In October the University of Illinois Extension for Henderson, Knox, McDonough and Warren Counties began informational meetings for the Six-County Fast Pitch competition coming up in March. The competition is geared to assist entrepreneurs with a new idea, business plan, or invention or current business owners who wish to expand. “A fast pitch is basically: you’re taking five minutes and convincing who you’re speaking to that you have a great business idea and how solid it is….some of the details about the business and why they should invest in it,” Carrie McKillip with the U of I Extension office said. “It’s pretty much like a “Shark Tank” only abbreviated five minutes.” Come the day of the competition, participants will be given 15 minutes: 5 minutes to set up, 5 to present their idea, and 5 minutes to field questions. Those pitching ideas will be judged on a number of different categories – and will be given a judge’s sheet prior to presenting. Having a sales pitch or elevator pitch along with a business plan outline will be critical come the day of the competition. The next informational session will be held Tuesday, January 23rd at the University of Illinois Extension Office in Galva from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. The Fast Pitch contest with the winners being announced is March 14th the deadline to apply for the contest is January 31st. More information and applications can be found at the Six County Fast Pitch website.
