Rules of Engagement

How entrepreneurs and resource providers work together across the West Virginia Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

Shared Expectations, Shared Outcomes

#1: Courtesy and Professionalism

Expectations for Entrepreneurs

  • If someone makes an introduction on your behalf, reply - even if the answer is “not right now”. Silence after a referral makes the next founder’s introduction from that same person or organization a little harder to get.

  • Keep scheduled calls and meetings. If something comes up, cancel or reschedule with as much notice as you can.

  • Partners can help a pre-revenue idea and a scaling business very differently. Overstating your stage to get a “better” introduction wastes both your time and theirs once the mismatch surfaces.

  • A mentor’s, coach’s, or funder’s time is finite. Come with respect for that, not an entitlement to it.

  • Don’t assume a resource provider knows the specific terms or acronyms of your industry. Spelling it out isn’t dumbing it down - it gets you better help, faster.

  • Tell WVEE - or the partner directly - what happened after the connection, even a quick “great fit” or “not quite right”. That’s what lets the network get better at matching the next founder.

These Rules of Engagement aren’t a gate to get through, and they don’t affect anyone’s access to the ecosystem. They’re the shared expectation for how we treat each other once a connection is made.

Expectations for Everyone Else

#2: Come Prepared

Expectations for Entrepreneurs

  • “I need help” is hard for anyone to route well. “I need someone who can review my business financials before Friday” is specific enough to act on.

  • Before asking for an introduction, take a look at what’s already available across the network. It’s often faster for you, and it saves a live connection for the questions that actually need one.

  • If you have three different needs, say so as three distinct asks rather than one vague “who can help me grow”. It’s easier to make three good matches than one match that’s a third right.

  • Whoever you’re connected with will want thirty seconds on what you’re building and what stage you’re at - not a full pitch deck, just enough that the first five minutes aren’t spent re-explaining who you are.

  • A lender will want to see numbers. A technical advisor will want to see what you’ve already built. Show up ready for the conversation you’ve requested.

  • Being connected to someone across the WVEE isn’t an endorsement or a guarantee of that person’s or organization’s advice or outcome. Do your own diligence, especially with anyone charging a fee.

  • Acknowledge a referral quickly, even if the real answer or meeting takes longer. Going dark on referrals for an extended stretch is the fastest way to lose trust.

  • An idea-stage founder and a scaling one both deserve a real answer, even when that answer is “not a fit for us right now.”

  • Nobody expects every provider to help every founder. What damages the ecosystem is silence, not a “no”. A quick redirect keeps founders’ trust in the ecosystem intact even when you can’t personally help.

  • A founder referred to you should never feel they have to stop seeking additional resources or working with other partners across the ecosystem to stay in your good graces.

  • Don’t assume a founder already knows the specific terms of your field or program. Plain language respects where they are and makes the help you’re offering actually land.

  • Don’t let a founder discover mid-engagement that something they assumed was included wasn’t.

Expectations for Everyone Else

  • “We help small businesses” is hard to route on. A clear, specific description gets you better-fitting referrals.

  • If you’re at capacity for a stretch, say so proactively. A provider who flags stays a trusted part of the network; one who goes quiet looks unresponsive.

  • Part of being a good referral partner is knowing who else in the ecosystem is a better fit when you’re not.

  • So a warm introduction doesn’t require re-deriving what your organization does from stratch.

  • Fair pricing, no exclusivity pressure, and honest scoping are what makes it safe to keep sending founders your way.

  • Sharing how referrals have gone - even informally - helps the network get better at matching the next founder to the right partner.

If Something Isn’t Working

A pattern of no-shows, unresponsiveness, or disrespect from either an entrepreneur or a provider is worth raising directly with the WVEE. Except in cases of clear bad faith, the first move on both sides should be a direct conversation - before anything more formal.