Last night’s third and last BYOBB information session was quite the success. With a total of 83 potential participants who attended the sessions, it is clear this year’s business plan competition could be the best one yet.

Led by Temple’s Fox School of Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute (IEI) and Executive Director, Ellen Weber, students had plenty of questions about how this year’s BYOBB competition would work. Ellen led the session with a PowerPoint presentation of everything participants needed to know, including the competition’s objectives, prizes, important dates, mentorship program and much more. Although the session was short and sweet, students stayed after to ask Ellen additional questions about the competition and how they can win big.

BYOBB is one of the richest prize competitions in the country. With 13 prizes this year, participants have a chance to take away packages valued at $200,000 in cash, professional services and admission to the IEI Summer Accelerator program.

This year’s BYOBB differs from the past 16 years of the competition for a few reasons. This year, there is less emphasis on the business plan itself, as it is much shorter (maximum of 10 pages), with a pitch deck and financials, which makes the plan more condensed and able to reflect what investors and accelerators are looking for. As a reminder, the leader of the competition participant’s team must have a Temple affiliation. This may include Temple students, staff, faculty and alumni.

Keep in mind, you and your team are not alone in this competition. There is help available, including the BYOBB Mentorship Program. Participants can simply complete a one-page opportunity description to gain a Senior Executive from the Greater Philadelphia Senior Executive Group (GPSEG). Mentors and mentees will be matched and will provide feedback, advice and counseling to their mentee.

If you aspire to become an entrepreneur one day and enjoy a little friendly competition, BYOBB is right for you. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity. Business plans are due on March 17, 2015. To find other important BYOBB dates of beneficial workshops, click here.

If you are interested in participating, but could not make the final information session last night, click here for more information. Email [click-for-email] for additional information. Good luck!