**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:

  1. Join the challenge at this page - the entry fee is $50. In addition to your application and chance to win, this covers:

    • A weekly group “sounding board” Zoom conference with us for a chance to ask questions and bvet the concept

    • A Facebook group to connect with others, ask us questions and start to build your entrepreneur community

    • Each submission will get feedback on why they weren’t chosen to advance so that everyone walks away with knowledge

  2. Receive application from us

    • You will then be emailed a link with the application

    • We suggest joining as soon as possible while you flesh out your idea (see below)

  3. Materialize/solidify/refine your idea. To help with this, your entry fee includes:

    • A weekly group “sounding board” Zoom conference with us for a chance to ask questions 

    • A Facebook group to connect with others, ask us questions and start to build your entrepreneur community

  4. Complete your application by April 20th at midnight pst. The application will include 12-15 questions with a few being:

    • The idea - what is it that you want to bring to life?

    • What will be the “story”? Product + brand + background + founder relatability = story

    • How will your brand be different from others similar to it?

    • Note: You will not be asked to present financials but you should be able to communicate the market opportunity and initial pricing considerations.

OUR PROCESS:

  1. 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.

    • 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.

    • Each submission will get feedback on why they weren’t chosen to advance so that everyone walks away with knowledge

  2. Virtual Pitch: The top 5 will give a virtual pitch on Instagram live beginning on April 28th.

  3. 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.

  • 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.

  • Logo design from Fair Folk (hint: having a brand identity is v important).

  • 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.

  • Digital launch strategy from Channel Instinct: web optimization, monetizing your email list, and paid advertising.

  • A spot in The Crowdfunding Factory program from Factory 45: teaching you how to raise money without investors.

  • Setting up your (quick)books / small biz accounting 101 from Willow Planning Group.

  • Advice/counsel on product production and supply chain from Brass

  • 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.

  • $2,000 from For Now to fund your first production run.

VALUE: $32,500