Business Plan Competition to host workshop

THE RHODE ISLAND Business Plan Competition will hold a free, public workshop on Jan. 8, where a panel of experienced business developers will explore how to turn an idea into a successful business. The event is part of an ongoing series of free business workshops held during the 2014 Business Plan Competition, which kicked off on Oct. 16.
THE RHODE ISLAND Business Plan Competition will hold a free, public workshop on Jan. 8, where a panel of experienced business developers will explore how to turn an idea into a successful business. The event is part of an ongoing series of free business workshops held during the 2014 Business Plan Competition, which kicked off on Oct. 16.

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Business Plan Competition will offer insights on how to turn an idea into a business at Betaspring headquarters on Jan. 8.

The workshop is part of an ongoing series of free business workshops held during the 2014 Business Plan Competition, which kicked off on Oct. 16. The competition encourages plans for new businesses, as well as from early stage companies, and the judges focus on originality, breadth of impact on the business community and likelihood of success in choosing finalists and winners.

Panelists for the Jan. 8 workshop will include angel investor Bill Cesare, Focal Upright Furniture Founder and CEO Martin Keen and Slater Technology Fund Managing Director Thorne Sparkman.

The panel will explore how to evaluate potential business ideas, including where ideas for new businesses originate, the difference between a project and a product/service, how to test whether an idea has legs as a business, how to determine the financial feasibility of an idea, and how to get started turning the idea into a business.

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The event, to be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Jan. 8 at 95 Chestnut St. is free and open to the public, but preregistration is required. For more information or to register, visit the Business Plan Competition events page.

The Rhode Island Business Plan Competition is organized along two tracks, a Student Track for competitors enrolled in college or graduate school and an Entrepreneur Track for all other competitors, whether or not they already have started a business.

The 2014 competition will also award a Technology Special Award, in addition to prizes awarded to winners and finalists, to applicants who propose technology-related businesses in Rhode Island with the potential to grow and create local jobs.

While applicants do not have to be Rhode Island residents, to be selected as a semi-finalist, applicants must agree to establish or continue business operations in Rhode Island should they be named a finalist or winner.

The deadline to apply for this year’s Rhode Island Business Plan Competition is April 1, 2014. For more information or to apply, visit www.ri-bizplan.com.

Major sponsors for the 2014 Rhode Island Business Plan Competition include: The Providence Journal Charitable Foundation; AM 790; Embolden; Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP; and Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co. Ltd.

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