Mike Lee of R&D Partners Tells Us How They Strive to Maximize Government Funding and Simplify Life for Their Clients

We talked to Mike Lee of R&D Partners about how to maximize government funding and here is what he said about it.

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Mike Lee: Fortunately, we are doing just fine, and the disruption has not been that bad for us. Within our company, no one lost their job, and those with kids were able to keep them mainly in school.

Tell us about you, your career, how you founded R&D Partners.

Mike Lee: I am originally an Engineer, then a finance guy (MBA and CFA). After working for a number of large corporations, I decided to combine a few of my passions into a new business, which became R&D Partners. I have a great interest in technology and startups in general. Since I was also interested in the world of funding, it made perfect sense to work at helping companies do what I like by supporting tech startups and larger companies through the often complex government funding process.  

How does R&D Partners innovate? 

Mike Lee: R&D Partners uses online tools and innovative technologies in combination with more traditional management consulting practices to simplify our clients’ lives and maximize their funding.  

How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your business finances?

Mike Lee: The coronavirus has not affected our business negatively. In fact, this will be our best year so far!

Did you have to make difficult choices regarding human resources, and what are the lessons learned?

Mike Lee: We have actually increased the size of the team during the pandemic to meet client demand and put more efforts into business development. 

How did your customer relationship management evolve? Do you use any specific tools to be efficient? 

Mike Lee: We have a strong customer success approach in our group. We use a number of electronic tools (Slack, Teams, Zoom, and others) to improve the efficiency of our work organization (Slack, Teams, Zoom, and others) and our interactions with clients and suppliers.

Did you benefit from any government grants, and did that help keep your business afloat?

Mike Lee: Yes. Throughout the crisis, we supported the cash flow requirements necessary that additional hires necessitate during the current crisis with federal, provincial, and municipal government incentives. 

Your final thoughts?

Mike Lee: I really enjoy working with my team, but I miss not seeing them in 3D every day!

Your website?

https://www.rdpartners.com/