ENID, OKLA. ⎯ Autry Technology Center’s annual Cherokee Strip Business Model Competition is now taking applications. The deadline to apply is April 14, 2017. Up to $30,000 will be awarded to the top four teams.
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“The Business Model Competition is a great opportunity for businesses to present their concept to experienced judges, which results in incredible feedback and provides access to seed capital,” said Cara Carson, self-employment coordinator at Autry. “It is also a great way for companies to gain exposure in the local market.”
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Businesses interested in entering must be in the Enid and Northwest Oklahoma area and less than five years old to be eligible. The competition consists of three phases: submission of a business plan, a ten-minute presentation, and a third presentation in front of a judging panel.
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Four winners and a people’s choice winner will be selected. All winners will receive one year of Self Employment Training client status. SET status includes access to the James W. Strate Center for Business Development during business hours to use the conference room, copier, printer, plan room, computer with adobe suite, and three business coaching sessions. The businesses that place in the top three will be eligible for one year of rent in the incubator at the Center for Business Development.
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“The competition was created to put education into action,” said Brian Gaddy, Autry’s Center for Business Development Coordinator. “Enid has a multitude of educational opportunities for business owners, and we wanted to add the motivation of a contest with significant funding up for grabs to get aspiring and new business owners to apply business concepts to their projects.”
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Funding for the competition is provided in combined effort by donors in the Enid Entrepreneur Leadership Series. Anyone interested in participating or donating can contact the James W. Strate Center for Business Development at 580-242-2750.
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For more information about the competition and for an application, visit autrytech.edu or contact Cara Carson at ccarson@autrytech.edu or 580-242-2750.
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Autry Technology Center has been a part of the Enid community since 1967 and is one of 29 CareerTech schools across Oklahoma. The center has more than 25 career programs and offers a wide variety of evening and weekend short-term courses and certifications for many diverse career fields. Autry serves nearly 16,000 individuals each year, including many area employees who receive training through the Business and Industry Services Department that works with over 500 local businesses each year.
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