Vote now to pick the winner of the inaugural Small Business Center Startup Showdown through the NCCCS
Last spring, entrepreneurs across the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) submitted pitches for consideration in the state’s new business accelerator contest. After months of “intensive business training, mentorship and pitch coaching,” 17 entrepreneurs have emerged as the top contenders in this competition, according to a recent NCCCS press release.
Now, the finalists will be evaluated by the public and a panel of judges in the inaugural Small Business Center Network (SBCN) Startup Showdown, which is sponsored by Wells Fargo. Public voting is open from Sept. 1-15, and winners will be announced on Sept. 17.
Each entry represents a pitch for a new business, and applicants were required to complete the REAL Entrepreneurship training course and three hours of business counseling with their local Small Business Center. The entrepreneurs also come from each of North Carolina’s eight regions. The press release says the winners — along with their respective Small Business Center — will receive “more than $60,000 in unrestricted startup funding.”
This summer, the 17-person cohort participated in “rigorous entrepreneurial training through the nationally recognized REAL Entrepreneurship® Pitch It! curriculum, while receiving individualized coaching from Small Business Center directors,” according to the press release.
“The program challenged participants to validate market demand, strengthen financial projections, refine business models and develop compelling investor-ready presentations,” says the release.
Now, the public has the opportunity to help pick the winner by viewing each finalist’s pitch on the NC Small Business Center Network’s YouTube channel and voting by “liking” the professionally produced pitch video. The tally of likes on each video will contribute to each entrepreneur’s final score.
“These entrepreneurs have invested months in strengthening their business models, testing their assumptions, and preparing to share their vision with North Carolina,” said Anne C. Shaw, state director of the SBCN. “They have been supported throughout that journey by Small Business Center directors and counselors, who understand their communities and are committed to helping small businesses succeed. Now, the public has an opportunity to learn about these founders and help us celebrate the entrepreneurial talent growing across our state.”
The SBCN, which helped establish and facilitate this competition, is one of the nation’s largest state-funded small business assistance programs, and it functions through all 58 NC community colleges.
“The Small Business Center Network has never been more important to North Carolina’s entrepreneurial spirit than it is today,” said Dr. Bill Carver, then-interim system president, in the release. “Forty years ago, as an SBC director, I witnessed firsthand the backbone of the American economy: individuals willing to take a risk to start or expand small businesses.”
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The competition includes more than just the results of the public-voting period. In August, the cohort also delivered a live, “Shark-Tank”-style presentation of their business model to a panel of “Business Trailblazers,” or judges. These judges came from a wide array of backgrounds, including “entrepreneurship, finance, higher education and small business development,” according to the release.
The judge’s evaluation of these pitches will be combined with the public voting score to serve as a comprehensive score for each business pitch.
Finalists from the cohort will gather on Sept. 17 for the SBCN Startup Showdown Awards Reception, where they will be joined by “investors, business executives, elected officials, community college leaders and economic development partners from across North Carolina.” That night, the first-, second-, and third-place winners will be announced, and each will received the unrestricted startup prize funding to launch their new businesses.
The first-place winner will receive $30,000; second-place, $20,000; and third-place, $10,000. Additionally, the top three entrepreneurs will receive “up to $1,000 toward membership in their local Chamber of Commerce.”
Remember to vote by liking finalists’ pitch videos here before Sept. 15. You can find additional information about the showdown, finalists, and awards reception on the system’s website.
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