Business Plan Competition: Final Event

I attended the Business Plan Competition Final Event today in the JSB auditorium from 2pm-4pm as part of my 1 credit class. I was very impressed by the amount of work that has gone into these business plans. There is absolutely no way that I could compete on the same level as them. I have not got the network or the product that they do.

For instance, the first team to present was Terra Nova. Their business plan involves a sludge-eating microbe chain that is used for reclaiming contaminated soil. For one, I didn’t even know of this business problem. Secondly, I didn’t know that microbes do the work. And third, these guys have figured out how to introduce these microbes in the most effective order, in effect they’ve alphabetized them and made a biological game of Pac-Man. Now Pac-Man, I can play Pac-Man, but this business idea, no way.

The second team came up with the next big waterproofer, called Hydrapel. It’s better than Teflon or Goretex because the agent they use is applied in a space age vacuum chamber and the product covalently bonds with the fibers at the molecular level. I don’t even have to explain why I can’t do that, I barely understand it.

The third team did a business idea that I can probably work with. KT Tape sells kinesiology tape like Kerrie Walsh wore in the Olympics. In fact, Kerrie endorses their product. So I’m staying with them to this point, but then they start talking about how they are already on track to do sales of $3 million this year and have their product in 30,000 locations. That is incredible! Of course, this isn’t their first startup and they are just utilizing their existing network from their previous venture, so it’s all in a day’s work for them.

I think you get the point. This isn’t a business plan competition. This is a second and third round of funding opportunity for already successful and profitable businesses. I was blown away with what these people accomplished, but I rest assured knowing that I’m not where they are right now because when they were my age, they were right where I am now. Kudos to them! And maybe me in a few years!!!