Office Space News
Intelligent Office Tampa Bay Co-Sponsors $20,000 Contest
Published June 10th, 2010 by Jennifer LeClaire
Intelligent Office Tampa Bay is part of a trio of companies that have banded together to launch a contest that will help one lucky entrepreneur keep his dream alive (or get it off the ground).
Along with Intelligent Office, Heidelberg PR and Wildfire Marketing Group are co-sponsoring the Tampa Bay Small Business Jumpstart Contest. Instead of cash, the winner will get pro bono services to help the company thrive in a down economy. At stake is $20,000 in free services to an aspiring entrepreneur that has started a business in the last year and doesn’t have a full-time job outside that new business.
“Today, with so many people facing unexpected changes in their careers, the Small Business JumpStart contributors felt compelled to provide some assistance to someone who wants to change their life in a very significant way,” says Karen Gillman, sales coordinator at Intelligent Office in Tampa.
“To start a new company after losing a job requires so many things—not to mention courage, determination, and creativity—but you also need tangible resources like office space, marketing materials, and advisors. That’s where we knew we could help.”
The winner will receive:
- Internet marketing
- Web site development
- On-site IT support
- A public relations campaign
- Bookkeeping assistance
- Office space and receptionist support for nine months
- Life coaching
- Printing services
- Ongoing business planning and counseling
The Tampa Bay Small Business Jumpstart Contest applications are available online. The deadline to apply is July 30 at 5 p.m.
I took a look at the application. Basically, beyond the basics of who you are, they want you to submit a one-page profile and a short biography of your professional experience and education, as well as your involvement in the Tampa Bay community. They also want three references, one personal and two professional, who can verify your professional history.
Finally, and this might be the hardest part, they want a narrative that answers 11 key questions, including “What motivated you to choose an entrepreneurial path versus finding another position with an existing company or organization?” and “What are the three biggest challenges that you expect to face in starting your company.”
This was a brilliant move on the part of Intelligent Office Tampa Bay. The serviced office space provider doesn’t lose much. There’s no upfront, out of pocket expense. There’s no downside. The worst thing that could happen is that they comp some office space for nine months. But it’s likely that they’ll retain the entrepreneur as a paid client longer than that. And the publicity in the local community is probably worth much more than the free office space.
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Bill Brookshire June 10th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Karen Gillman continues to impress me. So far as the serviced office space goes, it really seems like she not only has it together, she’s hitting the ball out of the park consistently. It’s great to see Intelligent Office Tampa working to help entrepreneurs. I think this will bode well for the brand in the Tampa Bay area. What a partnership between these three companies to make this happen!
Elizabeth Sanchez June 11th, 2010 at 4:51 am
This is a great contest. None of the sponsors actually have to put forth money. It’s all in-kind donations of services. This also exposes the entrepreneur to all these companies. They service providers have a a stake in helping the entrepreneur succeed because the success trickles down. The entrepreneur might not use a serviced office space forever, but it’s all part of educating the market.