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Stillman School of Business
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Initial Application Template

Creating Your Application

How do I apply?
Create a two-page Executive Summary describing your proposed or existing businesses. Or, instead of the written executive summary, you have the option of creating a 3-minute video about your startup addressing the issues.

Your Executive Summary or 3-Minute Video is due by midnight on Friday, February 28, 2025.

The video should be posted on YouTube and the link emailed to Susan Scherreik. Please make sure that there are no special permissions on the video so anyone can view.

Be sure to include your name, expected year of graduation, student ID number, and names and email addresses of other members of the team. Teams can be comprised of one to six students, and at least one student must be a Seton Hall University student.

Business Description: Start with a one or two paragraph summary of the business opportunity. Include the name of your business, a brief description of the product or service, your target market, and how you propose to make a profit, or create a nonprofit social impact business.

You should address the following in your Executive Summary:

  • Market Opportunity: What problem does your business solve? What makes your idea innovative? What is the size of the market?
  • Business Model: How is the business going to solve the problem? Describe the business model and how your model will help you to create value in the marketplace. What is your competitive advantage? Who are your target customers and why will they buy your products or services? For existing businesses, describe the business model and progress to date. What do you expect your costs to be during the first two years?
  • Management Team: Indicate why your team is suited to capitalize on the opportunity discussed in the business description and market opportunity. Who are the key members of the team, and what role will they play?
  • Risks and Challenges: What are the key risks and challenges you will need to overcome?
  • Funding: How much money do you need to develop and launch the business? How would you use your prize money?

Please email your Executive Summary to Susan Scherreik, Director, CIE at [email protected].