One of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce’s main organizational goals is Entrepreneurial Development. We recognize that entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy, and it’s the innovators who take the risks, launch new ideas into market, invest in business growth, create jobs and provide great products and services to our community and beyond. 

Entrepreneurs and innovators who have or need to raise somewhere between $200,000 – $2 million to launch their idea into the market can submit their business plans to the Southern Willamette Angel Network (SWAN). Below are the submission requirements:

Executive Summary Outline (not to exceed 5 pages):

1. Need in the Market – including an overview of your company
2. Your Product/Solution – including any information about patents/intellectual property
3. Your Traction – highlighting the successes you’ve currently attained (i.e. money raised, customers secured, signed Letters of Intent, significant hire, significant media coverage, etc.)
4. Your Target Market – including your addressable market, and any barriers to entering this market
5. Your Customer Acquisition Strategy – including any data to back-up your proposed strategy
6. Your Competition – including your value proposition
7. Your Revenue Model – including how you will phase your growth over time
8. Your Financial Projections – including key assumptions and the number of human resources you’ll need to reach these goals.
   • Note: You will also be required to provide your detailed financial projections as an attachment to the Executive Summary
9. Your Management Team – highlighting successes relevant to this venture

     10. Your Key Advisers – noting if they have any ownership in your company

     11. Your Funding Needs – including your use of these funds

     12. Your Exit Strategy – including any market comparables

Investor Pitch Deck Outline (Presentations should take 12-15 minutes to deliver – which gives you around 1 minute per slide; therefore, it’s important to practice you pitch. Investors need to walk away understanding the value proposition of your product):

Slide #1:            Title Slide

Slide #2:            The Problem in the Market (tell in story format)

Slide #3:            Your Solution (your product/service)

Slide #4:            Your Business Model (how you’ll make money)

Slide #5:            Your Special Sauce (why you’re product is so unique)

Slide #6:            Your Customer Acquisition Strategy

Slide #7:            Your Competition (best to present in a matrix format)

Slide #8:            Your Team (including key advisers)

Slide #9:            Traction (key milestones you’ve met)

Slide #10:            Your Current Status and Timeline for Growth

Slide #11:            Your Financial Projections (key assumptions)

Slide #12:            Your Funding Needs (including use of funds)

Slide #13:            Your Exit Strategy (highlight comparables where appropriate

Process for Submitting to SWAN:

1. E-mail your Executive Summary and Pitch Deck to JJ O’Connell: jjo@eugenechamber.com                                                                                                        
2. Your submission will be reviewed and you can expect to hear back within 2 weeks after your submission. You will be notified whether or not you’re selected to pitch to SWAN. We will inform you if additional coaching is required, and where possible, we will recommend advisers.
3. SWAN hosts company pitch meetings once a quarter – and sometimes more frequently (depending on the time of year and the quality of the deal flow). Contact Ben Sappington: bens@eugenechamber.com for more information.
4. If selected to pitch to SWAN, you will be invited in prior to the SWAN meeting to deliver a dry-run of your slides, and additional coaching will be provided.
5. Upon delivery of your presentation to SWAN, individual members will decide whether or not they choose to inquire further about your company. The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce does not have any involvement in the investment decisions.

Best of luck to you in your venture!

Location: Oregon Electric Station, Eugene | directions

Register: Click here to register:

$20 (includes food and beverage)

$15 for Eugene and Corvallis Chamber members + SAO members

$10 for students (present ID at the door)

$25 at the door

Marci Hansen (Palo Alto Software’s VP of Marketing) will talk about the creation of a brand and the creation of an Internet marketing campaign through real life examples. Her presentation will be interesting for start-ups and small businesses because of the focus on low-cost and free marketing tactics that really work!

Hansen has an impressive background in both conventional and non-conventional marketing. She was awarded the “Guerrilla Marketer of the Year Award” from Brandweek Magazine while she served as the Marketing Director for the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Hansen broke new ground with search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, web ads, paid search terms and other then-uncommon initiatives.

Prior to joining Palo Alto Software, Hansen served as VP of Marketing at the Crafts Americana Group where she oversaw the marketing and merchandising activities for two online crafting brands. Previously, she oversaw product launches, directed content and design, and developed marketing and sales campaigns as the Marketing Director at Dotster Inc.

Hansen additionally developed and directed the marketing campaign for the Amazon.com Outlet Web site while serving as the company’s Marketing Manager. She also worked as a Manager of marketing and corporate events at Eddie Bauer.

Hansen has more than 15 years of marketing experience, and in her new role at Palo Alto Software, she is overseeing online and traditional marketing and promotion, and business development and strategic partnerships for the company’s full line of small business products. In addition, her team will be actively involved in new product development and introduction.

You won’t want to miss this presentation to hear about low-cost and free marketing tactics that really work!

Thanks to our great sponsors for supporting entrepreneurship in our community!

TITLE SPONSOR:

SUPPORTING SPONSORS:

 

The Latest in Bluetooth Technology on ABC’s Shark Tank – Watch more Funny Videos

Thanks to Craig Gray for filming the conference and sharing these video clips – more to come…Find more videos like this on Smart-ups

CenterSpace (Corvallis-based) wins the $125K

CORVALLIS, Ore. – May 14, 2009 — The Willamette Angel Conference announced today that CenterSpace Software was selected as the winner of its inaugural 2009 investment competition, held in Corvallis. Corvallis-based CenterSpace Software, which provides numerical software components for financial, engineering, and scientific applications, will receive the $125,000 angel award investment prize.

Floragenex, a Eugene based firm that develops and delivers innovative, flexible applications of emerging genomic tools and technology, received a non-monetary vote of confidence, as the winner of  audience balloting for the best presentation.

“We are excited to bring a spotlight on to the breadth and depth of Willamette Valley Start-ups, and to expose these entrepreneurs to investors from around the Pacific Northwest,” said John Sechrest, Economic Development Director of the Corvallis-Benton Chamber Coalition, and Chair of the Willamette Angel Conference. “The  quality of the business plans, and the support from the investor community show how vibrant the entrepreneurial economy is here in the valley.  The collaboration between Corvallis and Eugene on this event, with the support of OSU and U of O, creates a strong center for  turning the innovations into commercial successes. “

This year’s finalist companies were selected from over  40 companies based throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington that applied to compete at the Willamette Angel Conference 2009. A rigorous selection process was undertaken by the 25-member panel of active angel investors to select the winning company. Each investor staked $5,000 to create the $125,000 investment award for this year’s event.

This was the first annual Willamette Angel Conference, which is modeled after successful similar events run by the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, and the Bend Venture Conference.   Next year the conference will be run by The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, and will be held in Eugene.

About the Willamette Angel Conference

The Willamette Angel Conference is an investors conference, connecting early stage and seed businesses with angel and venture investors in the Willamette Valley.  Their mission is to encourage, accelerate and showcase start-up companies in the Willamette Valley and  across Oregon. The competition is expected to have real economic impact in the Willamette Valley, generating new business and jobs using local entrepreneurs, talent and intellectual property. For more information see www.willametteconference.com.

Special thanks to all the great sponsors!

Title Organizers:

Premiere Sponsor

Organizational Sponsors

Grand Sponsors

For more information:  Juli Brode                                                       April 21, 2009

541-463-4627 or email brodej@clearwire.net                                      For immediate release 

eDev to sponsor Economic Stimulus grant

presentations and workshops in rural Lane County

eDev will be sponsoring five presentations and workshops in rural Lane County to provide an opportunity for businesses, non-profit organizations, and individuals to better understand the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (popularly known as the Economic Stimulus Act) and to learn how to apply for the grants.

The two hour presentations will focus on the Economic Stimulus Act and other federal grants that are available.  

The four hour workshops will include presentations on both the Economic Stimulus Act and other federal grants.  Workshops will also cover the key elements of a grant.   Grant workshop attendees will be using laptop computers provided by eDev (formerly known as Lane MicroBusiness) to search for potential grants and to begin initial work on their grant applications. 

There is no cost for the presentations.  The four hour workshops are free to individuals who fall below the HUD income guidelines.   For example, a single member household who earns below $31,100 and a two-member household which earns less than $35,500 can attend the workshops without cost providing they provide income verification.  For individuals who are above the income guidelines, the cost is $70 for the workshop.  If you have questions about whether or not you qualify, please call Juli at 541-463-4627.

The five hour grant workshops will focus on the following elements:

1]     Communicate with government agencies

2]      Locate grants

3]      Understand what is the intent of the government

4]      Eligibility requirements

5]      Need to obtain partners

6]      Understand competition for the grants

7]     Understand what is being requested in the grant application

8]      Understand the deliverables.  How will your organization meet the deliverables?

9]      Cost share

10]  Principal investigators

11]  How to assemble a budget

12]  Understand the review criteria

13]  Understand the selection process and the lag time for the award

14]  Award notices

15]  Performing of the contract

16]  How to make sure that you will get paid for the grant work

Individuals who want to attend the workshops in Florence, Veneta, or Cottage Grove are asked to pre-register for the event.  Individuals wishing to attend the workshops without cost must provide income verification.

For more information, visit eDev’s web site at www.edev.org or contact Juli Brode at 541-463-4627 or email brodej@clearwire.net.