Business Plan Guidelines
Business Plan Specifications:
All entries must be submitted in two formats by 5:00 p.m. on April 9, 2009
One file as an e-mail attachment
- Email file to pace@hawaii.edu
- Attachment must be a single file that is no more than 2MB, preferably in PDF format
Five hard copies to the PACE office
- Postmarked by April 9, 2009 to
UH Shidler College of Business - PACE
2404 Maile Way, Room E-301
Honolulu, HI 96822
OR
- Hand delivered to the PACE Office at the Shidler College of Business Room E-301 by 5:00 pm
Cover Sheet
- Team Name
- Business Name
- Names of all team members
Executive Summary
- Not more than 2 single spaced pages (8.5"x11")
- Font size no smaller than 12pt
- Margins of at least 1 inch on all sides
Business Plan
- Not more than 10 single spaced pages (8.5"x11")
- Font size no smaller than 12pt
- Margins of at least 1 inch on all sides
- You may include up to 10 pages of attachments or appendices.
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Judging Criteria
Overall Appeal of the Plan (10%)
- Does the team express a compelling "vision" for the new venture?
- Does the team show enthusiasm and commitment for the new venture?
- Does the plan come together as something greater than the sum of its parts?
Attractiveness of the Market Opportunity (15%)
- How large is the market and how fast is it growing?
- Can you be a “significant player” in this market?
- What long-run rate of profitability do you expect to see in this market?
Value Created by the New Product or Service (15%)
- What is the new and unique value of the proposed product/service?
- Is there a clear customer need being satisfied?
- How important is this product/service to the customer?
- Has the team developed a prototype or working description of the product/service?
- Has the team gone out to the market to test receptiveness of potential customers?
Competitive Advantage of the Proposed Venture (15%)
- How will the proposed product/service be positioned in relation to competitors?
- Can this product/service achieve a leadership position in its market?
- From your current stage of development, how long will it take you to get to market?
- Will the proposed venture be favorably positioned in the distribution channel?
Operational and Technological Viability (15%)
- How will the proposed venture produce and distribute the product/service?
- How will operational obstacles (if any) be overcome?
- What technology and/or other intellectual property (if any), is essential to the success of this venture?
- How will rights to the property be secured?
- How much will the property cost to develop and/or secure?
- How long will it take to develop the property?
Capability of the Management Team (15%)
- Have team members demonstrated leadership and initiative in other aspects of their life?
- What specific management capability is required for the venture?
- What relevant skills do the team members possess?
- What roles will the current team members play?
- How will gaps in the management team be filled?
Capital Requirements and Financial Forecast (15%)
- What type and amount of capital investment is required?
- Is the investment required all at once or can it be “staged-in” over time?
- Where will the investment capital come from?
- What is the proposed ownership structure of the venture?
- What is the investment exit-strategy?
- How long will it take the venture to be financially self-supporting? (cash-flow positive)
- How will the venture be financed until then?
- What is the expected return on investment?
- When is the investment expected to become liquid?
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