The LAUNCH Business Plan Competition kicked off in April and today there are six finalists eager to make their dreams of starting their own new business come true. Join us September 30th at the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center at 801 Main Street in Peoria as we announce the winner of the LAUNCH Business Plan Competition.

·Presentations: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
·Cocktail Party: 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
·Presentations and Awards: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Organizers say the LAUNCH Business Plan Competition was designed help local start-up businesses during a difficult economic time. It was open to anyone with a new business idea and plans to start that new business in the Tri-County area. Participant’s business plans varied including medical management services, a bed and breakfast, an online fashion highway, a “green” tankless water heater, a tea house and even an online marketplace to help college students get rid of their old text books. The LAUNCH winner will receive:

·2 hours of banking/financing consulting from State Bank of Speer
·2 hours of insurance consulting from Unland Companies
·2 hours legal consulting from Husch Blackwell Sanders
·2 hours human resources consulting from Performance Growth Partners, Inc.
·2 hours of marketing consulting from AdCo Advertising Agency
·1 year free membership in the Peoria, East Peoria, Morton and Pekin Chambers of Commerce
·1 year Free attendance at any seminar offered by the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship
·$3000 in cash to help you start your business
·Each finalist will receive a $100 gift card to help with the purchase software.


***The Media is invited to attend. Finalists and LAUNCH organizers will be available for interviews.

This competition was organized by the East Peoria, Pekin and Peoria Area Chambers of Commerce, the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center, Morton Economic Development Council, SCORE, and Bradley University’s Turner Center for Entrepreneurship and the Technology Commercialization Center. Program sponsors include Unland Companies, Townhomes at Williamsburg, State Bank of Speer, and Husch Blackwell Sanders.

For more information on the LAUNCH Business Plan Competition contact Ken Klotz, Director Illinois SBDC at Bradley University at (309) 677-2992 or sbdc@bradley.edu.