Dream of starting your very own business? Well, turn those business dreams into a reality with the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce’s Business Plan Competition. The competition, which is in its eighth year, aims to foster new business development in Lowndes County. The winner of the Chamber Business Plan Competition will win $10,000 in start-up capital for their new business, as well as thousands of dollars of in-kind services from local Chamber members.

To enter the competition, contestants must register with the Chamber’s SEEDS Business ResourceCenter by Friday, August 30, at 5 p.m.  Applications can be found online by visiting this link. After registration is completed, contestants will have four months to develop their business plan. A draft business plan will be due to the SEEDS Center on October 18 with the final plan due by December 6.

Throughout the competition, the Chamber’s SEEDS Center and Valdosta State University’s SmallBusiness Development Center will be available to provide assistance to contestants in developing their best and most successful business plans.  

“The Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber supports entrepreneurship,” said Varian Brown, Director of Economic Development. “Our Chamber Business Plan competition is a testament to that initiative. We want to help start new businesses and keep them here, helping our local economy thrive.”

Previous winners of the Chamber Business Plan Competition, include i2o Technologies, Fowler & Company, Innovate! Engineering Solutions and Azalea Health.

To view the rules and regulations for the Chamber Business Plan Competition, please visit SEEDSBusinessResourceCenter.com. Winners must commit to hiring college or technical school graduates.

For more information on the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, please call 247-8100. Another way to view information includes liking the Chamber’s official Facebook page at Facebook.com/VLCChamber.