Win $5,000 for your Perfect Business Pitch – Last Chance to Enter!
September 16, 2011
CHARLESTON, SC – September 21, 2011 – This is the last chance to enter your perfect business pitch. Do you think you have the next best idea and have the nerve to pitch it to a panel of judges? Presented by the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, Perfect Pitch is a new program designed to prepare entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas to potential investors and collaborators. Enter your business idea at www.charlestonchamber.net by September 21, 2011 with a chance to win $5,000, entrepreneurial training classes and a dream team of mentors.
Anyone with a business idea can enter in one of the following categories: biomedical, advanced security/information technology, aerospace, wind energy, or Other. Submission ideas can be anywhere from the conceptual stage to an active business and must be original ideas. The top 10 ideas will be chosen and will work with mentoring teams that provide guidance on articulating their idea and proof-of-concept, differentiating their product from their competition, creating strategies for commercialization, explaining funding strategy and value proposition, and sharpening general presentation skills.
Finalists will then go in front of a panel of judges and make their pitch on November 10 at the American Theater. Each finalist is given five minutes to present their idea and 10 minutes to answer questions. From this round, five applicants will move into the final round of presentations. At the end of the day, the judges will choose the perfect pitch by category and a grand prize winner. Category winners each receive $1,000 and a scholarship to BizBuilderSC entrepreneurial training; and the grand prize winner receives an additional $4,000 (totaling $5,000), a scholarship to BizBuilderSC entrepreneurial training and a dream team for further mentoring.
The final event is designed to be exciting, entertaining and educational. Somewhere between Shark Tank and American Idol lies Perfect Pitch, said Laura Williams, Small Business director for the Chamber. Entrepreneurs, business executives and investors are encouraged to attend and cheer on their favorite pitch and who knows you may find the next best company.
Judging criteria:
The four industry categories will be judged on the following criteria:
- Viability: The entry makes a credible and believable case, is concise and easy to understand, and demonstrates relevant industry knowledge (competition, market need, pricing etc.)
- Innovation/Vision: Entry demonstrates creative thought, revolutionary or new perspective on existing markets and businesses, provides an extraordinary vision for a business in South Carolina.
- Profit/Revenue Potential: It satisfies a need in a commercially significant market, demonstrates operational feasibility and/or expertise, and/or offers superior alternative to products or services currently available.
About the Charleston Metro Chamber
With more than 2,000 members, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce serves as the catalyst for advancing our region’s economy, improving our quality of life and enhancing our members’ success.
