Overview of the Silicon Valley Business Plan Competition
The third annual Silicon Valley Business Plan Competition (SVBPC) spans the 2004-2005 academic year and culminates with the final round of judging in June 2005. The purpose of the SVBPC is to encourage innovation on the SJSU campus, reward student participation in new venture creation, and increase recognition of SJSU’s contribution to entrepreneurship in the greater San Jose metropolitan area.
A new event this year is the Undergraduate Business Plan Challenge (UBPC), which is designed to allow undergraduate teams compete with other teams at the same level. The SVBPC is the "open" competition, being available to SJSU students, faculty, staff, alumni--and even to UBPC participants since the SVBPC takes place after the UBPC is completed.
For more information about the UBPC, click on the The 2005 UBPC button on the left.
Many steps must be taken to turn an innovative idea into a business plan. Admittedly, even more steps are required to launch a new business. Over the year-long course of the SVBPC, tools and resources such as courses, workshops, advice, and feedback are available to help student teams write good business plans. The intent is for the winning business plans to be implemented after the SVBPC, and hopefully others can be implemented, too. Also, check out our Neat Ideas Fair, to be held in SJSU's Student Union on November 29 & 30, 2004, for examples of innovative ideas: Neat Ideas Fair.
For an example of a business plan, for useful Internet links about writing a business plan, and for copies of PowerPoint presentations made at our Seminars & Events, please go to the Files & Internet Links on the toolbar on the left.
The third annual SVBPC is co-sponsored by the following SJSU organizations:
Because student participation
is important to the success of the SVBPC, the
input and support of other student clubs on the SJSU campus is
encouraged and welcomed.
Mentors Facilitate the Progress of the Teams:
Members of the SJSU faculty and of the Silicon
Valley business community are also key contributors to the SVBPC. Courses
in the colleges of Applied
Science and Art, Art and Design, Business, Engineering, and Science provide
education about product and service innovation and about new venture creation.
SJSU faculty members are directly involved in teaching these courses and
are instrumental in fostering entrepreneurship through the use of cross-disciplinary
E Teams (for Entrepreneurial Teams).
E-Teams bring together students in the
College of Business, who have business but not technical skills, and students
in other SJSU colleges, who have technical but not business skills E-Teams
work on innovation-oriented projects with a business plan as the deliverable.
SJSU faculty members also advise and mentor student teams outside the classroom
and offer workshops and seminars on various aspects of entrepreneurship.
Silicon Valley professionals bring a wealth of practical experience to the
SVBPC, serving as advisors, mentors, reviewers, and judges. Advisors and
mentors help student teams write the best business plans possible. The SVBPC
consists of several stages, and participants at each stage receive feedback
on their work, so reviewers play an important role in the development of
winning business plans—which are ultimately determined by the judges
in the final round of the competition in June 2004.
Workshops Help Fill in the Blanks:
Workshops and seminars on the topics of marketing, finance, legal aspects of business structures, and intellectual property protection are planned over the course of the academic year. These workshops and seminars will be conducted by successful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, scholars, and professionals involved in new business formation.
Local Organizations Leverage Your Efforts Outside SJSU:
Many organizations exist in Silicon Valley to promote entrepreneurship and provide support services to new ventures. SJSU’s Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship, the SD Forum, the Silicon Valley Association of Start-Up Entrepreneurs, and the Girvan Institute are assisting with the events and activities surrounding the SVBPC. Other organizations are likely to be involved as the year unfolds, and they will be announced as their involvement is determined.
SVBPC - Your Portal to the Entrepreneurial Network:
The SVBPC is meant to be a link between the academic world and the “real” world. Entrepreneurship and innovation are synonymous with Silicon Valley. New products and services that provide new technology, enhance productivity, and create jobs are the hallmark of Silicon Valley. By spurring on entrepreneurship, the SVBPC strengthens the connection between SJSU and the broader metropolitan community and works to increase the economic vitality of the San Jose metropolitan area to the benefit all groups in this diverse region.
