Magazine Hosts Conference To Aid Small Business Owners on Surviving Economic Downturn
This week, three local start-ups will compete for a $25,000 cash prize before an audience of more than 300 members of San Diego’s business community, all of whom will act as “investors.”
The San Diego Venture Group is holding its second annual business plan competition on Oct. 10. The dinner meeting includes a live show featuring the finalists in the competition.
The three finalists, out of 60 original applicants, will pitch their plans not to investors, but instead directly to the audience, said Rich Mejia, president of the San Diego Venture Group.
“The twist to the competition is that the audience is given the role of ‘investor’ as they hold the power to decide who gets the $25,000. Through an audience voting poll held the night of the event, one winner will be chosen to receive a $25,000 check on the spot,” he said.
The three finalists are Chimerix Inc., an early stage pharmaceutical venture; Phoenicia Technologies, which promotes a production-ready enterprise private-exchange platform; and Sabia Inc., which provides tools to assist in ore production, said Heather Milne, a venture group spokeswoman.
Last year’s winner, Akonix Systems, Inc., recently secured $5 million in its first round of funding, due in large part to its participation in the venture group event.
“The San Diego Venture Group’s business plan competition played an instrumental part in the success of our first round fund-raising efforts,” said Dmitry Shapiro, chief strategic officer for Akonix. “Its structured format really helped us to focus and refine our message.”
The finals of the business plan competition are open to the public. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency in La Jolla.
The event is free for members, or $65 for non-members with a reservation. For information, go to (www.sdvg.org/BusinessPlan).
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Think With Inc.:
Inc. magazine will hold a special small business event next week in San Diego.
ThInc Out Loud will be held Oct. 15-18 at the Sheraton Hotel & Marina. The event will cover what small businesses can do to survive, even grow, despite the current economic climate, said George Gendron, editor-in-chief of Inc.
For more information or to sign up, go to (www.incevents.com), then click on “ThInc Out Loud National Conference.”
Paint the Town Lemon:
The city of Lemon Grove completed a $300,000 renovation project to bring new life to its downtown corridor and bring additional traffic to the small businesses.
The project included a new coat of paint, fa & #231;ade improvements, enhanced lighting and other amenities along Lemon Grove’s Broadway business corridor. The new look was unveiled Sept. 28 at a downtown celebration with food, music and dancing.
The project was a collaborative effort between the city, the chamber of commerce and the Rotary Club, said Espe Escobedo, a spokesman for the city.
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Mall Aids Relief Effort:
The Chula Vista Center raised more than $1,500 in two weeks for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The mall announced Sept. 28 that it was able to raise the money in the 12 days immediately following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, through Sept. 23.
Money was sent to assist in the relief and recovery efforts in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh, said Susan Lipp, marketing manager for the Chula Vista Center.
One store in the mall made a special effort. Vanity, a ladies’ clothing store, sold patriotic memorabilia and clothing, with all proceeds going to the Red Cross, Lipp said.
The mall also held a blood drive Oct. 6. The total amount of blood drawn was not available as of press time.
Carlsbad Good for Biz Ed:
Local business leaders can learn about leadership in a series of classes from the “Chamber University.” The classes are a comprehensive leadership program designed by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber University’s first set of classes, “The Leadership Series,” consists of nine courses designed to enhance individual leadership skills, said Jan Sobel, chief executive officer of the Carlsbad chamber.
The first class, “Leadership: What It Is and What It Is Not,” will be held Oct. 11 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Gemological Institute of America, 5345 Armada Dr. The introductory class will provide participants with a foundation for understanding leadership, while also dispelling common myths about what it takes to be a leader.
The next class, “Leadership Styles,” will be Nov. 8. Subsequent classes will be held in 2002.
Each class is $50 for chamber members and $75 for non-members. The entire series is $400 for members and $675 for non-members. Some events will also feature an optional networking lunch for $20 extra.
For information, call the chamber at (760) 931-8400, or go to (www.carlsbad.org/events/university.htm).
Send tips for this column to lzion@ sdbj.com, or call (858) 277-6359, Ext. 112. The deadline for the Oct. 22 issue is Oct. 12.
