Have an idea?

Venture Name:

Venture Lead Name (Team Lead):

Venture Lead Email address:

Summary (one page maximum)

Tell us about your business (avoid any technical jargon here).

S1. What is your product/service? What are the problems or pain points you are trying to solve?

S2. What is unique about it?

S3. Who is it for?

S4. Why does this idea excite you?

Great! Now let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

Businesses are affected by what’s happening around them.

1. Who is doing the same thing or something similar? (Their business model may be different than yours)
2. What value do you bring that they do not? (Try to describe your value simply beyond price: ideas are rarely sustainable if the only difference is that they are cheaper)
3. Why do you think potential customers will value your product? What evidence do you have to support this?
4. Describe any industry/market challenges that you foresee and how you plan to address them (should not be blank):

Businesses need to have customers and getting those customers can be a challenge.

1. Who is your ideal customer? (Pro tip: you want to choose a market that is large enough to sustain your business, but specific enough that you can precisely speak to their unique needs)
   1. Macro description: Consumers (general characteristics such as age, income, etc.)/businesses (general characteristics such as industry, employee count, etc.)
   2. Micro description (also called psychographics): factors such as values, behavior, preferences, attitudes, etc.
2. How many people fit the description above (your market size)?
3. How do you plan to reach your target market, so they know about, consider, and buy your product?
4. What is the message you wish to convey to your customers?
5. Describe any challenges that you foresee in marketing and how you plan to address these? (should not be blank):

Businesses need to have a plan for managing day-to-day operations.

1. What technology do you need to develop/license to make this work? How do you plan to do this?
2. Who will manufacture and distribute your product / provide your service? How will this work?
3. Describe any challenges that you foresee in operations and how you plan to address them? (should not be blank):

Businesses (including nonprofits) need to make money to continue operating.

1. What is the estimated average price a customer will pay for your product/service?
2. What will it cost the company to provide this product/service per sale (estimated)?
3. Keeping in mind the challenge of reaching new customers, how many sales do you expect to see in year one? Year two?
4. Using the equation below, how much money (gross profit) do expect to make/lose in year one? Year two?
   1. Year one number of sales *(price paid per sale - cost to company per sale) = Year one gross profit
   2. Year two number of sales *(price paid per sale - cost to company per sale) = Year two gross profit
5. Describe any financial challenges/risks that you foresee and how you plan to address them? (should not be blank):

Time is your most precious resource and knowing what happens when is vital to your business.

1. What key events need to happen to launch your business and become profitable? When do you anticipate these happenings? Please list in time order.
2. Describe any time challenges that you foresee and how you plan to address them? (should not be blank):

Your management team is the most important asset of your business.

1. Describe your management team structure with skills and roles.
2. What partnerships do you need (e.g., manufacturers, distributors, advisors etc.)?
3. Describe any team challenges that you foresee in and how you plan to address them (should not be blank):

The competition is open to all Indiana University students (including graduate and undergraduate) in any course of study.

Yes! Part of the innovation process is iterating and changing. You are not locked into the idea you submitted for registration.

Yes, but the summary section will be sent on to the competition judges in its submitted form. It is recommended that you stay as close to the summary as possible after you submit your business proposal.

Once you are registered, we will pair you with a Kelley MBA coach to help you along the way. Business coaching will be on the following schedule by walk-in or by appointment. Please email icfellow@iu.edu to schedule your coaching session.

It’s okay! The business proposal is designed to be as user-friendly as possible and your Kelley MBA competition coach will help you along the way.

1st Prize: Up to $35,000 with additional prizes awarded at the discretion of the judges.