School of Business hosts Business Plan competition
Alcorn State University’s School of Business hosted its first Business Plan competition Thursday, April 5 in the Biotechnology Auditorium. Willie Anderson, School of Business faculty advisor and sponsor, felt this competition was necessary to showcase how creative and innovative students could be with their business plans.
During the competition, competitors were required to submit a business plan and present it to the judges of the competition. There were four participants but three teams: Kayla Carpenter, Olivia Griffin, Kaylin Bogan and Jazmin Thomas. Participants were awarded 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place monetary prizes.
Winners of the competition were Kayla Carpenter, senior business administration major, was awarded $500, along with first place. Carpenter created Carpenter Funeral Home, which will provide a variety of funeral services in Fayette, Mississippi.
Olivia Griffin, senior business administration major and second place winner, was awarded $300. Griffin created B2US, an education consulting firm that offers educational services to international students to fulfill their desire to complete school at a higher education institution in the United States.
The third place winner was Kaylin Bogan, senior business administration major and Jazmin Thomas, senior accounting major, won $200 for their collaborative business plan entitled "Going Out and Lending Support (GOALS)," a non-profit consulting organization that will target high poverty communities to build stronger families, accelerate cash flow in their community, embrace ownership, educational excellence and develop a secure environment. The best presenter award ($100) went to Kayla Carpenter.
Jazmin Thomas, third place winner explained how this competition was beneficial.
“I think this helped my presentation skills by presenting in front of the judges and having to respond to their questions. I had to think on my feet and apply what I've learned in strategic management to understand and explain the operations and analysis of the company,” said Thomas.
The competition was only open to School of Business students; however next year’s competition will be open to the Alcorn State University student body.
