It’s all about getting everyone and everything ready for Global Entrepreneurship Week, or so it seems, at the Cumberland Business Incubator. Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is the world’s largest celebration of innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs, business owners and job creators who bring ideas to life, driving economic growth and expanding human welfare.
During one week each November, GEW inspires people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. These activities and events connect participants to potential collaborators, mentors and possibly even investors to new possibilities and exciting opportunities.
GEW launched in 2008 and has grown to 125 countries – with 24,008 partner organizations planning 33,846 activities that directly engage millions of participants every year. GEW is about unleashing ideas and doing what it takes to bring them to life – spotting opportunities, taking risks, solving problems, being creative, building connections and learning from both failure and success. It is about thinking big and making your mark on the world – and having fun along the journey.
The CBI has big plans for GEW, the week of November 18th, so mark your calendars now. Round 1 of Fast Pitch is on Monday, November 18th. People will be presenting their ideas, inventions, businesses or growth plans. Tuesday November 19th is mentoring for those that pitch in Round 1 to prepare for their next pitch. Focus groups will give feedback from real live potential customers on marketing ideas, branding or any other area where the presenters need feedback. Wednesday November 20th is Ask The Expert Day where we’ll have business topic experts available to answer questions from any business in the area, not just Fast Pitch participants. Thursday November 21st is dress rehearsal and final tweaking and mentoring for those preparing for Round 2 of Fast Pitch on Friday November 22nd. It takes participants, focus group members, mentors, judges, and an enthusiastic audience for this to be a great success. Don’t miss the opportunity to help out. The goal is to have fun – and to hear the best ideas in the Upper Cumberland region!
Preparation Events Prior to GEW – Open to all, not just Fast Pitch participants.
There are only a few short weeks until November 18th. If you have an invention, a business idea, or a business that you’re ready to move to the next level, we have workshops to help you get ready for what lies ahead, including a Q&A session for those considering making a pitch at Fast Pitch. There is a simple application process to pitch during GEW, so don’t miss this Q&A workshop to get all your questions answered and hear the answers to questions others have.
We’ll have a Lean Business Model Canvas workshop so that you’ll be able to capture your business model on one page. It’s a great tool to use in preparation for Fast Pitch or to be able to talk to anyone about your business.
We’ll have a Successful Presentations workshop. If you haven’t made a presentation in front of a group for quite some time, this is a must to tame the butterflies and make certain you get your point across clearly in the time allowed.
What about your market? Can you describe your market space in terms of who will buy your product or services? Do you know the competitive landscape? There will be a workshop that focuses on doing the research to know where you stand and how to reach your target market. This is good for anyone, not just for those planning to be on stage at Fast Pitch.
Those that listen to your pitch ask about the management team and their ability to make the business a success. Do you know what to cover in response to a question about you or your team? We’ll have a workshop to help you prepare for these tough questions.
There are always questions about the money. Are you ready to answer them? Need some help with that aspect of your pitch? No problem – there is a workshop for that. Is your Intellectual Property covered? That’s just one of the reasons for Ask The Experts Day. Make certain you know what you have to do to protect your original thoughts and inventions.
Anyone considering investing in your ideas will ask what your exit strategy is. Have one. If you don’t have a plan, you look like the less prepared participants on Shark Tank.
Speaking of Shark Tank – Fast Pitch is not Shark Tank! Fast Pitch is intended to help anyone improve, polish and perfect their ideas so that when they are implemented, the potential for success is as high as it can be.
Consider participating in all the events leading up to Global Entrepreneurship Week and the activities during GEW. You’ll be glad you did.
Don’t wait to sign up – call or email today to get on the list for anything you’d like to participate in. Some activities have limited seating.
