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SCORE CHARLOTTE OFFERS LOCAL AREA BUSINESS OWNERS A CHANCE TO COMPETE FOR CASH PRIZES IN GROWTH PLAN COMPETITION---APPLICATIONS FOR PITCH FOR GROWTH OPEN TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
August 24, 2023
CHARLOTTE, N. C. – Applications for SCORE Charlotte’s Pitch for Growth 2023 competition will open Tuesday, September 5, 2023. Small business owners in 13 North Carolina and 3 South Carolina counties have a unique opportunity to pitch their future growth and well-being with assistance from SCORE Charlotte members and local business professional experts.
At the same time, owners can compete with other local entrepreneurs to win cash prizes and other valuable business services. The presenting sponsor for this event is U.S. Bank.
To participate, small business owners need to complete an application available on the SCORE Charlotte web site (https://www.score.org/charlotte/score-charlotte-pitch-growth ) beginning Tuesday, September 5 at 12 noon. Deadline for applications being submitted is by 5 pm on Friday, September 29th. Semi-finalists will be announced October 8, 2023. Top 10 finalists will be announced October 21. The Top 10 will meet with mentors for the pitch finale.
The live in-person post-pitch finale will be held on Thursday, November 16 at the Mint Museum on 2730 Randolph Road in Charlotte, NC. Three cash prizes will be awarded: $5,000 for the 1st Place Winner and $2,500 each for Second and Third Place Winners of Distinction. A special People’s Choice Award will also be awarded and that winner will be determined by the audience in attendance.
Requirements to Enter
To enter the Pitch for Growth contest, participants must be over 21 years of age and have been in business for at least one year. Businesses that are non-profit, franchises dealing in adult entertainment, cannabis/marijuana or firearms are not eligible.
Participation in the SCORE Charlotte Pitch for Growth contest is limited to entrepreneurs living in the 13 counties served by SCORE Charlotte in North Carolina and the three counties of South Carolina. North Carolina counties served by SCORE Charlotte include Mecklenburg, Gaston, Cleveland, Cabarrus, Stanly, Lincoln, Catawba, Caldwell, Alexander, Iredell, Rowan, Union and Anson. South Carolina counties served include York, Chester and Lancaster.
“The SCORE Charlotte Pitch for Growth 2023 competition gives small business owners a great opportunity to gain visibility for their small business network with help from local resources, SCORE mentors and advisors, and other small business owners in their community,” noted Barbara Brill,
President of SCORE Charlotte. “It will also give them an opportunity to meet local bankers and marketing experts who can provide them with valuable feedback as they develop a business and growth plan.
About SCORE Charlotte
Formed in 1964, SCORE Charlotte consists of 72 men and women who live in North or South Carolina. Roughly half of SCORE Charlotte mentors work full time. SCORE Charlotte mentors are experienced entrepreneurs, corporate managers and executives with a diverse set of industries and specialties who volunteer their experience and knowledge to help business professionals start, develop and grow businesses. We offer free and confidential monitoring along with low-cost or no-cost business training and numerous templates and tools.
In 2022, over 1,500 men and women were served by SCORE Charlotte in over 2,700 mentoring sessions to start or expand their businesses. SCORE Charlotte also sponsored 77 local in-person workshops attended by over 1,400 local men and women in the 17 counties served in North and South Carolina. 1,200 attendees from these counties also viewed over 580 national webinars.
Besides free mentoring, SCORE Charlotte members serve as SCORE Ambassadors and participate as speakers at business trade shows and events in the Charlotte Region. SCORE
Charlotte also sponsors free and low-cost workshops such as Simple Steps for Starting Your Business throughout the year and sponsors numerous problem-solving seminars on how to start a business or deal with business growth.
SCORE chapters are located throughout the country, with nine in North Carolina. Sponsored by the US Small Business Administration, SCORE is comprised of volunteers who mentor small business owners across a variety of business disciplines. Like all SBA partners, SCORE counseling is offered free of charge. Small businesses that want to talk or be assigned a SCORE Charlotte mentor can do so by downloading a “Mentor Request Form” found on our websites www.Charlotte.SCORE.org or www.score.org.
For more information on SCORE Charlotte services or to volunteer as a mentor, go towww.Charlotte.Score.org, call 704-344-6576 or e-mail charlottescore47@cltscore.org.
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