Harford County Shark Tank 2020

Posted November 4, 2019 By Josh Fegles

America’s SBDC Northern Region and Harford Community College presents Harford
County SharkTank 2020

A business challenge no other where the audience determines the most
appropriate prize package for the final five contestants, based on the business pitch!
Thanks to our generous community partners, all contestants will be awarded a prize-
package to move their business forward.

From aspiring business entrepreneur to the established business owner, all are
encouraged to apply. Participants will use the leading business pitching and planning
software, LivePlan, and produce actionable/trackable business pitches that can be used
throughout the entire business ownership process. Each entrant will use the LivePlan
software and the “lean planning” approach to prepare for this competition.

Event Details:

Who’s hosting Shark Tank 2019? America’s SBDC Northern Region and Harford Community College.

Where is it taking place? Harford Community College, Chesapeake Theatre, Chesapeake Hall, 401 Thomas Run Road, Bel Air, MD 21015.

When is it? January 30 @ 6:00PM – Live event at Chesapeake Theatre, Chesapeake Hall for top 5 entrants to pitch *Winners Announced*. Contestants need to arrive at 5:30PM. The event kicks-off at 6PM with a Networking Happy Hour!

Can family & friends attend? Of course! To purchase tickets, which includes networking hour with food and beverage please visit: tickets.harford.edu.

FAQ:

How many entrepreneurs are chosen? There will be 5 entrepreneurs chosen!

When is the pitch page submission deadline? January 3 @ 11:59PM ET

What business packages can I win? All final contestants will receive a one-year membership to Harford County’s Ground Floor, a Harford County Chamber of Commerce Membership and a Live Plan subscription.

Audience members will vote to determine which business service you need based on your business pitch. In addition to the yearly memberships, final contestants will win one of the following prizes:
- - $1000 cash prize – Sponsor: Harford County Community and Economic Development
  - Website Service/SEO—Sponsor: Virtually Nat
  - Social Media—Sponsor: Omnibiz
  - Business Consulting –Sponsor: The Growth Coach
  - Legal Services—Sponsor: Gavir Law
All five Finalist will receive:
- - One Year Membership to The Ground Floor Coworking Space The GroundFloor
  - One Year Membership to Harford County Chamber Memberships Harford County Chamber of Commerce
  - One Year Subscription to LivePlan LivePlan
How long can my pitch be? Your pitch must be no longer than 3 minutes. We will have a countdown to help you keep track. Once the final contestants are chosen we will provide you a Powerpoint slide to create for the Live event.

How will I know if I am chosen? On January 9 @ 5:30PM, we will be making the announcement as to the final 5 contestants via Facebook Live!

What if I am chosen? You must accept your spot to participate in Harford County SharkTank 2020.

What if I am not chosen? No worries! Not everyone can be chosen, but you will be immediately notified. We would still like for you to attend and network.

Can family & friends attend? Of course! To purchase tickets, which includes networking hour with food and beverage please visit: tickets.harford.edu.

Who can I contact with questions? You can reach out to Ryan Del Gallo of America’s SBDC at 443.373.3377 or rdelgallo@harford.edu.

How to Enter:

- To be eligible, entrants need to be at least 18 years old and current residents of Harford County.
- To enter the competition, participants are required to complete and submit the “Pitch Page” feature on LivePlan.
- Registration is closed. You’ll get access to LivePlan for 3 months free as a participant.
- Once you have completed the Pitch Page, publish your pitch, and copy the URL into Registration is closed. For help publishing your page, see the images below.
See Sample LivePlan Pitch Page for inspiration

Note: If you make any changes to your page after submission simply click the “Update it now” button on the Pitch page and it will automatically update the URL/link.

How to publish your page: INSTRUCTIONS

Pitch Page submissions will be judged based on:

Completeness of entry
Quality and clarity of communication
Perceived feasibility of forecast elements
Strength of communication of the unique challenges and solutions
Individual appeal of final Pitch product (third-party judging panel)

Pitches will be judged based on:

Business Description: Details of the venture and what it does.
Market: Characteristics of the market and description of its customers.
Product or Service: The specifics of the product or service.
Competition: Identify current and potential competitors.
Marketing Strategy: How sales will be achieved.
Operations: How the product or service will be produced and delivered.
Management: An assessment of the entrepreneur(s) and team.
Finances: An overview of the required resources and economics of the venture.
Presentation: Overall effectiveness of the actual presentation.

Calendar of Events:

January 3 @ 11:59PM ET – ENTRY DEADLINE | Registration is closed
January 9 @ 5:30PM- Five Final Contestants Announced
January 30 @ 5:30PM – Live event at Chesapeake Theatre, Chesapeake Hall for top 5 entrants to pitch *Winners Announced*