Global Entrepreneurship Week begins with competition, keynote speaker

Oct. 10, 2008 -- Student competition to write a business plan is a new addition to activities during Arkansas State University’s College of Business Global Entrepreneurship Week which runs Monday-Wednesday, Nov. 17-19.

The competition is open to all ASU students, undergraduate and graduate, enrolled at ASU, including non-business majors. Students are allowed to work in teams with up to five people and must provide a five-page business plan. Prizes of $500, $250, and $125 will be awarded to the top three plans for undergraduate and graduate students.

Five copies of the business plans accompanied by an entry form must be submitted to the College of Business dean’s office in Room 103 by 5 p.m., Oct. 17. Judging of all undergraduate and graduate written plans is from Oct. 20-31. Entrepreneurs and members of the business community in the area will be serving as judges for the competition.

Finalists for both undergraduate and graduate plans will be notified by e-mail by 4 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 4, and oral presentations by the finalists are scheduled, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 9 a.m.-noon. Winners from both groups will be announced Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Guidelines and forms for the business plan competition and information about the Global Entrepreneurship Week can be found at http://business.astate.edu/Students/Business_Plan_Competition.pdf.

Entrepreneurship Week includes different activities that students organize to spread the message that entrepreneurship is not just about creating new businesses, but also generates important consequences such as job creation, innovation, new products and services, and economic growth and development. The keynote speaker for the event will be soap opera star Catherine Hickland, founder of Catcosmetics.             

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