By contributor Tomi Lawson
Do you have a new business or an idea for one? Then this business competition is for you. VIU is looking for student and alumni ideas. This competition isn’t just for business students, but for students and alumni from all faculties who have completed at least 16 credits.
“Our students and alumni entering the competition also benefit from the guidance of experienced business professionals who have offered their mentorship through the entry process,” says John Predyk, professor in VIU’s Faculty of Management and chair of the 2015 competition.
The deadline to hand in your idea is November 16. Entrants will be shortlisted by a panel of judges, who are VIU faculty, professional coaches, and business mentors, and will advance to a “Dragon’s Den Style Pitchfest” on December 4. The winners will be announced the same evening.
First place will win $2500 plus a prize package worth $7k. Second place will win $1k. Third place will win $500. According to a press release, the first place prize package includes: “…graphic design and web design service, a City of Nanaimo business license, a banking package from Coastal Community Credit Union, desk and meeting space at SquareOne, business consultations, and memberships in Young Professionals of Nanaimo and the Nanaimo and District Chamber of Commerce, among several other services.”
Dates and deadlines, recommended business plan template, mentor help, and more can be found at www.viu.ca/bp.