3rd Annual Business Plan Competition
The Entrepreneurship Advancement Center (EAC) is hosting its 3rd Annual Business Plan Competition to encourage new business creation and existing business growth.
Who can participate? The competition is open to anyone who wants to start or grow their businesses including individuals, families, teams, and existing businesses is invited to develop and submit a business plan.
All participants receive:
- Half-day business planning workshop on April 19 from 8-11:30 a.m.
- Access to an online business plan outline
- Feedback on your business plan from local experts
Winner Receives:
A consulting package to launch or grow their business.
Key Dates:
- April 16: Deadline to register for the competition
- April 19: Half day business planning workshop
- August 13: Completed business plan due to EAC
- August 31: Finalists announced
- September 20: Final plans due
Register:
The fee for the competition is $50. Click here to register for the competition and the half-day workshop on April 19.
For more information contact Cathy Langlois at cathy@goentrepreneurs.org or at 317-813-5413.
Call for Speakers: 2012 Entrepreneurship Celebration Conference
2012 Entrepreneurship Celebration Conference
Learn, Grow, Succeed
Thursday, October 18
Monon Center East
Carmel, Indiana 46032
Deadline for Speaker Submissions is March 15, 2012.
The Entrepreneurship Celebration Conference is a premier networking and hands-on events for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors and others make connections as they learn how to succeed in today’s business environment.
Do you have the expertise that entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others can benefit from? Are you seeking more exposure? Complete the Call for Speakers form here and submit it by the March 15th deadline.
We are looking for:
- Dynamic speakers who can share their expertise with a diverse audience
- Topic themes related to entrepreneurship such as building a sustainable business model, women-owned businesses, funding, using social media, etc.
Potential speakers will be contact by March 30.
Business Resources
Hamilton County Small Enterprise Loan Fund (SELF) Available
Hamilton County has been awarded a grant from the USDA. The grant was successful due to the cooperative efforts of the Entrepreneurship Advancement Center, the Hamilton County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, the Hamilton County Alliance.
Purpose. The purpose of the Hamilton County Small Enterprise Loan Fund (SELF) is to provide loans to deserving entities that will result in jobs creation or retention and also that will contribute to the economic development or stability of the area.
Eligibility. The SELF can be utilized by loan recipients for fixed assets, working capital and cash flow in the areas of manufacturing, commercial, retail, agricultural, service or tourism. Potential borrowers must be located in the rural areas designated eligible by the federal government of Hamilton County and must be clients of the Central Indiana Small Business Development Center.
Limits. The maximum loan to any one individual or business is $40,000. Private financing is to be sought first, however, and the borrower must demonstrate at least a 10% investment into the project.
Terms. The minimum interest rate can be no lower than 4% below the current money center prime rate as quoted by the Wall Street Journal, but not less than 4%. Interest rates and length of repayment will be decided at the time loans are made and the SELF Board will take second (subordinate) positions on all available assets.
Application Process. Potential borrowers must have a business plan and adequate projections for purposes of review by the SELF Board and are required to fill out the application as completely and comprehensively as possible.
Ineligible Activities. Speculative activities such as land banking, and construction of speculative buildings are not eligible for funding from the SELF Fund. Also, loans which are to assist a borrower in moving from one area to another are not eligible activities. Loans will not be made for investment purposes in high interest accounts, certificates of deposits or other investment purposes not related to jobs creation or retention. Loans with “conflicts of interest” will also not be entertained.
Contact. If you are interested in applying for a SELF loan, please click here to complete an interest form and to find out if your business is in an eligible area. Other inquiries may be directed to Cathy Langlois at (317) 813-5413 or Cathy@goentrepreneurs.org
Technology Association of Hamilton County to Launch
The Hamilton County Alliance, the local economic development organization, is launching the Technology Association of Hamilton County. Information meetings have been held throughout the fall and the ideas/input from those meetings have been incorporated in the direction and plans for the Technology Association.
Mark you calendars for January 19 from 7:30-9 am for the launch event. Watch for more details.
The Alliance is ecstatic about the interest and enthusiasm of the technology community in this effort and is looking forward to making the Technology Association a member-focused association.
There are 7 peer groups identified within the Technology Association and several leaders have already stepped forward. Terri Eakins, Technology Partnership Group, Pat Chittenden, Ambrose Property Management, and Ron Brumbarger, BitWise Solutions have all agreed to lead peer groups. Members may select the peer group(s) their organization participates in.
As the Alliance prepares to launch the Technology Association in 2012, technology businesses are encouraged to join the Technology Association by the end of this year. This will position those organizations to be founding members of the Technology Association and leaders in the Association. Members will benefit from Collaboration, Strategic Intelligence, Visibility, and Talent. See the membership form for more details on each benefit area.
Click here to access the membership form. Technology Assoc Membership Form
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Cathy Langlois at 813-5413 or email her at cathy@goentrepreneurs.org
Making the World a Better Place
The best reason to start an organization is to make meaning – to create a product or service to make the world a better place.
- Guy Kawasaki, entrepreneur, investor, author
If you own your own company, you know how difficult it is to get your business off the ground. You need lots of assistance but don’t really have the funding to get it. The winner of our 2011 Community Business Plan Competition will get that assistance thanks to some outstanding companies in Central Indiana.
Our 2011 Community Business Plan Competition began last May with 10 exciting new businesses and we are down to the last few weeks with our top three finalists. The winner of the competition will receive a consulting package that will provide much needed assistance in critical areas of the business. Local companies have donated their services to the consulting package to help the winner get off a path to greater success!
Who are these companies? Check them out! You may already know them! Perhaps you can use from their services as well.
Thanks to these companies. They have made the world a better place!
Cyber Security for Your Company
November 10, 2011
7:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Baker & Daniels
600 E. 96th Street
Suite 600
Indianapolis, IN 46240
CEOs and senior leaders are facing growing cyber security challenges every day putting their businesses and customers at risk. Still, information technology decisions are generally made at tactical level, omitting the critical strategic and financial input needed from the top leaders.
This strategic presentation will:
- Identify trends that will impact information technology in the next 2 to 5 years
- Illustrate real-life attack vectors that can damage your business’s productivity and reputation
- Identify how leaders can make better decisions to achieve better results
Presented by Tom Rubendunst, Vice President at Central Indiana ISSA and Solution Consultant at Electronic Strategies Inc.
Click here to register today!
Celebrating Entrepreneurship
We believe Hamilton County is a great place to start a business. As a matter of fact, many entrepreneurs have. We hope you will join us as we celebreate the accomplishments of several of these companies at our first Entrepreneurship Celebration on October 27th from 7:30-9:00 am at the Monon Center East in Carmel.
At this community event we will recognize the achievements of innovative business owners and the positive impacts they have in our communities We will also announce the winner of the 2nd Annual Community Business Plan Competition at the event.
John Wechsler is the featured speaker for the Entrepreneurship Celebration breakfast. John is a Partner at DeveloperTown, an Indianapolis-baed venture development firm. He works with high-potential ventures on business strategy issues, early customer development, sales, marketing, business development and fundraising.
You are invited to show your support by becoming an awards breakfast sponsor. This is an excellent opportunity to not only show your support of the finalist but also to gain recognition for your role in the success of the finalist.
We hope you will support your friends and associates at our awards breakfast.
Click here to learn more and to register.
Stratosphere Quality Receives Honda Award
Congratulations to Stratosphere Quality located in Fishers!
Acknowledging its strong network of 5,000 Maintenance, Repair and Operational (MRO) suppliers, Honda is awarding Stratosphere Quality the MRO Supplier of the Year Award in the Industrial Services category. The coveted distinction is awarded to top companies in their business category that support Honda’s automobile manufacturing in Ohio and Indiana. Stratosphere Quality is one of eleven suppliers recognized for the MRO Supplier of the Year Award in 2011.
Honda will present the award to Stratosphere Quality at their Fishers, IN facility on August 25th, 2011.
Stratosphere Quality is a leading provider of quality assurance and outsourcing solutions, including sorting and inspection services, to manufacturers of parts and components in the automotive, medical device, electronics, home appliance and recreational vehicle industries. As a partner in quality, Stratosphere Quality helps suppliers and OEMs identify the root cause of quality problems, minimize defects, improve quality, increase efficiency and reduce costs associated with quality issues. Headquartered just northeast of Indianapolis, Indiana, Stratosphere Quality services manufacturers across the US and Ontario.
The New EAC Logo: Onward and Upward
The EAC has undergone some big changes in its short lifespan. We’ve changed from being a part of a larger organization to standing on our own two feet as an independent not-for-profit. We’re different and new. And it’s about time our logo and website reflected that.
The corporate browns and blacks of our old logo fit us at one time, but we wanted a logo that conveyed a greater sense of motion, with the arrow swooping upwards as we spur entrepreneurs on to ever greater heights. The bright green and blue help convey energy and a willingness to look towards the future for the latest and greatest idea.
We’ll be unveiling our new look soon, so make sure to check back frequently!
