Jump Start Your Business Contest to Award $2K in Prizes

b5media Business Channel are running a competition across the channel, with prizes of merchandise and advice, worth more than $2000, for the winning idea. Interested? Then read on:)

Our Rules
Our Questions
Our Prizes
Our Sponsors
Our Experts
Our Disclaimers

Our Rules

• Entries must be sent via email with “Jump Start Your Business” in the subject line to businesscontest@mac.com by 11:59p.m. EST on September 25, 2007.
• Format: Plain Text or PDF Only. No other attachments or formats will be accepted.
• You must be at least 18 years old to participate.
• Contest is open to new businesses or fledgling businesses which have been in existence for less than one year.
• By entering the contest, you agree that b5media may post any part or all of your submission, as a part of the contest announcements or promotions, with the exception of your email address.
• To be considered, entries must also include the following:
  1. Name of applicant (either team or individual)
  2. Where you live (city and state or country is sufficient)
  3. Email address. We won’t publish your email address, but we do need contact information for the winning entries. We respect your privacy, and we will not send you anything unrelated to your entry in this contest.

Our Questions

• To enter, send us your abbreviated business plan for a your new or fledgling business with the following information:
  1. What’s your business idea?
  2. Who is on your business team – in other words, who is going to make this idea work?
  3. When did you start your business? Or when do you plan to start your business? What is your time frame for success?
  4. Why is this business going to be a success?
  5. Why should we pick you as the winner?
• Your abbreviated business plan should be no longer than 1000 words.

Our Prizes

The Grand Prize winner receives the Prize Pack including:

• A subscription to Entrepreneur magazine, courtesy of Entrepreneur.com
• A Web Developer host package for one year (consists of 5 domains, 600 subdomains and 200 host external domains; 300 GB web space 3,000 monthly transfer volume and 50 ftp accounts; 4,000 email accounts and 2 GB mailbox space; $475 of vouchers to get you started with Microsoft adCenter, Google AdWords, Yahoo Search marketing and Citisearch; 10 free blogs and more), courtesy of 1and1.com
• A Private Jet billing package for one year (up to 500 clients, unlimited invoicing and customer support), courtesy of Freshbooks.com
• A b5media tee shirt, courtesy of b5 media
• Your choice of a taxgirl organic tee or long sleeve tee and $25 gift card to amazon.com, courtesy of taxgirl.com
• Wireless mouse, wireless keyboard and keyboard riser, courtesy of InterviewChatter.com
• A twelve month subscription to the Sales Leadership Zone, a place where sales leaders and small business owners can find everything they need to increase sales and drive business, courtesy of thesalespractitioners.com
• A copy of Phil Gerbyshak’s book, 10 Ways to Make it Great, courtesy of SlackerManager.com
• $50 in Pecunix Digital Gold Currency, courtesy of digitalmoneyworld.com
  
• Jason Alba’s new book, “I’m on LinkedIn…Now What???”, courtesy of LinkedIntelligence.com

and over $1000 of free business advice (in the form of email, phone or Skype) from our experts to get you started!

The first runner up will receive:

• A subscription to Entrepreneur magazine, courtesy of Entrepreneur.com
• A Business Developer host package for one year (consists of 3 domains, 200 subdomains and 100 host external domains; 250 GB web space 2,500 monthly transfer volume and 25 ftp accounts; 2,500 email accounts and 2 GB mailbox space; $250 of vouchers to get you started with Microsoft adCenter, Google AdWords, Yahoo Search marketing and Citisearch; 10 free blogs and more), courtesy of 1and1.com
• A Shuttle Jet billing package for six months (up to 25 clients, unlimited invoicing and customer support), courtesy of Freshbooks.com
• A copy of Phil Gerbyshak’s book, 10 Ways to Make it Great, courtesy of SlackerManager.com
• and free consulting advice from two of our experts of your choosing.

The second runner up will receive:

• A subscription to Entrepreneur magazine, courtesy of Entrepreneur.com
• A Business Developer host package for one year (consists of 3 domains, 200 subdomains and 100 host external domains; 250 GB web space 2,500 monthly transfer volume and 25 ftp accounts; 2,500 email accounts and 2 GB mailbox space; $250 of vouchers to get you started with Microsoft adCenter, Google AdWords, Yahoo Search marketing and Citisearch; 10 free blogs and more), courtesy of 1and1.com
• A copy of Phil Gerbyshak’s book, 10 Ways to Make it Great, courtesy of SlackerManager.com
• and free consulting advice from two of our experts of your choosing.

Our Sponsors

A big THANK YOU to our sponsors! Please let them know that they are appreciated!

1 & 1 Internet, Inc.
Entrepreneur Magazine
Freshbooks, Inc.

The entire b5 media Business Channel community:

Behind the Buzz
Brandcurve
Business and Blogging
Buzz Networker
Common Sense PR
Contract Worker
Copy Blogger

Digital Money World
Franchise Pick
Home Biz Notes
Interview Chatter
Just Make Money Online
Leadership Turn
Life Dev
Linked Intelligence
Pimp Your Work

Property Crossroads
Slacker Manager
Small Business Boomers
Start Up Spark
Successful Blog
Taxgirl
Work Boxers
Yielding Wealth

and thanks to Don at Archetype Digital Solutions for designing our promotional badge!

Our Experts

• tax tips from Kelly Phillips Erb of taxgirl.com
• consulting and marketing advice from Jim Norton of smallbusinessboomers.com
• marketing direction from Rico Masterson of contract-worker.com
• personal finance and blogging information from Miranda Marquit of yieldingwealth.com
• using a range of social media tools in marketing and connecting with a community from Rachel Clarke of behindthebuzz.com
• hiring practices and creating core competencies for positions from Darlene McDaniel of interviewchatter.com
• identifying business purpose and strategy for a blog from Des Walsh of deswalsh.com
• coaching from Miki Saxon, courtesy of rampupsolutions.com
• Linked In makeover from Scott Allen of LinkedIntelligence.com
• marketing and brand identity critique from Sean Kelly of franchisepick.com
• copywriting tips from Brian Clark of copyblogger.com
• home business advice from Mary Emma Allen of homebiznotes.com
• Copy editing, writing, or website usability advice from Eric Eggertson of CommonsensePR.com
• Customer service and community relations advice from Douglas Hanna of ServiceUntitled.com
• tech marketing advice from Sunir Shah of Freshbooks, Inc.

Our Disclaimers

• The winning entries will be determined by a panel of judges from b5media at our sole discretion. Our decision is final.
• Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash or cash equivalent.
• Donated prizes cannot be guaranteed; we reserve the right to make substitutions of equal or greater value if necessary.