Preparing to Enter the Tournament
Welcome to the beginning of your Quest!
The Business Venture Tournament is an opportunity to win up to $3,000 in startup money for your new venture. Ventures often begin with ideas outside of the School of Business. Perhaps you wish to start a not-for-profit organization to provide services to an under-served population or champion an important social or environmental issue. Many graduates base a new startup on the work done for the Senior capstone or project idea. The Tournament enhances your idea with free training and tutorials for developing the three projects for the competition.
You may have yet to think about your capstone or project. Visit your program advisor to learn about the requirements for your capstone course. Then consider what your passions are. What will you do after graduation? What ideas excite you? How can you make the world a better place? Think Big – REALLY Big. Please write a title and a short description of your idea. You will share the title and description in the Entry Form.
Suppose you start your own company or organization with a new product or service after graduation. In that case, the Tournament is where you should be. The competition requires you to submit a Business Venture Plan outlining your new product or service idea. The plan contains research to support the marketability of your idea. You must present the plan and idea to judges and convince them that your idea is the BEST. Do a great job, and you could win the award money to start your new venture. You will also be exposed to business connections where you can form relationships to support and help you to succeed. The Tournament process is the same used when seeking investor money, and students gain hands-on experience developing and presenting the same items needed – including the money!
Every Tournament participant must take the mandatory Business Venture Workshop in Moodle. The free course guides students through the process of researching and investigating the marketability of their idea. Weekly activities will help keep you on track and provide instruction for the deliverables. Participants must remain active in the course until after the final competition.
Before you submit your entry form, make sure to browse this website to understand the Tournament and expectations. If you have questions, please reach out to the Tournament Headquarters.