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The next generation of South West entrepreneurs will vie for a share of over $15,000 in seed funding as part of The Ideas Place pitch night on July 20.
Each speaker will have five minutes to discuss their innovative business or product, with everyone encouraged to come along and support the creative spirit of our region.
Judges include Scott Wilkinson from Alderwood Speakers, Cheryl Steel from Bamstone and Grant Howland from Beyond Bank.
With a level of business and financial acumen crucial for any new business, Mr Howland said that he would be looking for a level of planning and forward thinking from the presenters.
“Have you done research on the product or the service that you are wishing to provide? Do you feel there is a need for it in the market and what does your first 12 months look like and do you have an end goal?” he said.
“Those are the questions I would come up with, with my finance head on.”
With a post-COVID shift to the regions and the normalisation of new technology, running a start-up business from South West Victoria is becoming more and more viable.
“It doesn’t matter the size of the town, if you’ve got the right product or service, you’ll prosper,” Mr Howland said.
“Our region is such a great place to live, and in a business sense, the world is getting smaller.
“The more entrepreneurs we have in our region that we can acknowledge, the more it will encourage forward thinking.
“We all think differently, and a lot of the great ideas come out of a simple needs, and it’s just about identifying that initial need.”
Tickets to the event are $10 and includes canapés, with Mr Howland saying it was an exciting event of the local business community.
“You could say that you were there that night and saw that business before they got off the ground,” he said.
“It’ll be a ripper of an evening and I encourage everyone to get along.”
The Ideas Place is a program to help South West entrepreneurs and start-ups bring their innovative ideas to market.
It is made possible through funding provided by LaunchVic and supported by The Warrnambool City Council, Corangamite Shire Council, Moyne Shire Council, South West TAFE and The Fletcher Jones Foundation.