If reporting steals valuable time you could be spending on serving entrepreneurs, you are not alone.

Intake is where data quality starts. This guide gives you a minimal, actionable intake blueprint that prevents chaos later.

Catalyzer is an all‑in‑one business support platform and free CRM for small business support programs. It centralizes TA tracking, milestones, and impact reporting so the data you collect at intake automatically powers your dashboards and reports.

Who this is for

Program managers and advisors running technical assistance, mentorship, or coaching programs who need clean, comparable intake data without slowing people down.

Principles for a clean intake

Before you add fields, align on a few simple rules. These principles keep your dataset lean, consistent, and easy to use across programs.

  • Collect once, use many times
  • Start minimal; add only if a field changes a decision
  • Standardize names and formats across programs
  • Require fields only when they are operationally necessary

The problem intake should solve (in one paragraph)

Over‑collecting and inconsistent fields create dirty data, slow reporting, and a poor client experience. The goal is a minimum viable dataset that drives action to set you up for outcome tracking without back‑and‑forth.

The minimal viable intake (MVI) — must‑have fields

Why it matters: These fields enable routing, first‑session prep, and outcome reporting with the least friction.

  • Organization/Entrepreneur basics: Name, Email, Phone
  • Program context: Program/Track, Primary Advisor
  • Eligibility basics: City, State, Business Stage
  • TA readiness: Primary Need, Secondary Need
  • Consent and data use: Opt‑in, Communications preference

Optional fields

Each optional field should have a clear use case; if it doesn’t change a decision, leave it out.

  • Industry/NAICS, Employee count, Annual revenue range
  • Ownership demographics (self‑identified), Veteran status
  • Referral source, Current tools used
  • Notes: Short bio or context

Anti‑chaos patterns (data hygiene)

Use these conventions to keep records consistent and analysis‑ready as your program scales.

  • Use dropdown or select fields for Business Stage, Needs, and Industry to keep data consistent
  • Normalize text inputs with helper text and examples
  • Keep one free‑text “Context” field; avoid duplicative notes blocks
  • Validate emails and phone numbers at entry
  • Localize labels when needed but store canonical values under the hood

Milestones to connect with intake

Link intake to a few simple milestones so progress is obvious and reportable.

  • Intake complete → unlock scheduling
  • First session completed → closes intake loop and starts TA tracking
  • Eligibility verified (if applicable)

FAQ: Quick answers

Which fields should be selections vs. free text?

Use dropdown or select fields for Business Stage, Primary Needs, and Industry to keep data clean. Keep one free‑text fields for nuance.

How do I track demographics responsibly?

Make fields optional and self‑identified. Explain why you collect them and how they improve equitable outcomes.

Call to action

Ready to collect less and deliver more? Create your free hub in Catalyzer, and start your intake program in minutes, not days.

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