%0 Journal Article %J Technology Innovation Management Review %D 2013 %T Key Factors Affecting a Technology Entrepreneur's Choice of Incubator or Accelerator %A Diane A. Isabelle %K accelerator %K entrepreneur %K incubator %K technology entrepreneurship %K venture %X Technology entrepreneurship rarely succeeds in isolation; increasingly, it occurs in interconnected networks of business partners and other organizations. For entrepreneurs lacking access to an established business ecosystem, incubators and accelerators provide a possible support mechanism for access to partners and resources. Yet, these relatively recent approaches to supporting entrepreneurship are still evolving. Therefore, it can be challenging for entrepreneurs to assess these mechanisms and to make insightful decisions on whether or not to join an incubator or accelerator, and which incubator or accelerator best meets their needs. In this article, five key factors that entrepreneurs should take into consideration about incubators and accelerators are offered. Insights are drawn from two surveys of managers and users of incubators and accelerators. An understanding of these five key success factors (stage of venture, fit with incubator’s mission, selection and graduation policies, services provided, and network of partners) and potential pitfalls will help entrepreneurs confidently enter into a relationship with an incubator or accelerator. %B Technology Innovation Management Review %I Talent First Network %C Ottawa %V 3 %P 16-22 %8 02/2013 %G eng %U http://timreview.ca/article/656 %N 2 %1 Carleton University Diane Isabelle is a faculty member at Carleton University's Sprott School of Business, where she teaches marketing, entrepreneurship, and international business. She is also the principal of Diane Isabelle & Associates Consultants. She was formerly the Executive Director to the Vice-President Physical Sciences at the National Research Council of Canada, and was for many years an Industrial Technology Advisor for NRC-Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), supporting Canadian SMEs with the strategic use of innovation and business advice to compete on the global scene. She holds a PhD in management, an MBA, and an undergraduate engineering degree. Her areas of expertise include: technology entrepreneurship; strategic planning and foresight; and national and international initiatives in science and technology. Her research interests include: international collaborations, national innovation systems, science and technology commercialization, and other topics related to technology entrepreneurship and innovation management. She is the author of publications and communications in the field of innovation. %R http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/656