• Plans are due Monday, March 24th by 5:00PM! Read below for more information and submission tips
• Be sure to address all sections of the plan indicated in the business plan template located HERE under the section entitled “What You Need to Do”

• Do not place your content into the template – create your own word document
  • The template uses a border that will restrict the amount of content you can use

• Documents must be no larger than 1 MB – No exceptions!!

• Plan must be 15 pages or less excluding the title page, table of contents, two-page max executive summary, and three-page max appendix (if needed)
  • All pages should use:  
  • Single spaced 11-pt Arial font
  • 1″ left margin, 0.5″ right margin

• No part of the business plan may be placed in the appendix (such as the financials or marketing plan)
  • The appendix is only to be used for photographs, charts, graphs, architectural renderings, etc.
  • Low resolution, small file sizes can only be used in the appendix

• You must use the title page found HERE under the section entitled “Submission Information” 
  • This should be the first page of your business plan
  • Please make sure all the requested info is contained
  • You may include a logo on the title page

• All parts of the plan must be contained in one word document
  • You may NOT send an external excel spreadsheet as an attachment

• Plans are due by 5 PM Monday, March 24 and will be time stamped
  • Upload your plan HERE using the box at the bottom of the page
  • After clicking submit, the submission form section will read: “Thanks for your submission!”
    • PLEASE TAKE A SCREENSHOT OF THIS PAGE
    • Be sure that the date and time in the lower right-hand corner are visible
    • Save this screenshot in a Word Document to confirm punctual submission in the event of technical difficulties
  • You will receive a confirmation email
  • If you do not receive confirmation by Tuesday afternoon, please immediately send your plan and the screenshot indicating a prior attempt of submission before the deadline to [click-for-email]
  • Please do not upload your plan more than one time

Tips

• This is a business document, and as such, judges greatly prefer formal language
  • Avoid use of informal terms and/or slang
  • Sentences with “I” in them are not appropriate for the business plan
    • Ex: “I feel that the opportunity…”  Or “When I researched the idea….” Please consider rewording such phrasing
• Use spell check prior to submission and be sure to use proper grammar

• Have your mentor and/or advisor review your plan for errors, omissions, faulty logic, etc.

• Research the industry, market, and competition
  • Use facts and figures wherever possible to justify your position
  • Be sure to quote the source of the information

• Judges prefer plans that are comprehensive, strategic, logical and implementable

• Make sure financials are realistic and grounded in the assumptions you’ll include in the plan

• Write the executive summary last as it condenses all major parts of the business plan

• Follow the order of topics in the template for each section as shown
  • Judges will be reviewing plans in comparison to the template

• Start the company overview with
  • The problem you’re solving/market opportunity
  • Present the value proposition before getting into the product and service descriptions