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13 Jul

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Aug 13-15: Business Launch Weekend

July 13, 2009 | By |

The Business Launch weekend is held at the Sloan Family Building at Northwood University, 4000 Whiting Dr. Midland, MI 48640 (click on address for map) on Thursday August, 13 – Saturday, August 15.

Sloan Conference Center

We’re looking for people with big ideas, graphic designers, marketers, web developers, and finance people. Let’s work together to make concepts a reality.

Who?
• Young people with great business ideas
• Business mentors and presenters with startup expertise
• Entrepreneurial support organizations that would like to be included in the organizational fair

What?
The Business Launch Weekend will bring together people interested in starting up or contributing to businesses from the surrounding area to work on developing specific concepts over a weekend. The first night is spent discussing ideas, presenting possible launches, choosing opportunities to be pursued, and organizing into teams. The rest of the weekend will be spent creating a business plan, website, business systems, and operational plans. Students who participate may be able to apply for internship credit from their university.


Day 1 -Thursday August 13, 2009

6:00pm Arrival, Introduction of Volunteers and Participants
6:30pm New Venture Pitches (Open to all participants with business concept- please submit on website beforehand)
• 7 minute presentation with 3 minute Q&A follow-up
8:00pm Self-Selection Process of Teams
9:00pm Check Point 1- Elevator Pitch
• Description of elevator pitch components will be available on website.
10:00pm Social Mixer – Event breaks to local establishment to continue developing ideas and meet participants

Day 2 -Friday August 14, 2009

9:00am Building Opens (Teams can meet if desired)
9:30 – 10:00am Welcome & Overview of the Business Plan Blitz
12:00pm Check Point 2- Teams have completed name (keywords), tagline, executive summary, vision statement, and have purchased URL and hosting
12:30 Lunch Break and Debriefing
4:00pm Check Point 3- Create basic live website/ wire frame, personalized email
1 page description of your business to inform the public, credibility establishing plan, identify keywords & setup sample Google Adsense & Adword campaign, logo & business card design (possibility of extension)
5:00pm Event Break- Teams finish all check points and fully debrief

Tentative Presentations (10-20 minutes each throughout the day, optional attendance):
Website tips and trick
Simple strategies for securing web traffic
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn Integration

Day 3 –Saturday, August 15, 2009

9:00am Building Opens
9:30- 10:00am Official Start and Marketing Blitz Overview
12:30pm Lunch break
2:30pm Check Point 4- Basic survey for potential customers, pricing, sales strategy plan, startup costs, create web presence strategy integrating social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
5:00pm Checkpoint 5- Pro forma statements draft, report on what was learned, what worked, what didn’t work, and packet of all previous deliverables and accomplishments, elevator
pitch (take 2)
6:30pm Mixer and Final Debrief

Tentative Presentations (10-20 minutes each throughout the day, optional attendance):
From basement to board room: how to create business credibility & consumer confidence
Pricing models
Attract buyers: New strategies and new guarantees for generating sales.

Day 4 –Sunday, August 16, 2009

2:00pm Community Presentation of New Business Concepts & Entrepreneurship Fair
5:30pm Closing Comments


These events are being hosted free on your behalf by Opportunity Analysts, LLC and our sponsors. There is a suggested donation of $65.00 for this event. The sponsors and many volunteers who will be bringing you these events will greatly appreciate any support you can provide.

Register Now!