STUCK-AT-HOME STARTUP CHALLENGE
**The April 2020 challenge is closed - stay tuned!
This goes out to aspiring female entrepreneurs - for that idea you’ve been sitting on or digging deep for.
Time, prior to Covid-19 was a scarce resource. Now, our cups runneth over. When we aren’t on Houseparty or in an awk Zoom meeting, we find ourselves cross-stitching, purging our closets, and CRANKING through wine.
We have a hunch you’re also thinking about that brilliant business idea you’ve always had (or recently thought of) - the one that you’d bring to life if only you had more time or resources. We’ve got you covered.
HERE’S HOW YOU ENTER:
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Join the challenge at this page - the entry fee is $50. In addition to your application and chance to win, this covers:
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A weekly group “sounding board” Zoom conference with us for a chance to ask questions and bvet the concept
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A Facebook group to connect with others, ask us questions and start to build your entrepreneur community
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Each submission will get feedback on why they weren’t chosen to advance so that everyone walks away with knowledge
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Receive application from us
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You will then be emailed a link with the application
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We suggest joining as soon as possible while you flesh out your idea (see below)
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Materialize/solidify/refine your idea. To help with this, your entry fee includes:
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A weekly group “sounding board” Zoom conference with us for a chance to ask questions
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A Facebook group to connect with others, ask us questions and start to build your entrepreneur community
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Complete your application by April 20th at midnight pst. The application will include 12-15 questions with a few being:
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The idea - what is it that you want to bring to life?
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What will be the “story”? Product + brand + background + founder relatability = story
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How will your brand be different from others similar to it?
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Note: You will not be asked to present financials but you should be able to communicate the market opportunity and initial pricing considerations.
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OUR PROCESS:
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Top five are chosen as semi-finalists: After submissions are complete, we will review each one and choose the top 5 to move on to the pitch round. We will most likely ask some follow-up questions to top candidates.
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Semi-finalist prize: These five will receive a free presentation skills workshop with Denise Rosenblum, Founder of Dynamic Development, a professional development company that focuses on management skills and leadership development.
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Each submission will get feedback on why they weren’t chosen to advance so that everyone walks away with knowledge
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Virtual Pitch: The top 5 will give a virtual pitch on Instagram live beginning on April 28th.
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Winner prevails: Based on the virtual pitch and the application, we choose a winner!
The Major Award
We’ve hand-chosen these experts to build an incredibly strong prize package - one to set you up for a successful launch. It takes a village and trust us, you need people like this in your camp.
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10 hours of counsel from For Now on the smartest way to launch your business from a branding + operations perspective; your thought partners as you take your first steps as a Founder.
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Logo design from Fair Folk (hint: having a brand identity is v important).
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The foundations of PR + social media from R Public Relations: press release for your launch, tips + tricks for pitching the media and insight on how to work with influencers.
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Digital launch strategy from Channel Instinct: web optimization, monetizing your email list, and paid advertising.
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A spot in The Crowdfunding Factory program from Factory 45: teaching you how to raise money without investors.
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Setting up your (quick)books / small biz accounting 101 from Willow Planning Group.
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Advice/counsel on product production and supply chain from Brass
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Retail space at For Now (Seaport): for three-months you’ll be able to showcase your product in our store - you can expect customer acquisition, insight and analytics + sales.
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$2,000 from For Now to fund your first production run.