New Vision to Award Bright Entrepreneurs with Cash Prizes

Big News!  We are officially kicking off our Enterprise Challenge, a three month multi-round business plan competition.  We’ve had some ‘sneak previews’ of the contest in recent blog posts, but now it’s official.  We are looking for the BEST and BRIGHTEST new innovative business ideas and solid business plans.  The competition will unfold from September through December and feature several cuts along the way when judges choose contestants to move on in the contest.  The top three entrepreneurs or business teams at the end of the Enterprise Challenge will win $10,000 (1^st place), $5,000 (2^nd place) and $2,500 prizes (3^rd place).

During the contest, we are offering contestants numerous opportunities for networking, business development classes, mentoring and more.  Our goal through this competition is to help emerging companies get started in our Valley.  The contest is much more than having a person submit a business plan and get a cash prize.  We have built in some tremendous educational seminars and field trips for our contestants so everyone participating should take home tips and information that will help them develop their business plan to successfully start and sustain their businesses. The competition is open to Yakima County residents and new businesses, less than three years old.

The contest starts off with a half-day workshop, MBA in a Day, on September 15^th at the Clarion Hotel in Yakima.  The event will include sessions on Legal Issues for Business, Financial Management, Marketing and Business Planning Basics and will also offer Limited English tracks on these topics.  The event will include a special luncheon speaker, Rebecca Lovell, Executive Director of the Northwest Entrepreneur Network.  Ms. Lovell has literally reviewed thousands of business plans and will give tips on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.  The workshop will conclude with an informational session on the Enterprise Challenge and how individuals and teams can compete in the contest.

Details for the Enterprise Challenge will be covered at the MBA in a Day event and posted on our website.  We are very excited about this new initiative and looking forward to identifying some of our Valley’s best and brightest entrepreneurs.  Supporting emerging companies is an increasingly important element of economic development and our association feels strongly that this competition will trigger business growth and identify promising new companies throughout the Valley.

Registration will be online for MBA in a Day later this week, but you can call me or email me with any questions!