Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration
Loudoun SBDC 2014 Business Plan Competition
Entry Deadline: September 22, 2014, 5 pm
The Loudoun SBDC’s 6th Annual Business Plan Competition is designed to stimulate business development and provide support for
business ideas. A panel of judges—area leaders in such fields as finance, marketing, law and entrepreneurship—will place submitted
plans into one of two categories:
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Local Business Model – Examples: home-based, retail, some IT, consulting services, etc.
Scalable Business Model – Businesses with a market opportunity large enough to develop at least $5M+ in annual sales.
Examples: some IT, government contracting, med-tech, etc.
Why Should I enter?
All contestants receive the opportunity to have their plan reviewed and commented upon by the judges, a Certificate of
Participation, attendance at the Business Plan Gala, publicity, and the possibility of winning the following prizes.
Prizes for each category (subject to judges’ discretion):
Local Business Model
First Place:
$1,000 + Local Business Services/Prize
Package
Second Place: $ 500
Third Place:
$ 250
Scalable Business Model
First Place:
$1,500 + Private Lunch with Eric Major of
K2M, Inc.
Second Place: $ 750
Third Place:
$ 500
Who is eligible?
All entrants must either be:
1) In the preventure or startup phase of a for-profit business, a non-profit, or B Corporation with its primary place of business to
be established in Loudoun County
2) An existing for-profit business, non-profit, or B Corporation that is three years old or less as of October 28, 2014 with its
primary place of business in Loudoun County. A company may also be considered eligible if it is undergoing a change of
ownership that will result in new, unproven ownership/management and increased debt unrelated to business operations.
First Place Winners from past Loudoun SBDC competitions may not re-enter any subsequent-year competition except with a plan for
a different business.
What do I submit?
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REQUIRED: A business plan (submitted by email to [email protected]) with:
o a cover page (which must include the business name, owner name(s), logo and/or slogan (if available), business or
home address and phone number, website address and/or email address, and the phrase: Submitted solely for
consideration by the 2014 Business Plan Review Panel of Loudoun Small Business Development Center.)
o Must include Executive Summary (maximum of two pages)
o Must include Financials (minimum of three years projected financials)
o Do not include appendices
o The plan cannot be longer than 25 single-sided pages, including the cover page, in 12-point font
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RECOMMENDED: Except for the requirements noted above, no special plan format is required. However, we strongly
suggest that the following categories of information be included:
1) Business Description including location, differentiation from competition, and long- and short-term goals
2) Products and/or Services Offered
3) Marketing Analysis
Continued on back
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Marketing Plan
Management/Operations/Personnel Plan
Résumé
Arial or Times New Roman font
Any other material critical to your business that you feel needs to be considered by the judges
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$50 entry fee required unless you are a 2014 Loudoun SBDC NxLeveL® Course or 2014 Loudoun Business Plan Boot Camp
participant. Payment may be by check or credit card and must be received by Loudoun SBDC no later than 5:00 pm on
Tuesday, September 23, 2014. Checks should be payable to “Loudoun SBDC” and mailed or hand-delivered (M-F, 9:005:00) to 202 Church Street SE, Suite 100, Leesburg VA 20175. Those paying by credit card may phone 703-430-7222 to
provide card information.
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Business plan must be submitted by email to [email protected]
How is the competition judged?
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During the first phase of the competition, written plans will be judged with equal weight in the following areas:
o Overall Financial Viability
o Management/Operational Plan
o Market Research and Marketing Plan
o Innovation and Differentiation
o Sustainability
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The top eight contestants from the first phase advance to the finals, which will be judged independently from results of the
first phase. Each finalist will give a mandatory oral presentation using the same six-PowerPoint-slide format for addressing
the topics of:
1) Business Overview
2) Target Markets
3) Sales & Marketing Plan
4) Management Team/Operations
5) Pro Forma
6) Competitive Analysis and Risk Management
Optional Video Competition for Top Eight Contestants
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In an optional component, the top 8 contestants from the first (written plan) phase of the competition will be eligible to make
with a videographer a 30-second video about their business
The videos will be posted to a website and the public, along with judges of the written and oral phases of the competition,
will vote for their favorite video
Results of the video competition do not affect the outcome of the first (written) or the second (oral) phase of the 2014
Business Plan Competition
The Video Competition Winner receives a prize of $500 (courtesy of Shenandoah University, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of
Business)
Important Deadlines:
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September 22, 2014, 5 pm EDT:
September 23, 2014, 5 pm EDT:
October 20, 2014:
October 21-24, 2014 (tentative):
October 28, 2014:
October 28, 2014:
Business Plan must be submitted to [email protected]
Loudoun SBDC must have received $50 entry fee
Top eight contestants notified that they will give an oral presentation
Top eight contestants create videos (optional)
Oral presentations given by top eight contestants (mandatory)
Winners announced at K2M, Inc. during an evening gala for all contestants
Please meet with a Loudoun SBDC counselor as soon as possible if you need assistance with your plan.
Note: Appointments are very limited close to the deadline!
For questions or to schedule a counseling appointment, contact Loudoun SBDC: 703-430-7222.
Special Thanks to the Competition Sponsor: K2M, Inc.
Loudoun SBDC is a member of the Virginia SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small
Business Administration. Additional Loudoun SBDC funding sources include George Mason University-Mason Enterprise Center, the County of Loudoun, and
Town of Leesburg. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact 703-430-7222.