Don’t Miss Your Big Shot!

Report to Members

By Michele N. Siekerka, Esq., NJBIA President and CEO On Oct 30, 2017

Whether your business is starving for startup capital, or so successful it’s outgrowing space and outpacing inventory, you need a cash infusion to invest in your company’s future growth.

Ah, but money doesn’t grow on trees you say? True, but $15,000 does sprout up in unexpected places, such as NJBIA’s Big Shot Contest underway right now!

Businesses all over the state are making short cellphone videos to creatively pitch their company and explain why it deserves to win the grand prize: $15,000 in working capital and 48 hours of free consulting services from a panel of New Jersey business experts.

Unlike TV’s “Shark Tank,” NJBIA’s Big Shot contest isn’t demanding a stake in your company as a condition of giving you money. Our winner can use the $15,000 prize to grow their business with no strings attached. And while we hope the winner will find our business consultants’ suggestions useful for increasing profits, he or she is not obligated to implement them.

Our contest was inspired by the success of one of our own NJBIA members, Mike Luzio. As an entrepreneur working out of his Old Bridge basement, Luzio used $15,000 to cofound his first business, Industrial Retail Group (IRG), in 2004 and then used his business acumen and talent for building relationships to turn IRG into a powerhouse that he sold nine years later for $50 million.

Rather than retire, Luzio opted to inspire. He hosts a weekly web series, “52 American Success Stories,” designed to motivate others to overcome adversity and succeed in business. As the host of this NJBIA campaign, he’s giving companies a platform to showcase what they do and raising awareness about the ways NJBIA helps businesses grow and prosper.

If you’re ready to take your “big shot” at a chance for free working capital and the opportunity to be mentored by leading business experts, here’s what you need to know about the contest. You must be at least 18 years old to enter, and your company must be registered in New Jersey. The video must be at least 90 seconds long, but no more than 10 minutes.

The video must be original, created soley for our contest and uploaded to www.bigshotnj.com before midnight on Nov. 30, 2017. Make sure you don’t infringe on another’s trademark or intellectual property. In your video, we’d like you to explain:

• What inspired you to start your company
• What your business’ biggest challenges are
• What NJBIA service or benefit you would most like to take advantage of to help your business
• How you would spend the $15,000 grand prize to invest in your business

Entries will be judged on whether they meet the submission criteria (40 percent of the score), as well as the video’s quality and appeal (20 percent), creativity (20 percent) and originality (20 percent).

Three finalists selected on Dec. 17 will have the opportunity to work with Luzio to create a second, professional quality video (at no cost) and compete for the grand prize.

The grand prize winner will be announced on or about January 8, 2018. (Go to the contest website to check out contestants’ videos and read all rules).

You don’t need to be an NJBIA member to enter or win. But we’re confident contestants will soon discover what our members already know: NJBIA, the nation’s largest statewide business organization, provides powerful advocacy in Trenton, as well the money-saving resources and networking connections your business needs to grow and prosper in New Jersey.

Are you ready to take your big shot?

Lights, camera, action!

 

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