SECOND ANNUAL (2012) BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION ANNOUNCED

Ohio Christian University Business & Government Department is sponsoring the 2012 Business Plan Competition. The purpose is to give students a near real world opportunity to develop a business plan and present to a panel of distinguished businesspersons.

Students will be able to receive valuable entreprenurial experience in creating a business opportunity that could result in a cash award in addition to using the experience as a career enhancement. Students entering in the Business Plan Competition will:

• Receive a near real-world learning experience in pitching a business opportunity to distinguished businesspersons experienced in evaluating the quality, viability, and potential of a business plan.
  
• Obtain advice and counsel during the Business Plan Development Phase by faculty advisors.
  
• Receive individual feedback from the businessperson judges.
  
• Obtain valuable experience to assist in the student’s career portfolio (resume.)
  
• Learn the value of business planning in order to obtain funding for a business opportunity.

Cash Awards:

1 .First Prize:       $4,000.00

2. Second Prize:   $2,000.00

3. Third Prize:      $1,000.00

4. Fourth Prize:    $500.00

5. Fifth Prize:       $250.00

All Business Plan Competitors finishing in the top ten will receive a certificate of accomplishment and a networking dinner with the distinguished businessperson judges and Ohio Christian University executives.

The business plan competition is loosely tailored after many business plan competitions on university campuses. Therefore, students may wish to review various university business plan competition Web sites for additional ideas about how to develop a winning business plan.

                                          Schedule

Date of Submissions: Student Teams must submit their written business plans to the Chair of the Business & Government Department no later than March 2, 2012 by 5:00 P.M. Students/student teams shall provide 6 copies of their written business plan. NO BUSINESS PLANS SUBMITTED AFTER THIS DATE WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Initial Round: Between March 5^th through March 16^th, 2012. A panel of the Business & Government Department professors will determine the top 10 written business plans submitted. The top 10 students/student teams will move on to the Presentation (Second) Round. All students/student teams submitting a business plan will receive an acknowledgement that they competed in the Business Plan Competition.

Presentation (Second) Round: Between March 26^th and March 30^th, 2012. The top 10 students/student teams from the Initial Round will be required to present their business plan to a panel of judges from OCU consisting of the Chair of the Business & Government Department, one or more Business Professors, and at least one OCU Administration Council member(s). Students/Student teams will be required to utilize a PowerPoint for their presentation to this team of judges in addition to referring the team of judges to the student team’s previously submitted written business plan. Presentations will not exceed 30 minutes. This panel of judges will determine the top 10 finishers, however, only those who finish in the top 5 will go on to the final round. (The top 10 finishers will be required to attend the Awards Banquet where they will receive an award.)

Final Round: April 6th, 2012: The top 5 students/student teams selected to proceed to the Final Round, will be expected to present their PowerPoint presentation and written business plan to a team of 3 or more outside distinguished businessperson judges on April 6^th, 2012. Presentations during this round shall not exceed 30 minutes. This panel of judges will determine the top five finishers prior to the end of the day. The winners will be announced at the award banquet held that evening.

AWARDS DINNER: At 7:00 P.M. on April 9th, 2012, there will be an Awards Dinner for the top 10 finishers and one guest each. At the Awards Dinner, all top 10 finishers will receive an award. The top 5 finishers will receive their cash prizes.

FIRST ANNUAL BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION RESULTS