Calling all Entrepreneurs: Turn Those Ideas into Reality

Published: October 07, 2008 | Read Time: 2 minutes

Southern Utah University’s Small Business Development Center and the Utah Smart Business Development Center are excited to issue a call to all potential entrepreneurs within the tri-county area.

SUU’s Third Annual Best Business Idea Competition is currently accepting entries from residents of Iron, Beaver and Garfield Counties who think their business idea may be the next best thing.

Entries are due no later than Monday, November 3, 2008 at 5 p.m.

All those interested in joining the competition are invited to attend one of two training sessions to ensure their business idea proposals address all necessary the necessary components. These trainings provide useful information for all those interested in starting a business within the region, and are useful far beyond the competition’s purposes.

According to Director of the Small Business Development Center Craig Isom, this annual competition was designed to influence the region’s sound and lasting economic growth.

The first training for this year’s contest will run Wednesday, October 15, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in SUU’s Business Building, room 201. The second training will be held Thursday, October 23, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Both meetings will take place in room 201 of SUU’s Dixie Leavitt Business Building. All interested Best Business Idea applicants are strongly encourage to attend one of these two sessions.

According to the official contest entry form, entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges selected from the community, including successful entrepreneurs, community and business leaders and SUU Business faculty and staff members.

Finalists will then be invited to present their “elevator pitch” to the judging panel. From those, the 2008 winners will be determined.

Official contest entry forms are available at www.suu.edu/business/sbdc. Applicants can also call the SBDC at 435.586.5400 or email them at sbdc@suu.edu with questions.

In addition to valuable small business support, the competition also aims to make local entrepreneurial dreams become a reality. This year, the contest’s first place winner will receive $5,000 to help jump-start his or her business.

A $3,000 award will be given to the second place winner, $1,000 will go to the third place contestant, and two applicants will also be awarded smaller stipends of $500 for honorable mentions.

Beyond the competition, SUU’s Small Business Development Center works daily to improve partnerships between the University, local business leaders and citizens of the community to create a pipeline of local businesses and the mentoring necessary to continue to grow the region’s entrepreneurial initiatives.

In addition to SUU’s Small Business Development Center, this contest is supported by SUU’s School of Business, the Utah Small Business Development Center, the Cedar City Chamber of Commerce and various local businesses. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

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Contact Information:

435-586-5400
Contact the Office of Marketing Communication