To create a successful business plan, entrepreneurs must ask themselves key questions, such as: Does the product or service work? Will anyone buy it? Is the organization set up to execute on the business model? Will this venture make a profit? Does it deliver social and economic value?

The seminars offered below are intended to help potential entrepreneurs answer these questions and many others. Seminar speakers and locations may change. Sign up for announcements of additional events: 1) at any one of these informational sessions, or 2) by emailing burrill@bus.wisc.edu to request email announcements about events.

Miss an event? No problem! Seminar resources shared by presenters are available for download here. 

EVENTS

October 4, 2012

Building a Business Plan. Get ready for the competition with an introduction to what goes into a business plan and insights into how to structure a plan for maximum effect while avoiding common errors. Presented by: Eric Brown, area business consultant. Location: Sellery Hall, room 29, at 5:00 p.m.
October 18, 2012

Exploring the Marketplace. Go beyond Google searches using special databases and research guides available at the Wisconsin School of Business (WSOB) Library that will give you insights into industries and customers so you can analyze your market opportunity. Presented by: Michael Enyart, director, WSOB Library. Location: Sellery Hall, room 29, at 5:00 p.m.
November 1, 2012

Choosing the Legal Form of a Business. How will you put together your business? Will that work for your investors or donors? In this session, you will learn about the advantages and limitations of different organizational forms commonly used by entrepreneurs. Presented by: Bryan Esch, attorney, DeWitt Ross & Stevens. Location: Sellery Hall, room 29, at 5:00 p.m.
TBA

Prototyping: Validating Your Design. Learn about the role of prototyping in product design and how to avoid fatal production problems that plague startups. Presented by: Chad Sorenson, serial entrepreneur and instructor, College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Location: Sellery Hall, room 29, at 5:00 p.m.
November 15, 2012

Projecting Financial Statements. You will discover what is expected in a plan’s financial projections. Learn about methods for preparing credible statements and how they can be used as a management tool using basic forecasting techniques and ratio analyses. Presented by: Phil Greenwood, CPA, University of Wisconsin- Madison. Location: Sellery Hall, room 29, at 5:00 p.m.
January 31, 2013

Beyond Patenting and Defending. Discover how intellectual property can play a key role in your new company’s strategy. Learn how firms combine patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets to achieve more sophisticated approaches to harvesting the value of their discoveries. Presented by: Laura Heisler, WARF. Location: Town Center at WID-MIR at 5:00 p.m.
February 7, 2013

Setting Up a Retailing Venture. Will you sell directly to customers, use “reps,” or go consignment? What about handling defects and returns? Identify key issues and learn valuable techniques for approaching resellers. Presented by: Jerry O’Brien, director, Center for Retailing Excellence, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Location: Sellery Hall, room 29, at 5:00 p.m.

IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES

  • Registration deadline. Submit a "mini-plan" (sample) idea sketch: March 1, 2013
  • Full written business plans due: April 1, 2013
  • Mock (practice) presentations: April 25, 2013
  • Final presentation slides due: April 30, 2013
  • Competition day presentations, exhibits, and awards: May 3, 2013