Business Plan Contest Workshops

Networking:     5:30-6:00 pm

Workshop:       6:00-8:00 pm

Location:          HTR's Lennox Tech Enterprise Center, 150 Lucius Gordon Drive, W.
                       Henrietta

Fee:                 $25 per person for each workshop (general public) No charge for
                       registered Business Plan contestants (limit two per company)

Refreshments:  Included

Registration

Registration in the Business Plan Contest is $100 and includes attendance (limit two people per company) to workshops being offered to assist participants in developing meaningful business plans. Registration for the contest lasts until April 11, 2008.  Executive Summary submissions are due by 8:00 am April 21, 2008.  Business Plan submissions for semi-finalists are due by 4:00 pm April 25, 2008.   

Workshop One - Assessing Your Business Opportunity	April 2
Workshop Two - Planning Your Business	April 10
Workshop Three - Communicating Your Plan & Funding Your Business	April 16

Wednesday, April 2 - Workshop One - Assessing Your Business Opportunity

• Arrive at this workshop with your business idea and leave with an understanding of whether that idea is a business opportunity.  You will be exposed to tools and resources that will help you evaluate the strengths (and weaknesses) of your business opportunity.
• Bring the information you have on your business idea - a design sketch, notes you scribbled on a napkin, market data.  You will leave with a checklist of what you do know, and what you'll need to find out before moving forward.

Thursday, April 10 - Workshop Two - Writing the Plan

• Come away from this workshop with a clear sense of how all the parts of the business plan fit together, and why they are all important.  Learn why omitting sections can spell disaster for your planning efforts and for your chances with potential investors!
• Bring the components and information you collected after attending Workshop One.  Bring any questions you have on how to fill any informational holes as you start to write your plan.
• Review the components of your plan using our Business Plan in Thirty Minutes exercise.

Wednesday, April 16 - Workshop Three - Communicating Your Plan & Funding Your Business

• Explore the alternatives for funding your business:  family and friends, angel investors, and, rarely, venture capital.  Consider the limited role of debt in most start-up businesses.  Leave with a clear sense of investor expectations and the financial information that you must provide.
• Every new business needs to be communicated to potential employees, investors, and lenders.  Your business plan is only part of that communication, or sales, process.
• Leave with a roadmap for building your investor PowerPoint presentation based on the content in your business plan.  You will get an understanding of your audience, their expectations, and strategies for making a high-impact presentation.
  

CLICK HERE to register for the Rochester Regional Business Plan Contest and Workshops.