NOVEMBER 5, 2007
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — At its annual meeting on October 23, 2007, the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) announced its 2008 Business Plan Competition. Now in its third year, the competition runs from late October 2007 until winners are announced in mid-March 2008. Each year the competition has drawn more than 40 entries.
The deadline for submission to the 2008 competition is January 7, and winners will be announced and prizes awarded on March 12, 2008. A detailed schedule and a list of rules may be obtained on the website bdccbusinessplancompetition.com, or by a link from the BDCC website, brattleborodevelopment.com.
Contestants may enter a business plan in one of two categories, Existing Businesses or Start-up Businesses. The top prize in the Existing Business category is $20,000, and the finalists will be awarded $1,000 each. In the Start-up Business category, the winner will be awarded $10,000, with the finalists each receiving $1,000.
Businesses and start-ups entering the competition must be located in Windham County, Vt. Finalists will present their business plans to the panel of judges, who will select the winners and runners-up in each category. This year Gov. Jim Douglas made a special visit to award the prizes and congratulate the winners and finalists.
BDCC’s annual Business Plan Competition has become a successful entrepreneurial event. Its purpose is to help raise awareness in the community about small business and entrepreneurship, and to encourage new business development by helping interested community members develop viable business plans, gain public attention and earn financial rewards.
BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Windham County. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity and improves the quality of life of all the county’s residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations. It owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new business park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities.
For more information about BDCC, call 802-257-7731 or e-mail bdcc@sover.net.