For proposed, startup and existing business owners. A free, live two-and-a-half hour webinar that sets you up for success. Know your numbers and plan right for 2023!

This virtual webinar is a prerequisite for the team lead of all teams applying for the 2023 HCC Business Plan Competition. Other entrepreneurs are also welcome!

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 - Learn and ask questions from our financial resource partners.

Event Fee: Free to all entrepreneurs 

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

Thursday, January 19, 2023, 2:00pm - 4:30pm



Saturday, January 21, 2023, 9:30am - 12:00pm

Saturday, January 28, 2023, 9:30am - 12:00pm

Thinking of applying for the 2023 HCC Business Plan Competition in January? All accepted applicants get free training and advising throughout the Spring and the chance to win seed money.

All competition graduates win in-kind prizes.

Scroll down to learn more and prepare to apply!

Featured News 

2023 HCC Business Plan Competition

Season Opens

2023 HCC Business Plan Competition 

Application Period Opens January 6

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 6-27. 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 6 - January 27

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

2023 HCC Business Plan Competition

Launch Party - Reception, Showcase & Orientation

Join us on Zoom Wednesday, January 11 2023, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Who is invited?  

Proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs who are interested in applying for the 2023 HCC Business Plan Competition; competition leaders, trainers, sponsors, judges, advisors, community supporters and past HCC BPC winners, finalists and graduates!  

Come join us to mix, mingle and learn more from all parties involved! Meet past competition graduates, winners, our ecosystem partners, and competition leaders, trainers and advisors signing on for the 2023 HCC BPC Advisor Cohort.  

• 5:00 - 6:00 pm - Reception & Showcase.
• 6:00 - 7:00 pm - Orientation for interested competition applicants.

It's a celebration of all involved to showcase our past competition alumni and introduce all who make this outstanding competition possible. 

Welcome to those applying and to those considering applying for the 2023 HCC BPC during the January 6-27 Application period! This optional but awesome gathering is a great way to start the year and connect with our competition and entrepreneurial community! 

For More & to RSVP

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 increases your chances of obtaining financing, and keeps 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 2023 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 2023 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 2023 HCC Business Plan Competition ("Competition"), we recommend that you finish the class by the Competition's Application Deadline of January 27 or by no later than February 13.   

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

Register Now 

Thank You Again to our

2022 HCC Business Plan Competition Sponsors

More About Each 2022 Competition Sponsor

ANNOUNCING 2023 SPONSORS IN THE SPRING! 

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.



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

Houston Community College Wins 2022 Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Award for Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Education

 Houston-based academic group called out top universities and programs from around the world — including one in Houston and another in Texas — that are excelling in educating future entrepreneurs at the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Conference in October.

The GCEC is a consortium of more than 250 university entrepreneurship programs that is headquartered at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business, which has been named a top entrepreneurship program itself time and time again. Houston Community College's Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives (led by Dr. Maya Durnovo) won in the Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Education category. The office is known for signature programs like its annual business plan competition, which has been running since 2008. It is also home to the Minority Business Development Agency, created by a grant from the Department of Commerce in 2013, and the MBDA Pandemic Recovery Center. Additionally, the HCC Alief Hayes Campus is in partnership with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, providing 100 hours of instruction and advising and access to capital and an alumni network.

GCEC Award-Innovation Map Article

Houston Community College Wins 2022 Bellwether Award for Entrepreneurial Initiatives

Houston Community College has won the 2022 Bellwether Award for its outstanding and innovative workforce development program: HCC’s Entrepreneurial Initiatives. The Bellwether Awards are widely regarded as one of the nation’s most competitive and prestigious recognitions for community colleges. Dr. Maya Durnovo, HCC’s chief entrepreneurial initiatives officer leads HCC’s mission of helping entrepreneurs start and grow businesses to bolster the local economy, create jobs and build Houston’s ecosystem by starting and growing small businesses, including minority-, veteran- and women-owned businesses. Dr. Durnovo said. “I am so fortunate to have a highly motivated and passionate team that strives for excellence in everything they do.”

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

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!