NEWS RELEASE
GEORGIAN COLLEGE
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Budding entrepreneurs in South Georgian Bay who want expert feedback on their business ideas won’t want to miss the area’s second exC!te Business Pitch Competition coming up in May.
exC!te, spearheaded by Georgian College’s Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre with support from local community partners, invites anyone with a business idea to share their vision with a panel of judges. Participants will get expert input – and a chance to compete for part of $10,000 in cash prizes. Partners include the South Georgian Bay Small Business Enterprise Centre, AdBank, Bayshore Broadcasting, the Town of Collingwood, the Centre for Business and Economic Development, Legal Audits Ontario, Meridian, and The Creative Space.
“After last year’s success, our aim is to keep enhancing this year’s exC!te Business Pitch Competition,” said Tim Newton, manager of the South Georgian Bay Small Business Enterprise Centre. “The entrepreneurial spirit in this region really is bursting at the seams. That’s why we’ve increased the prize purse to $10,000. We anticipate this will further elevate the calibre of competition.”
An expert panel of judges – entrepreneurs, mentors and industry professionals from a variety of fields, will review the pitches and provide helpful feedback on how to take business ideas further, faster. Judges are also willing to share connections and support. The event takes place May 30.
“Taking part in the exC!te Pitch Competition was an invaluable experience for our startup company,” said Jennifer Potter from Sizzle Sauce. “Preparing for the competition required us to laser in on the value proposition of our product. We also came out of the competition better prepared to meet the challenges encountered when taking a product to market. I would encourage any startup company to take part.”
The deadline to apply is April 20. Applicants need to submit their ideas and additional details about their business to our website. Between nine and 13 finalists will be chosen to make their pitch in person on May 30.
The competition also includes two valuable workshops for selected pitch participants as well as members of the community.
- Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Workshop – May 9: This workshop shows entrepreneurs how to plot out their business ideas and look for ways to launch a minimum viable product. Participants will also learn how to establish a value proposition and create an “elevator pitch” to help them describe their idea or business in the most effective way.
- The MaRS Pitch Prep Workshop – May 16: This workshop, presented by Meridian, teaches participants how to craft a pitch to use in business development, including what to share and how to share it.
For more information or to register, visit our website.
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