When it comes to starting up or growing a small business, pitch competitions are growing increasingly common. But what differentiates them, and how are they serving the entrepreneurial community? The Denver Metro Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Denver Metro Chamber’s Trout Tank Pitch Accelerator strives to not just educate or integrate participants into the business community, but to help them to work together for the betterment of Colorado.
This program is run quarterly, training entrepreneurs in the art of pitching, connecting them to lenders and investors in the Denver business community and giving them a platform to gain exposure and recognition.
This two-month long process kicks off with the initial pitches–each participant brings in a pitch deck and shows off his or her company. These entrepreneurs then receive pitch coaching with the Rockies Venture Club Pitch Academy, have the opportunity to ask funding questions at the Funding Options Panel and meet with SBDC consultants.
Chamber tip: Do you know what it takes to knock your business’s pitch out of the park? Check out these three tips to be pitch perfect.
Trout Tank: Food Frenzy 2016 winner and Paleo Meals to Go managing partner Ty Soukup learned the significance that must be placed on financials when starting a business. “Trout Tank forced me to look into my numbers and completely understand the financial part of my business. In order to keep growing, I believe the funding aspect of a business is almost a full time job—the resources that [Trout Tank] provided was great.”
After entrepreneurs have sharpened their pitches, each has the chance to be among the five to share their business idea at Trout Tank.
Chamber tip: Are you interested in the businesses in your own backyard? Join us at Trout Tank: Denver Start-Up Week Edition on Monday, Sept. 12.
“Anyone that has a business and wants to see it succeed, you need to be here. There’s so many things that we didn’t even know until we got here that really helped establish what it takes to be a successful business. We don’t have holes in our business plan now,” said Will Kelsay, a previous Trout Tank winner and co-founder of DirtTRI Magazine.
Through this process, we want entrepreneurs to gain education, experience, exposure and to be integrated and connected to the business community. With supporting companies like Colorado Lending Source and Mission Yogurt, small businesses are coming together to support those just starting their journey.
“It truly is a community event, created to cultivate relationships and equip people to pursue their passions,” said Denver Metro SBDC Executive Director Abram Sloss. “We are continually blown away by the support of our sponsors, lenders and investors, judges and the community–they come together to create a support system for entrepreneurs taking their first steps in Denver.”
If you’re an entrepreneur who wants to strengthen your business attend the Trout Tank Pitch Accelerator kick off on Oct. 13.
Olivia Rollene is the marketing and program coordinator for the Denver Metro SBDC.