Coming Up With A Good Idea Anthony Plumridge Wednesday 22nd October 2008

Welcome!!! Agenda for today: Overview of competition What makes a winner? What we are looking for How can we help

What is theBizIdea? - Business Plan Competition - Business Ideas Competition - Encouraging enterprise - Seminars and mentoring

The prizes… Best Business Idea: Best Social Enterprise Idea: Best Creative Design Idea: Category Runners-up: Marketing Prize: Merit Awards: Total prize fund: £tbc 1 year CIM Affiliate Membership and a free course worth up to £500 £100 each £22,500

Sponsors and supporters

What makes a winner?

theBizIdea 2005/06 Social Enterprise category winner Patrick Dasoberi International student from Ghana MSc in Information Technology Idea for a student community portal based on connecting students with services UWE Incubator, QuickMark project for web-based and interactive portal, access to support organisations, mentors Set up a subsidiary company in Ghana to exploit the African market Carried out pilot projects Software launched on www.whahala.org - YouTube presentation -  http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=i0BulJHVMOs

theBizIdea 2006/07 Business category winner Nic Smith Graduated from UWE with BSc in Aeronautical Engineering in 2002 Coolboard, a balance board, emerged out of his passion for surfing Won the Best Business Start-up category in 2006/07 Used prize money to continue with patents UWE Incubator, mentor network Selling coolboards on line www.coolboard.co.uk and via sports events, retail outlets, gyms and surf academies.

The Idea… - Is it clear? - Can you prevent other people copying? - Is it innovative/unique? - Viability / sustainability of the idea - Impact!

What’s your market and how do you get at it? Is there a market? How big is it? Do you understand how it works? Do you know your customers? How do you sell to them?

The Team… Balanced skills Ideas people and managers Clearly defined roles - Passion and belief

Dates for your diary 13th Oct 08 Launch Night 22nd Oct – 12th Nov 08 Autumn Workshops 2nd Feb 08 Registration Deadline tbc Spring term workshop 3rd April 08 Submission Deadline 7th May 09 Presentation Evening

theBizIdea Workshops 22nd Oct 08 Coming up with a good Idea 22nd Oct 08 Should you protect your idea 29th Oct 08 Thinking of your idea as a business 29th Oct 08 Understanding the market for your idea 5th Nov 08 Setting your goals 5th Nov 08 What resources do I need 12th Nov 08 Successful Entrepreneurs/Winners

Sign up for the newsletter… www.uwe.ac.uk/thebizidea And keep in touch… Helen2.collings@uwe.ac.uk