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Center for Entrepreneurship - West Houston   
  
The 2020 HCC Business Plan Competition 
Season 
is Upon Us! 
2020 HCC Business Plan Competition - Prepare Now! 
Success Stories by HCC Business Plan Competition Alumni

Let's Hear from our Alumni as Others Prepare to Apply for the 2020 BPC

Tiffany Williams, CEO
Twice Media Productions   

"Twice Media Productions is a video production company based here in Houston. We offer everything from traditional video marketing campaigns to virtual reality and 360 video experiences, to mobile video training that allows clients to produce more professional high quality products."    

Tiffany won 3rd place in the 2016 HCC Business Plan Competition.

The HCC Business Plan Competition helped her differentiate, re-brand and expand her company in a market saturated with competitors.  Since the competition, Twice Media has continued to grow; just last year acquiring their largest contract to date with the City of Houston Health Department, and a strategic partnership with a large communication firm in the city. 

Tiffany also gives back through HCC, the Houston Area Urban League, HSMDC and other key small business ecosystem partners. She served as an advisor in the 2019 HCC Business Plan Competition and the team she advised won first place!  

Hear From Tiffany:


Megan Eddings. Accel Lifestyle  
Creator of Elevated Anti-Stink Gear

Accel Lifestyle is the first socially conscious fashionable fitness apparel brand for people who sweat...and want to smell fresh.  Eddings invented a bacteria-resistant, stink-free material that ensures consumers are less likely to throw away their clothing.    

Megan won first place in the 2018 HCC Business Plan Competition & Launched her company in August 2019.

"The HCC Business Plan Competition was awesome, teaching me everything from the ground up. Not only did it give me the tools and guidance to start my company, but my competition mentors were awesome!"

Hear From Megan:


About the HCC Business Plan Competition 

For Proposed, Startup* and Existing Entrepreneurs! 

HCC's annual 2020 Business Plan Competition (BPC) is an opportunity for proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs to develop focused plans to start or grow their businesses.



Applications are accepted in January. The BPC will begin in February and run through May, with five free, two-hour training sessions. Two advisors will be provided to each team.  Participants can look forward to the following: 
  • Free training and one-on-one advising
  • Seed money will be awarded to the top five teams. 


Participants can look forward to the following:
  • Free training & one-on-one advising.
  • Seed money will be awarded to top five teams.
In 2019, $26,000 was awarded in seed money to the top five teams, with $20,000 in in-kind prizes and $51,000 of discounted support services. All graduating teams will be awarded in-kind prizes! 
 
For Startup and Existing Entrepreneurs, HCC Faculty, Staff & Students 
 
Get Ready, Get Set, Go!  
 
Prepare Now to Apply for the 2020 HCC Business Plan Competition!

Important Dates and Upcoming Opportunities
  • Enrollment Open Now - Class Starts January 15 - Creating a Successful Business Plan (CASBP) Class - Online, 6 weeks - Or sign up for the CASBP Class that starts January 15 & commit to finishing February 21. 
  • December 19 - January 1 - Winter Break - All HCC Facilities Campuses Closed
  • January 1 - Application Period Opens - for 2020 HCC Business Plan Competition
  • January 7 - Reception & Showcase Celebrating the 2020 HCC Business Plan Competition & Application Period - Meet our 2020 BPC Alumni, Sponsors, Leaders, Trainers and Advisors signing on for the 2020 BPC Advisor Cohort. It's a celebration of all involved to say welcome to those applying and considering to apply for the 2020 HCC Business Plan Competition. Applications Accepted January 1-30.
  • Financial Workshops for Small Business Launch and Growth - Choose One Date & Location:
    • Tuesday January 14 - Eastside Campus
    • Saturday January 25 - West Loop Campus
    • Saturday February 1 - HCC Alief Hayes Campus
    • This workshop is stand alone excellent. It is also a prerequisite for proposed, startup and existing small business owners/teams applying for the 2020 HCC Business Plan Competition! Sign up for a workshop before you apply!
Preparing to Apply -  HCC Business Plan Competition

Proposed & Startup* Entrepreneurs - 3 Steps:
1) Workshop, 2) Class/Program-One of Seven Pre-Qualifying Classes or Programs*, 3) Apply.   You may already be qualified to apply! See below.  
* Startup=not yet achieved six continuous months of net profit.

Existing Entrepreneur s - 2 Steps: 1) Workshop and 2) Apply
*Startup=not yet achieved 6 straight months net profit

For  Proposed & Startup* Companies
Take Required Class/Program and Financial Workshop
  • Class or Program:   Proposed and Startup Team Entry Requirements - At least one member of each proposed or startup team should complete ONE of the following classes at HCC or ONE of the following HCC programs or partner programs:  
1) Creating a Successful Business Plan  (CASBP) (an abbreviated online HCC continuing education class-takes 3 minutes to sign up, 24 hours of your online time over six weeks). For applicants who have not completed one of the below classes or programs, scroll down to sign up for the January class that starts January 15.  Finish it February 21.    
2)  Small Business Management - BUSG 2309  (for credit); 
3)  Entrepreneurship & Economic Development - BUSG 1373  (for credit); prior to the competition;
4) Small Business Success Series by HCC 
5) Liftoff Houston Startup Competition
6) HAUL Small Business University
7) University of Houston SURE program. 

  For Proposed, Startup & Existing Companies - Take Workshop
  • Financial Workshop - Required for Proposed, Startup and Existing Business Owners* -  A one-day workshop. 9:00 am-4:30 pm      
    • Previous Financial Workshop Dates at HCC that will satisfy this requirement: November 1, 2018, December 13, 2018, January 15, 2019, January 26, 2019, February 2, 2019 or October 5, 2019.
    • Upcoming Workshop Dates in 2020: January 14, January 25 & February 1
C ompetition Timeline
  • Apply* - January 1- January 30, 2020
  • Accepted Teams Announced - February 21, 2020
  • Training** - Five 2-hour sessions February 25, March 3, March 24, April 7 & April 21, Tuesday Evenings 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
  • Plan Submission Deadline - May 6, 2020
  • Finalists Present to Judges** - May 21, 2020
  • Prize Money! Awards Ceremony & Reception** - May 28 - Seed Money awarded to top five teams-all graduating teams receive in-kind prizes.
*Applicants can apply with teams of from one to five persons.
**Competition Training, Finals and the Awards Ceremony & Reception will be located at HCC Alief Hayes, 2811 Hayes Road, Houston, TX 77082. Training sessions and finals will be in the Center for Entrepreneurship, Main Building, 3rd. Floor, Room A319. The Awards Ceremony & Reception will be in the West Houston Institute building, fronting Westheimer in the Grand Ballroom.


More Important Dates and Upcoming Opportunities
Financing Workshop for Small Business Launch and Growth

Choose One Date & Location: 1/14-HCC SE, 1/25 HCC W Loop or 2/1-HCC Alief Hayes

For proposed startup and existing business owners.   An all-day workshop that sets you up for success. Know your numbers and plan right for 2020!

Thinking of applying for the 2020 HCC Business Plan Competition? This workshop prepares you to go for it! 
  
Featured Topics
  • Understanding Cash Needs - Understanding how much money you need; Negotiating to save money - a framework; Collecting money and making a profit; and Forecasting for success.
  • Loans - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Understand how much you should borrow; What loan type is best for you; Loan sharks, and How to avoid predatory lenders.
  • Are You Doing a Good Job? -  The basics for measuring your hard work; Importance of understanding your financials; Building a real asset; and Connections. 
  • Financing Panel - Relationships for success. Representatives from Houston's financial entrepreneurial eco-system.
Free to HCC Faculty, Staff, Students and Veterans!  Also offered at a reduced cost of $25 to our external community, thanks to our sponsor Wells Fargo Bank. 

Choose One of the Following Workshop Dates and Register Now: 



Creating a Successful Business Plan (CASBP)
Quick 6 Week Online Class  
 
Take a 24-hour, Six-Week Online Continuing Education Class 
 
Turn your business ideas into a solid plan for financing and long-term success. C ommitting your idea to paper in the form of a business plan not only increases your chances of obtain ing financing, but also in keeping your business strategically focused. With the support of your instructor and a network of like-minded students, you'll work through all of the major comp onents of writing a business plan and emerge with your first draft in hand. Most importantly, yo u will have completed the first--and most difficult--step on the path to small business success. 

This class also helps proposed and Startup Business owners prepare to Apply for the 2020 HCC Business Plan Competition (BPC) - Your chance to refine your plan and win prize money!  The 2020 BPC Application period opens in January, so if the class is required for you, sign up for it prior to submitting your application! 
 
How to Sign Up
  • January Class - Sign up for the CASBP Class that starts January 15 & commit to finishing February 21.  
  • 12 lessons over six weeks - takes 24 hours of your time. We recommend you do two lessons per week as they are released. It's also ok if you get a bit behind and finish lessons from the prior week.  Just finish all 12 lessons in six weeks and take the online final at the end. Fee: $119.  No Textbook! All lessons are online and included in fee. Sign up online in less than three minutes!
  • To Enroll in the class: http://tinyurl.com/CASBPclass
  • For questions regarding enrolling in these online classes: call 713-718-5149 or email anna.go@hccs.edu
 For More & To Register Now - Class Starts January 15
 
Mix & Mingle Reception To Celebrate Incoming January Applications for the 2020 HCC Business Plan Competition (BPC)

Tuesday, January 7, 2020, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm, 
HCC Alief Hayes, Main Building, 3rd Floor, Room A319

Who is invited?  
Proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs who are interested in applying for the 2020 HCC Business Plan Competition; competition leaders, trainers, sponsors, judges, advisors, community supporters and past HCC BPC winners, finalists and graduates!  

Come join us to mix, mingle and learn more from all parties involved!  Meet past competition graduates, winners, our ecosystem partners, and competition leaders, trainers and advisors signing on for the 2020 HCC BPC Advisor Cohort.  


It's a celebration of all involved to showcase our past competition alumni and introduce all who make this outstanding competition possible.  

Welcome to those applying and to those  considering applying for the 2020 HCC BPC during the January 1-30 Application period!  This reception is optional but awesome for 2020 applicants!  Sign up now and get the date set on your calendar! 


Thanks Again to our 2019 
HCC Business Plan Competition Sponsors! 
We so appreciate our 2019 HCC Business Plan Competition and Center for Entrepreneurship Cash Sponsors: Amegy Bank, Wallis Bank, Houston Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (HAGGL), ProVideo Systems, Origin Bank, and HCC Business Plan Competition Alumni Circle Sponsors: CRES Real Estate, PermitUsNow, HD2Menus and Texas Security Shredding.
 
We also thank our In-Kind Prize Sponsors:  Houston West Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Today, True Color Graphics, The Cannon and LetsLaunch.
 
Thanks to our In-Kind Reception Sponsors: True Color Graphics, Three Brothers Bakery and Tea in Texas.  



About the HCC Center for Entrepreneurship - West Houston

 
OUR MISSION:  To help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.  We do this by offering workshops, seminars, summits, classes and competitive training and advising, while also providing practical knowledge, resources and connections.
Contact us at c4e@hccs.edu or 713-718-6650