1:1 support building or growing your business Book Nick Rimsa, Tortoise Labs Founder, to help you handle everything in your business, big and small This is a great fit if you’ve got a unique skill you can monetize, you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to create, or if you know you want to grow your business but aren’t sure how Every 1:1 project is different, but some recent projects have been: Working with a copywriter start their freelance career (and get to their first $10k month in just three months) Partnering with a product business to develop a wholesale strategy and go from 0 to 200 stores (in just a year) Building a no-code app that led to $35k in sales (in just four months) and then project managing the development of a scalable app https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/4dc3d7f5-101b-48f8-85de-95e92413e8c8/First+Paying+Customer_Joe+Musumeci.jpg Services for Founders - Get a duct tape software prototype One of the biggest struggles that early-stage founders have (especially with software products) is evaluating customer demand with the least amount of effort, money, and time. With the Duct Tape Prototype offering, we’ll work together to: Identify your core customer and their desired outcome Build a no-code solution that allows customers to achieve their desired outcome Help you get your first customers so you can feel more confident about investing in building a scalable app https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/8f60aefc-66aa-468e-96d0-8957d65cb7b2/First+Paying+Customer_Chelsea+Averitt.JPG Services for Founders - Website copy, design, and development Early-stage founders require a website to share who they are, what they do, and what they help their customers to accomplish. We’ll work together to: Establish the primary purpose of the website, determine the intended audience, and identify desired outcomes for visitors (e.g. newsletter signup, start a trial) Write copy that pushes website visitors to achieve your desired outcome Design the website with an appropriate look and feel Develop a scalable website https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/2f19218a-97b0-4e73-bf1d-52b9c2deea57/MTI_logo_cmyk_opt-removebg.png Services for Founders - Tortoise Labs is an approved vendor of the Maine Technology Institute—the largest startup grantor in Maine Many startups struggle to find competent consultants, so MTI developed the Maine Entrepreneurial Resource Corps (MERC) database. The MERC database contains a list of vetted consultants to match Maine start-ups with reliable, affordable consultants who will assist in developing short-term projects. MTI is committed to paying 50% of approved projects, and Tortoise Labs is part of the MERC database. https://www.tortoiselabs.com/services/organizations daily 0.75 2023-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/230d54c5-404c-4ad4-b226-e607e9534020/nathan-dumlao-UNnwm7kgN_0-unsplash.jpg Services for Organizations - So many people have great business ideas — but lack the resources they need to bring them to life. Maybe they don’t have business education or experience, and feel too intimidated or excluded to believe that entrepreneurship is a viable option ... Maybe they already have a full-time job, kids, lots of stress, and little time to act on their ideas ... Or maybe they’re just feeling stuck, with no clear next step. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/9f87de91-3f0a-44bb-8432-930723671f55/IMG_1423.jpeg Services for Organizations - We believe that small steps lead to thriving businesses. But new entrepreneurs need to take the right steps to build a sustainable company — starting with evaluating their idea and finding their first clients. In our programs, we teach founders how to get there, step by step, so they can bring their idea to life. By partnering with institutions like yours, we do this at little to no cost to new entrepreneurs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1658156404720-ZHXMXM6Y725ZGG7DBX6S/Bill-and-Joan-Alfond-Foundation-cropped.jpeg Services for Organizations https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1658156404720-CB9X1M3Y7V02DYWOJTZF/CEI-BadgeName_RGB.jpeg Services for Organizations https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1658156406180-TI5ZHPYWB7M2MP9WZBKR/WBC-logo_RGB-600x244.jpeg Services for Organizations https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1689607371808-FST3VEKU277MG3JQ0DD2/Untitled+design+%285%29.png Services for Organizations https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1658156405683-HRY0TPRHZ4VQ1CVXVR28/KVCC-Logo-1.png Services for Organizations https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1658156405764-DCLYUCF1N13XD1B9I4GN/Roux-1.png Services for Organizations https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/1658156405221-EPVN3GAV4TX6TBIOZAON/HAIBI-Logo-002-1.png Services for Organizations https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/dea30ae6-9b3e-4132-ada7-3aaa1bf3a766/First+Paying+Customer_Joe+Musumeci.jpg Services for Organizations - Let us build your curriculum or program Whether you’re from a high school, nonprofit, or college, we’ll build the application-based curriculum or program your audience needs to bring their idea to life or achieve long-term sales growth. We customize the package based on your needs and goals for the course Focused on practical, real-world examples to ensure easy understanding and application Inclusive and welcoming content designed specifically for your audiences Adaptable modules to fit various learning styles and timeframes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/26abc26e-87bc-4919-a0ba-16f44409f333/eariously+rimsa.jpeg Services for Organizations - Book a speaking engagement with Founder, Nick Rimsa Nick will talk to your audience about customer research, prototyping, go-to-market strategy, and more Nick has not only built his own thriving businesses but has helped over 50 founders build theirs — and he loves to share his ideas with aspiring entrepreneurs Engaging and relatable storytelling that connects with audiences Focus on practical advice and actionable insights for business growth Expertise in guiding early-stage founders through the initial challenges of business development https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/e2bd6379-7c26-4e89-848e-199d6607f656/IMG_6502.jpeg Services for Organizations - Our programs are all a little different, but here’s what they have in common ... Customized. We work closely with you to make our curriculum fit your audience. Accessible. We explain entrepreneurship in simple terms and make sure participants know there are no silly questions. Adaptable. Once you run a program, we can iterate and adapt it to make it even more impactful for the next cohort. Actionable. We give practical advice, so participants can nurture their business ideas and move forward to their next step. https://www.tortoiselabs.com/about daily 0.75 2023-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/34c8f3f4-ccaa-443a-b92b-b82c919697a2/nathan-dumlao-nx9x5yW0XL8-unsplash.jpg About - It’s no big secret that startup culture needs to change. We know — from experience and from concrete evidence — that incubators and accelerators have a history of excluding people and causing harm. And although Facebook’s old motto, “move fast and break things,” is finally getting some resistance, it’s still a prevailing philosophy in the startup space. As an incubator, we recognize that our industry often makes people feel unwelcome, that it excludes others entirely, and that it leads plenty more down an unsustainable path. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/13ef66b3-8ba0-46f8-9b86-bf2b9930b761/23461098_20210402_nugget_0030.jpeg About - Move slow. Learn things. We don’t just want to help you bring your ideas to life — we want you to grow while still taking care of yourself, your customers, and your future as a business owner. And to do that, you need to take your time and learn from your audience, so you can build something that people actually want to pay for. After a decade of moving slowly, learning things, and helping others do the same, we know that it works. There isn’t one right way to build a business. But, taking small steps — at your own pace — is how we help founders to grow a thriving business. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/35e68784-fe15-426e-b30d-a2f0cee2cecc/IMG_8215.jpeg About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/fd21fb91-15cc-462e-bec8-3ead5cec765b/Untitled+design.png About - We work with people all over the world, but we’re the only incubator in Maine that focuses on early-stage founders. Leverage a strong, local network that’s 10 years in the making. We have deep connections to folks all over the state, including grantors, manufacturers, distribution teams, technical partners, and more. And we care about stimulating our local economy by helping Maine-based founders build their businesses. So if you want to grow here, let’s talk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618683584b73884710e752fd/e78eec84-fb1f-4c97-8e02-c66a2d057339/MTI_logo_cmyk_opt-removebg.png About - Tortoise Labs is an approved vendor of the Maine Technology Institute—the largest startup grantor in Maine Many startups struggle to find competent consultants, so MTI developed the Maine Entrepreneurial Resource Corps (MERC) database. The MERC database contains a list of vetted consultants to match Maine start-ups with reliable, affordable consultants who will assist in developing short-term projects. MTI is committed to paying 50% of approved projects, and Tortoise Labs is part of the MERC database. https://www.tortoiselabs.com/contact daily 0.75 2023-05-07