2013 Mark Ain Business Model Competition Guidelines

ELIGIBILITY

  • All participants must currently be enrolled at the University of Rochester.
  • Students from both undergraduate and graduate schools are encouraged to participate.
  • Workshop attendance is free and open to all members of the University and general public.
  • Fee for business plan submission is waived for undergraduates and members of the Simon Entrepreneurs Association. There will be a $50 fee per submission for teams comprised of non-undergraduates and/or non-Simon Entrepreneur Association members. 

AWARDS

Cash prizes have been made possible by the generous donation of Simon alumnus Mark S. Ain ’67, founder of Kronos Incorporated.

  • 1st Place: $10,000
  • 2nd Place: $2,500
  • 3rd Place: $1,000

RULES

  • Teams may consist of no more than five individuals and it is recommended to have at least two members on each team.
  • Submissions for the preliminary round of judging (applications only) are due no later than 4 p.m. on April 17, 2013. Complete business plans are due by 4 p.m. on April 25, 2013. The ten (10) semi-finalists must submit their presentations (slide decks) by May 1, 2013. Submissions can be dropped off at the Center for Entrepreneurship, 1-211 Carol Simon Hall. All entries (applications, complete business plans, and presentations) must be submitted electronically to maureen.konopka@rochester.edu.
  • The business model must be in the idea, development, or start-up stage. Entries for a business that is already earning revenue will not be considered.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS

  • Entries must include an application and should address issues such as a market assessment, technical viability (if applicable), financial projections, management viability and potential for scalability.  A business feasibility outline resource guide is available and participants are encouraged to use this resource in writing their business models. 
  • Applications must include the following information and are limited to two (2) pages (not including a cover page and appendices; below word counts are only a guideline):
    Team/Company Name
    Industry
    Management Team Members: Include full names, titles, Schools, and class years
    Management (100 words): Explain what makes your team ideal to build this business
    One Line Pitch (30 words)
    Abstract (100 words)
    Customer Problem (40 words)
    Your Solution (100 words)
    Target Market (100 words): Include market size, growth rate, segmentation, and market structure where applicable
    Marketing & Sales Strategy (100 words)
    Business Model (40 words)
    Competition (100 words)
    Competitive Advantage (100 words): List barriers to entry, any patents, and/or technology
    Funds Needed
    Use of Funds
    Financial Snapshot: Show total revenue, total expenditure and net for each year over a 5-year projection period
    Exit Strategy
    Appendices: Include any diagrams that show or demonstrate your product or service
  • Complete business plans must be no longer than 10 pages written, and no more than 20 pages total with supporting graphs, charts, financials, etc.

JUDGING

  • The first round screening, preliminary judging, will be based on the review of the written application information. Ten (10) semi-finalist teams will be selected.
  • The second round screening, semi-finalist judging, will be based on an oral presentation of the business model, including slide decks, and the full, written business plan of the ten (10) semi-finalist teams.
  • Five (5) finalists will be notified by May 2, 2013, after the oral presentations in the semi-finalist round. Finalists will have the opportunity to practice their presentations with coaches prior to the final competition round. The five (5) finalist teams will present their business models to a judging panel on May 15, 2013 for prize consideration. Winners will be announced that day.

CONTACT INFORMATION

  • Address questions to the Center for Entrepreneurship at 585.276.3500 or cfe@rochester.edu or contact the Simon Entrepreneurs Association at entrepreneurs@simon.rochester.edu.