Phase I: January 1 - May 2, 2008 Executive summary submissions accepted May 2, 2008 Executive summaries due by 5:00 pm PDT (3-5 pages) Phase II: May 7 , 2008 Semifinalists selected, all contestants notified May 23 , 2008 Semifinalists' complete business plans due by 5:00 pm PDT June 2 , 2008 Finalists selected, all semifinalists notified Phase III: June 17, 2008 Competition presentations - Grand Prize Winners selected.

How to Enter

PHASE I – Register to Enter and Submit EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Due Friday, May 2, 2008, 5:00 pm PDT

To enter, send us an e-mail with your name, e-mail address, mailing address, phone number, occupation and a one-line description of your business idea (indicate which category, either Health or General). Include an Executive Summary of your business plan that describes your proposed venture in 3-5 pages (see details below). You will be asked to sign an Acknowledgement of Policies and Procedures Statement at the time of your submission. We will send it to you via e-mail once we receive your Executive Summary.

To be eligible, we must receive an electronic copy of your executive summary via email on or before Friday, May 2, 2008, 5:00pm PDT. There is no cost to enter the competition.
 
Please email us your Intent to Enter and Executive Summary. Click here for e-mail address. Additionally, please mail a hard copy of the Executive Summary and signed competitor confidentiality form to:

Jan Sola, Ph.D.
Director - 2007 Boomer Business Plan Competition
Executive Development Center
Leavey School of Business
Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara CA 95053
competition_boomerventure@scu.edu
 
The Executive Summary (3-5 pages) should address the following:

• Proposed product, service, or technology to be commercialized
• How it addresses the target audience (45+, boomer, or senior market)
• Overview of competitive landscape and advantages
• Plan for execution, stage of development
• Profitability potential
• Information about your management team

You will be notified Wednesday, May 7, 2008, if your plan is one of the semifinalists chosen.  Brief written feedback from multiple judges will be sent to all participants.

For information and suggestions on how to write an Executive Summary and business plan, please see our links in the Resources Section. An excellent source for business plan suggestions is from the perspective of a leading Silicon Valley Venture Capital firm, Draper Fisher, Jurvetson.  Go to their link at http://www.dfj.com/venturechallenge/writeplan.html

PHASE II – BOOMER BUSINESS PLAN – Due Friday, May 23, 2008

If your plan is selected to be a semifinalist, you will be invited to submit a full business plan, not to exceed 30 pages including appendices. The business plan is the key to launching your venture and is a critical tool for communicating to potential investors and strategic partners how you will implement your new venture and why you believe it will succeed.

The plan should clearly tell about your background and experiences, what you plan to do, how your plans address the boomer/45+ audience, the financial viability of your idea, and why the reader will have confidence in investing in your business plan. See Judging Criteria for additional information on what judges will be looking for in plans with the highest potential for success.

An electronic copy of your complete business plan is due via email to competition_boomerventure@scu.edu . Please also mail four (4) copies of your business plan to:

Jan Sola, Ph.D.
Director - 2008 Boomer Business Plan Competition
Executive Development Center, Leavey School of Business
Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara CA 95053-0411
competition_boomerventure@scu.edu

Business plans are due on or before Friday, May 23 , 2008, 5:00pm PST. Entrants not meeting this deadline may be disqualified. For ease in handling, all copies of the business plan should be professionally bound.

Plans must be limited to 20 pages (typed and double-spaced) of text, including executive summary and summary financial data. The text portion of the plan must clearly and concisely present all pertinent information. Detailed spreadsheets and appropriate appendices may follow the text portion of the business plan but are not to exceed 10 pages. In total, the plan should not exceed 30 pages.

Financial data should include cash flow statements, income statements, and balance sheets. Include an explanation indicating how much money is requested and how it will be used. Appendices should be used only when they support the findings, observations and statements in the plans. For information on the boomer and 45+ market, how to write a business plan, and other issues for entrepreneurs, go to Resources.

The finalists in each category will be selected and notified on Monday, June 2, 2008.

PHASE III ˆ 2008 Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit and Business Plan Competition ˆ Tuesday, June 17th 2008

Grand Prize Winners will be selected on June 17, 2008. All finalists will present their business plans to an esteemed panel of judges at the 2008l Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit and Business Plan Competition at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA.