RE: From the Sandbox: Last Chance for Aspring Entrepreneurs to Pitch Their Ideas
David Parker
Dear Sandbox Entrepreneur Program Partner,
Thank you for helping promote our first three pitch contests! Momentum is building – 47 people submitted ideas for our third pitch contest, a new record!
We only have one more contest left for entrepreneurs to apply for, and we’d love your help spreading the word. At our October 4th Pitch Contest, we will be welcoming all types of ideas, so you can encourage everyone in your network to apply. The deadline to submit ideas for this contest is September 17th at midnight, so we would greatly appreciate if you could help us now to market for this event. All the materials you need are down below in this email.
Lastly, if your organization is a non-profit and/or prides itself on being socially or environmentally conscious, we strongly encourage you and/or your staff to attend our September 13th contest (Education, Environment, Human Services Ideas) in order to see how fun these events are, and to share your expertise and advice with these entrepreneurs. You can click here to attend.
Thanks again for all your help and support!
David Parker
Sandbox
From: David Parker
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2012 10:28 AM
Subject: From the Sandbox: Please Help us Promote our Next Two Pitch Contests!
Dear Sandbox Entrepreneur Program Partner,
Thank you for helping promote our first two pitch contests, which were great successes! We had 73 applicants who competed for a total of $5,000 in prize money, and more than 200 people, including investors, business professionals, and aspiring entrepreneurs, attended the contests. All of your emails and flyer distributions really made a difference. We would be very grateful if you could help us duplicate that success with our next two pitch contests:
September 13: Education, Environment, and Human Services Ideas
On September 13th, we will be welcoming education, environment, and human services ideas at our contest in Lawrence at Chester’s on Island Street. If your organization is a non-profit and/or prides itself on being socially or environmentally conscious, this is a great opportunity to encourage people in your network to apply. And, if you’re in these fields, we strongly encourage you and/or your staff to attend the contest in order to share your expertise and advice with these entrepreneurs – they will appreciate your feedback very much! The deadline to submit ideas for this contest is August 30th at midnight, so we need to get the word out ASAP.
October 4: All Ideas Welcome!
On October 4th, we will be welcoming all types of ideas at our contest at MFA offices in Tewksbury, so you can encourage everyone to apply! This is a chance for people who may have felt their ideas didn’t match the topics of the first three contests, or who have learned about the contests after they started. The deadline to submit ideas for this contest is September 17th at midnight.
Ways to Reach Your Audience
As we have done in the past, we’re going to give you all the elements you need to send an email or hand out flyers to your audience about these contests.
By the way, if you come across anyone who wants to find out more about this program, please have them visit: MVSandbox.org
If you are looking to “build” your own email with text and/or a Sandbox Logo:
The logo is here, on the Web:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B61HedsKIvkZb21nV3NEOUlPOWc
And following is text you can use in your email:
We want to let you know about a program we’re supporting called the Sandbox Entrepreneur Program. The goal of this program is to encourage as many people from the Merrimack Valley to share their ideas for products, businesses, and solutions to problems – and then help get those ideas closer to reality.
On September 13th, there will be a pitch contest for anyone with an education, environment, or human services idea. Here are some examples of ideas that might be submitted: The next big digital education learning program, a toxin-free cleaning product, an innovative health & support technology, or a new way to provide services to single moms! The deadline to apply for this contest is August 30th at midnight.
On October 4th, there will be a pitch contest that will welcome all types of ideas. Maybe a new phone app, the next big food truck, or even a community gardening program! Whatever the idea, feel free to apply. The deadline is September 17th at midnight.
Here are the benefits of sharing your idea at our pitch contest!
· Get instant feedback!
· Over $2k in cash prizes!
· Free to enter and attend!
· Network with entrepreneurs!
Visit MVSandbox.org to enter, attend, and volunteer!
If you intend to simply email out a JPEG file that already contains text describing the Sandbox Entrepreneur Program from a partner’s perspective:
JPEG containing text and information on Pitch 3 (Environment, Education, and Human Services):
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B61HedsKIvkZeG5OaFlYNV9sblk
JPEG containing text and information on Pitch 4 (All Ideas Welcome!):
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B61HedsKIvkZUWNpdzNDVWZFMjQ
If you intend to email out the flyers within the body of the message, but create and add your own text before it:
JPEG of flyer for Pitch 3 (Environment, Education, and Human Services):
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B61HedsKIvkZblBqZ0JGb0dxLWs
JPEG of flyer for Pitch 4 (All Ideas Welcome!):
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B61HedsKIvkZZzIybDVxeWNyTGc
If you can print flyers, preferably color on the front and b/w on the back, the PDFs are online, and then distribute them to any and all people or offices you come across:
PDF with front in color and back in b/w, Pitch Contest 3 (Environment, Education, and Human Services):
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B61HedsKIvkZS1NBZjZ2T3hlRVE
PDF with front in color and back in b/w, Pitch Contest 4 (All Ideas Welcome!):
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B61HedsKIvkZdTJmYTBCczYyNUk
Finally, if you would like us to get printed flyers to you, we’re happy to deliver them ASAP – just reply to this email and tell us how many you’d like!
Let us know if you have any questions or issues or problems.
Thanks again for your help in promoting entrepreneurship in and around Lawrence and Lowell, and the rest of the Merrimack Valley!
The Sandbox Entrepreneur Program Team
David Parker, Co-Chair
Theresa Park, Co-Chair
From the mailbox of:
David Parker
Co-Executive Director
Director of Entrepreneur Development
Merrimack Valley Sandbox
Merrimack Valley Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UMass Lowell
Wannalancit Mills, First Floor
600 Suffolk Street, Lowell, MA 01854
Da...@MerrimackValleySandbox.org
MerrimackValleySandbox.org
office: 978-934-6619
cell: 781-325-3085