This is the last of three posts with updates from our CCPS contestants.
A few weeks ago, Dan Hoffman of Invest Nebraska, the organization that has sponsored our CCPS $1,000 prize, asked me for updates from our past contestants. Unable to provide them myself, I contacted the 26 past contestants with three questions:
- Where are you now with the idea you pitched?
- Specifically, what were your takeaways from pitching in a CCPS? Did you make any new connections?
- Where do you hope to be in the future with your idea, or, if you stopped working on it, what’s the next idea you’ll be pursuing?
I received quite a few responses and I’m excited to not only share them with Dan but with you, as well.
Thanks to our sponsor
To watch the one-minute video pitches submitted for our third CCPS, visit: siliconprairienews.com/2009/09/creative-capital-pitch-session-iii-eight-to-compete-for-1000-prize-thursday.
Joe Frost — Elify
1. I pitched the Elify ETEAM and Grant pitched Tweet While You Eat.
Elify has secured some good ETEAM members to fulfill some of its projects, but has not moved forward on creating the ETEAM platform further while focusing on Tweet While You Eat.
Tweet While You Eat has 5 businesses using its services. We’ve recently added eCreamery and Swirls, updated our website, and adding additional coupons to our original offer some based on feedback from pitch session. We’re continuing to develop our Twitter Loyalty Marketing concepts.
2. I did meet some new connections and enjoyed the feedback on Tweet While You Eat. In fact, we have solved the “instant gratification” question that was posted by Archrival. More on this when we release it.
3. We’ve move into HALO for our Tweet While You Eat business and Elify.
– Joe Frost joe@elify.com
Nancy Williams — Community Kitchen & Food Business Incubator
1. We have refined the pitch, sought advice from experts in the field, consulted with an economic development advisor, determined the organizational structure, researched sources of funding, shared with potential partners, and are currently completing a feasibility study.
2. I received a lot of feedback and direction as well as some contacts. I called and emailed the contacts, getting help to refine the idea and pointers on how to move forward. Once I found out about the opportunity to pitch, I crafted an email and sent to folks that I know from different circles to get some to attend the pitch session. Even though no one could make it, that made an impression because just yesterday I ran into a potential partner who mentioned the pitch session (and the details!) and asked where we were in the process.
3. We have refined the idea and are currently working on a feasibility study to better ensure that the venture is sustainable and promotes economic development in the community. We are discussing the idea with potential partners. We expect to have the feasibility study done in a couple of weeks and a business plan done by Nov. 30. We expect to contribute content to a blog space at least once per week within the next two weeks. We intend to secure funding and a space within the next 90 days.
– Nancy Williams ndwilliams99@gmail.com
Brendan Wamstad-Evans — “Harvard Classics” for Infants and Toddlers
1. I am currently drafting the initial manuscript for presentation to publishers. I have a timeline that I am working from for initial draft to some test readers and editors by November 9th (pushed back from Nov 1st due to illness and illness in the family). Editing will continue through the first of the year and I will be sending out initial manuscripts for consideration to publishers January 11, 2010.
2. I had the luck of having a couple of people that worked for book publishing companies at the pitch session who gave me some valuable insights. Their recommendation was to not self publish and that the idea would have merit with children’s book publishers. These women (who wouldn’t tell me their names) also talked me through the publishing process for major publishers from manuscript submission and initial copyright protections for authors. I am following up on their insights am compiling a list of book publishers who have published similar books (number one on the list is Harpertrophy who published the Lemony Snickets books). While this has caused me to go back to the drawing board to rework my plan it has also given me some valuable insights into how children’s board books are published. (hard cover>soft cover>board book). I am also weighing the benefits of having the book illustrated in the initial pitch or waiting to be paired with an established illustrator by the publisher of the books. Having both the text and the pictures gives the publisher 2 reasons to say no and they are more likely (according to anecdote) to pass on an entire project rather than break up the pictures and the words.
3. I hope to have initial acceptance of manuscript or rejection by the end of February 2010 and either look forward to production of the initial books or pitch the next publisher on the list by the end of February 2010.
The next idea that I am pursuing is setting up a sales network for high end artisan hard cider in the midwest. The initial client will be Wandering Aengus Ciderworks based out of Oregon and recently featured Gourmet Magazine (November 2009) as their favorite of the ciders tasted. Initial contacts will be made in Nebraska, Kansas City (Kansas and Missouri), Minneapolis/St. Paul. Secondary markets will include Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan (they are currently distributed in Illinois). As the interest builds in micro cideries I will be looking at taking on additional small cider makers sales accounts from the Northwest and Northeast United States.
– Brendan Wamstad-Evans brendan@researchassociatesgroup.com
