HIGH POINT, N.C., April 4, 2013 – The Center for Entrepreneurship at High Point University has announced the three finalists for its 3rd annual Business Plan Competition. The finalists will split a $15,000 prize.
The three finalists are Cameron McGraw, a senior entrepreneurship and management major; Alexa Crawford, a junior entrepreneurship major; and Kristopher Hovland, a sophomore business major. They will present their business plans to a panel of judges consisting of business leaders and entrepreneurs from the Triad community on April 24. The event will be held at 9:30 a.m. in the La-Z-Boy Room of Norton Hall.
Their business plans include:
• Cameron McGraw intends to open a Swedish café and bakery called FIKA. The plan includes offering a variety of open face sandwiches, traditional entrees, soups and salads. The bakery would also serve hot drinks and Scandinavian pastries.
• Alexa Crawford is developing a website named “The Ever After Lady,” or T.E.A.L. Crawford, who is a cancer survivor, says the website will create a safe, nurturing and social environment for women diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses.
• Kristopher Hovland designed a desk tailored to the specific needs of computer gamers. The desk includes pop-up tablet stands, 300 LED lights and strategically placed spaces to organize and hide computer cords.
“This year we have business plans spanning a wide variety of industries. It shows the diversity of interests and creativity of HPU students,” says Lou Anne Flanders-Stec, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. “This competition not only helps them get their businesses off the ground, but gives them the valuable experience of pitching their ideas to business leaders.”
The competition is sponsored by High Point University’s Phillips School of Business and its Center for Entrepreneurship, in partnership with BB&T.
All students who entered the competition were challenged to submit a written business plan, followed by oral presentations to judges who are familiar with early-stage and start-up businesses. The finalists’ plans will be evaluated on multiple criteria, including feasibility of success, idea innovation and soundness of the business model.