College of Business to Host Fall 2015 Business Plan Competition
10/01/2015
JONESBORO – All students, both undergraduate and graduate, are eligible for the eighth annual Fall Business Plan Competition hosted by Arkansas State University’s College of Business. Winning proposals will receive rewards from a total cash prize package that increased this year to $5,000.
To enter the competition, students need an innovative business idea and plan, and need to document it in no more than two pages. Entrants are allowed to work in teams of up to six people. Also, a 90-second elevator pitch competition is available, as well as a freshman category. Faculty advisers helping contestants will also compete for monetary awards.
One copy of the business plan proposal—along with a completed entry form—is due by email to Dr. Erick Chang, associate professor of management, at echang@astate.edu by 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 8. More information is available on www.facebook/ENTAsu.
“This year, we are making progresses toward the quality of the proposals and judging,” said Dr. Chang. “We have received confirmation from our panel of international judges living in Pakistan, Austria, Germany, Mexico, Guatemala and in parts of the U.S. In addition, we have already secured the participation of alumni and entrepreneurs in Jonesboro who will serve as judges for the final round of oral presentations in November.”
Arkansas State student teams brought home $35,000 in winnings after advancing to the prestigious 15th annual Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup collegiate business plan competition at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. “Because of the success from the Governor’s Cup competition, the level of competition will be highest as we have a good set of references that can be surpassed in the future. That is Dean (Shane) Hunt’s purpose to increase the awards this year,” concluded Chang.
In May, graduate student and Iraqi war veteran Joshua Baker represented the Agricultural Innovations team of four management majors including Justin Bagley, Frank Kelley and Dirk Tanner, and Master of Science in engineering student Kenneth Rains and won the tri-state Governor’s Cup elevator pitch competition in Las Vegas. The Agricultural Innovations team earned the right to compete in Las Vegas after winning $25,000 in Little Rock.
