Featured News 

2022 HCC Business Plan Competition

Season Opens

2022 HCC Business Plan Competition 

Application Period - January 7-28

Prepare Now to Apply

The annual HCC Business Plan Competition is for Proposed, Startup and Existing Entrepreneurs. All accepted contestant teams get free training and advising late February through May to refine and polish their plans to start and/or grow their business. The top five teams win prize money!  All graduating teams feel like winners because they all come out with the greatest value, a stronger written plan, slide deck and video to pursue their business goals and to seek funding. 

Are you ready to apply?  

Proposed and Startup* Entrepreneurs - Steps to Apply  

1) Complete One Prequalifying Class or Program and 

2) Attend the Financial Webinar/Workshop

3) Apply in January

Have you completed ONE of these Prequalifying Classes or Programs?

• HCC Creating a Successful Business Plan Online Continuing Education Class - Still Available! - Quick Sign Up. It takes just three minutes to sign up and takes about 24 hours of your time! Scroll down for More and to Sign Up.
• Small Business Success Series by HCC^©  
• Small Business Management - College Credit Class at HCC
• Entrepreneurship and Economic Development - College Credit Class at HCC
• Liftoff Houston Startup Competition
• Houston Area Urban League Small Business University
• University of Houston SURE Program

If you still need the class/program scroll down to sign up for the self-paced class.  

If you still need the financial workshop/webinar sign up for one of the January financial webinars. Then submit a strong application January 7-28. Have you completed the above already? Then take a sneak peak at Application questions and get started on your answers before the Application period opens! 

* You are considered to be a Startup Entrepreneur for the purposes of our competition if you have not yet achieved six continuous months of net profit prior to or during the pandemic.

Existing Entrepreneurs - Steps to Apply

1) Financial Webinar/Workshop - Sign Up Now for a January Virtual Webinar & attend it.

2) Apply

All Applicants Should Submit a Strong Application between January 7 - January 28

Ready to start working on your application? Our Competition Website gives you a sneak peak at the application's business concept questions, if you'd like to start working up your answers!  

www.hccs.edu/businessplancompetition

Featured January Events

For proposed, startup and existing business owners. A two-and-a-half hour webinar that sets you up for success. Know your numbers and plan right for 2022!

Thinking of applying for the 2022 HCC Business Plan Competition? This webinar prepares you to go for it!

Featured Topics:

• Understanding the Primary Purpose of your Business
• How to Generate Revenue from your Business Idea
• Understanding concepts such as Burn-rate, Breakeven, and Cash-Flow
• Determining Cash Needs of Business
• Financing Cash Needs
• Financial Record Keeping



Funding Panel - Hear from, and ask questions of a panel of our financial resource partners from Houston's entrepreneurial eco-system.

Event Fee: Free to all entrepreneurs 

Choose One of the Following Financial Webinar Dates and Register Now: 

Saturday, January 29, 2022, 9:30am - 12:00pm

Turn your business ideas into a solid plan for financing and long-term success. Committing your idea to paper in the form of a business plan not only increases your chances of obtaining financing, but also in keeping your business strategically focused. 

You will work through all the major components of writing a business plan and emerge with your first draft in hand. And most importantly, you will have completed the first-and most difficult-step on the path to small business success.

If you are a proposed or startup entrepreneur, this class prepares you to apply for the Spring 2022 HCC Business Plan Competition (BPC)!  

How it works: Complete 12 online lessons (each about 1.5 - 2 hours) with quizzes to advance to next lesson. At the end of the 12 lessons, take the multiple choice test to complete the class. (Hint - Save your quizzes; they prepare you very well for the final). The whole class takes about 15-24 hours of your time. 

Easy Enrollment - Takes just three minutes to register for the class!  

Choose Self-Paced Class if you are taking it to apply for the 2022 HCC BPC!

Self-Paced - Sign up any day any time!  Our Continuing Education department gives you three months from the date you sign up to finish the class. However, for those taking the class as a prerequisite to apply for the 2022 HCC Business Plan Competition ("Competition"), we recommend that you finish the class by the Competition's Application Deadline of January 28 or by no later than February 14.   

Click below for more info on each lesson and to sign up for the class!  

Register Now 

Megan Eddings

Founder & CEO

Accel Lifestyle

$12,000 - 1st Place Winner

Winner - 2018 HCC Business Plan Competition (BPC)

Bronze Level Sponsor - 2022 HCC BPC

Accel Lifestyle - A progressive lifestyle approach, focusing on integrating health and well-being with the products that accelerate your everyday life. Whether you are working from home, moving your body or enjoying some fresh air, we created a better fabric that simply weaves into every aspect of your bold and adventurous life.

Megan Eddings Founder and CEO won the competition in 2018. She says, "I was a chemist and a sales person, but I didn't know anything about starting a business. The competition helped me learn how to write a business plan, how to raise money and know what an LLC is. The most important thing was being around other entrepreneurs. Being an entrepreneur is a lonely thing and it's scary. Being in a room full of other people going through the same thing was so encouraging. The training and advising and camaraderie made us see we could all do it if we took the right steps and stayed with it pursuing excellence". Megan launched Accel Lifestyle in 2018 and it's grown to a million-dollar business since then.

In 2020, When the pandemic hit, Accel Lifestyle pivoted right away with masks and landed contracts with the military and hospitals. They grew their revenues, hired more employees and gave back to the community with campaigns to raise awareness on causes dear to them, like Breast Cancer, St. Jude's Children's Hospital and the Texas Heart Institute. This all lead to Megan Eddings Day declared by Mayor Sylvester Turner on May 24, 2021.

Megan recently told us: "In Fall 2021, we launched Accel Unite. The year prior, when I started doing masks, one of the hospitals asked us if we could take our material and invent a reusable hospital gown, they were using 10,000 disposable gowns/day from China and supply chain was a problem. Since then, we have invented a re-usable isolation gown with patents pending in 153 countries. Our first shipments went out in November 2021 to locations all over Texas and Arkansas."

Megan also gives back to support our competition and entrepreneurs. She has been a recurring BPC Alumni Circle sponsor and is increasing Accel Lifestyle's sponsorship to the Bronze Level for 2022! We thank Megan again for giving back and sharing her success with our entrepreneurs!

Hear More - Click here for Megan's Brief Video Interview on Up to the Minute with HCCTV host Todd Duplantis.

For More and to Order: https://www.accellifestyle.com/

Watch Megan Edding's Interview on HCCTV - Up To The Minute with Host Todd Duplantis

William McMordie

Vice President

Texas Swim Academy

$12,000 - 1st Place Winner

Winner 2015 HCC Business Plan Competition (BPC)

BPC Alumni Circle Sponsor - 2022 HCC BPC

Texas Swim Academy specializes in Infant Survival Swim and swimming lessons to customers in Katy, Houston and the surrounding areas. We will advance students from water safety to confident water enjoyment. We accomplish these goals with intensive in-water training by Certified Infant Survival Swim Specialist and WSI trained instructors. Our methods are effective due to the consistency and repetitive teachings we provide.

This family business was started by Kathleen and Bruce McMordie. They entered the competition together in 2015 with their son William, who was gradating from college with his BBA. William says "The strongest benefit was creating the plan together and establishing our plan as a focal point for running our company. We've revised our plan 25 times since 2015. Our core management team is also involved in updating it and implementing goals and action steps down through all employees. Our roles & responsibilities are also clearly outlined and have evolved. Over the years, my mother's focus has gone back to her original passions with customers. Over time, I've assumed more of my fathers role in financing and the numbers, operations and strategy."

Clearly defining and testing growth opportunities wisely before large cash infusions has been crucial to their long-term success. They've tested and explored expanding their services and offerings wisely over the years including competitive swimming and water safety & drowning prevention education. Now they are launching a related venture to sell and install Life Saver Pool Fences in Houston. They've secured a 60-mile radius within which to do so, with downtown being the center of the radius. William will continue his role in Texas Swim Academy, and the Academy also is generating leads concurrently for Life Saver Pool Fences. His plans will be to focus on system-etizing, training and growing both companies.

My Dad and I have been advisors to contestants in the Business Plan Competition. We advised Angelica Robinson, "Jelly" in 2019 and she's launched Peace & Love Studios, Houston's 1st Luxury Mobile Salon for Children. While she didn't win the competition, she came out with a strong plan and connections. She was able to use the skills she learned and her plan to get an investor and launch her business. We are very proud of her and still in touch. Now we are also a BPC Alumni sponsor of the competition and happy to give back!

Watch William McMordie's Interview on HCCTV - Up To The Minute with Host Todd Duplantis

We are seeking experienced advisors to join our 2022 Advisor Cohort to give volunteer advising to our applicant teams selected to compete in the 2022 Competition.

Each chosen team moves through free training and advising prior to submitting their plans in May. Our Advisor Cohort usually includes: individual advisors from entrepreneurial eco-system partners and sponsors throughout the greater Houston area (SCORE, Focal Point Coaching, Silver Fox Advisors, HWCOC, funding partners, Baker Ripley....); experienced HCC Business Plan Competition Alumni & HCC Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Alumni, small business educators, other experienced entrepreneurs, and individuals with expertise in areas key to small business success such as funding, sales & marketing, leadership, HR, taxes, mitigation risk, etc. and/or experience in specific in industries (retail, IT, food & beverage, healthcare, etc.). Yes, we have had some Virtual Advisors from outside of Houston.

Being of service as a volunteer advisor

can change the lives of these entrepreneurs!

All competition training sessions will be VIRTUAL ON ZOOM.

All one-on-one advising can be VIRTUAL too.

For More & to Sign Up/Submit Your Interest

In Joining our Advisor Cohort

Sponsor Spotlight

Capital CDC

Capital CDC

HCC Business Plan Competition

2022 Silver Level Cash Prize Sponsor

Capital CDC is a leading, private, non-profit provider of small business financing throughout Texas, New Mexico, and Arkansas. In 1993, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) certified Capital CDC to act as a facilitator of the SBA’s 504 Loan Program and to act as a catalyst for economic development. Since that time, Capital CDC has worked with hundreds of small businesses and partnered with multiple financial institutions to assist with financing of building acquisitions, construction projects, and machinery and equipment loans.

SBA Region 6 Award – We pride ourselves on being the best at what we do. For over 15 years now, we have ranked #1 in total number of SBA 504 loans provided, in our five-state region of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, and ranked 15th nationally among 249 CDCs.

SBA District Awards – It is an honor to not only lead our region, but also the SBA districts within our region. In 2019, Capital CDC was recognized by the SBA for the most 504 loans in the Lubbock, San Antonio, and Houston Districts.

HCC thanks Harry Leach, Houston Regional Manager, Capital CDC for supporting our HCC Business Plan Competition. We again congratulate Mr. Leach and Capital CDC for being honored by the Houston District SBA at the Houston Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders Luncheon with the following awards in December 2021:

• 504 SBA HDO - Exemplary Local Economic Boost Award
• 504 SBA HDO - Small Businesses Helped Award

Announcing 2022

HCC Business Plan Competition Sponsors

Now and Throughout the Spring

More About Each 2022 Competition Sponsor

Upcoming Virtual Events & Classes

HCC & Partners

HCC Corporate College

Small Business Administration - Events

Access Funding to Start and Grow Your Business

Thursday, January 27 | 7:00pm CDT |  JOIN LIVE

Join this session to learn the benefits of SBA loan programs and resources. Not only can SBA loans reduce the equity required for start-up businesses, equipment purchases & owner-occupied real estate acquisitions, but it can also lower monthly payments, and mitigate some weaknesses. This event is a must for small business owners who are looking to understand the requirements for obtaining a loan (5 C's of Credit).

MBDA - Subs & Sandwiches

With Turner Construction

Register Now

Houston Business Matchmaker

Register Now

Access to HCC - Procurement Expo

Register Now

More News From

Performance Update - Our Success is Your Success!

Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship

We appreciate all who have contributed to our success! Provided below is a link that leads to a performance update of recent and past activities and a bit more about our signature programs: the HCC Business Pan Competition; Small Business Success Series by HCC^© and our HCC Mattress Mack School of Selling^©.

We thank: our entrepreneurial champions; sponsors; internal & external partners; entrepreneurs-in-residence; facilitators, trainers & panelists; volunteer advisors; all of the alumni of our signature programs and all of the proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs who participate in our offerings.

For our Performance Update and more thanks to all who make it happen:

Performance Update and Thanks

We look forward to overcoming the obstacles and challenges of 2022, making a difference together!

Sandra, David, Sabiha and Flora  

About the Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship

HCC Northwest

OUR MISSION: To help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.

We do this by offering workshops, seminars, summits, classes and competitive training and advising, while also providing practical knowledge, resources and connections. We are also known for three Signature Programs: the Annual HCC Business Plan Competition, now in its 15th year; the Small Business Success Series by by HCC^©; and the HCC Mattress Mack School of Selling^©. More About Us



Contact us at c4e@hccs.edu or 713-718-6650

Houston Community College 

2020 Entrepreneurial College of the Year

October. 6, 2020: The Houston Community College System was selected as the winner of the 2020 Entrepreneurial College of the Year award by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) at NACCE's annual conference, where entrepreneurial colleges from across the U.S. gather to share best practices. On behalf of all of our entrepreneurial programs and staff, we thank all of the entrepreneurs, partners, sponsors, volunteers, students, and HCC faculty and staff who have contributed to our efforts! Without your support and dedication to our programs, this wouldn't have been possible!

Houston Community College Receives 2021 Diversity In Business Award from the Houston Business Journal!

Congratulations to all students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs (aspiring & existing); and to all our community participants, supporters, volunteers, partners and sponsors who collaborate with us to make awards like this possible! Congratulations also to all of the other honorees and awardees! 

#WeAreHCC # HoustonStrong #HBJDiversity