Message from the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Dear Entrepreneur:

Thank you for your interest in the Governor’s Giant Vision Business Awards 2012 Competition.  Governor Dennis Daugaard, along with Avera McKennan; Black Hills Corp., Rapid City; Christiansen Land & Cattle Ltd., Kimball; Dacotah Banks, Aberdeen; Daktronics, Inc., Brookings; Home Federal Bank, Sioux Falls; South Dakota EPSCoR, Brookings; Toshiba America, Mitchell; US Bank, Sioux Falls, Aberdeen and Rapid City; and Wheeler Manufacturing, Lemmon, are sponsoring this competition with the hope of giving South Dakota entrepreneurs a chance to achieve their dreams.

The Governor’s Giant Vision Business Awards 2012 Competition will give you the opportunity to develop your ideas, write a business plan and make a formal presentation.  A panel of business experts will review all entries and select 12 qualifiers who will attend the final competition Tuesday, April 10, 2012 in Sioux Falls.  Qualifiers will give presentations and discuss their ideas with seasoned business and financial experts and other invitees. 

The winner will be awarded $20,000.  The second place award is $5,000, third place is $4,000, 4th place is $3,000, and 5th place is $2,000.  The remaining qualifiers will receive $500 each to help with the expenses of participation.  Selection of winners will be based on a combination of the viability of the business proposal, including considerations of potential competition, likelihood of success, market size and profitability.  The judges will give heavier weighting to business proposals that have the potential to advance employment or the economic base in South Dakota. 

Those entering the Governor's Giant Vision Business Competition will submit a written business plan that outlines the business idea, potential markets, production requirements (if any) and other standard items.  All South Dakotans, including innovative individuals in the workplace with ideas for their own business are encouraged to apply.  The competition is open to entrepreneurs with new ideas that they believe would benefit from the review and analysis process of the competition.  Existing companies may only have been in business three years or less AND with annual revenue not to exceed $250,000. 

The focus of this program is on the business plan or business model and is not limited to technology entries. 

There is a separate competition for college/university/technical school students.

While starting your own business may seem overwhelming, it can also be very rewarding.  We hope you will find the experience you gain by entering the Governor’s competition to be as valuable as others have found it.

* The first and second place winners will be given the opportunity to attend the 2013 national World’s Best Technology competition.    Attending the Technology Competition is limited to technology entries.

Dawn Morris, Owner
Morris, Inc., Fort Pierre,
2011-2013 Chairman of the Board
South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry