M3 1000 competition of 2011

More women entrepreneurs from across the country will now have the opportunity to grow their businesses into million dollar enterprises through M3 1000, the latest evolution of its groundbreaking Make Mine a Million $ Business (M3) program. 

Similar to the original format and built on the lessons learned over the past five years, M3 1000 is designed to help women entrepreneurs strengthen their vision, build their strategy and take their business to a million dollars in revenue.  Under the new program version, a larger group of 250 event participants will compete for prize packages of coaching, financing, marketing tools and more during Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence and American Express OPEN’s M3 1000 competitions.

At the M3 1000 event, each participant will deliver a two-minute elevator pitch about their business, qualifications, and how they would benefit from the program.  The elevator pitch is given in front of a live audience and a panel of qualified judges.  The judges will select which of the participants will be named as pitch winners, who will receive prizes and then move on to the final round, to collect additional resources.  Pitch winners will submit full applications and company financial information for final consideration as M3 1000 awardees. 

The first M3 1000 competition of 2011 is April 4 at the Denver Marriott City Center in Denver, CO.  Women entrepreneurs nationwide have until March 28^th to apply to compete in this national program.  Women entrepreneurs can apply for the elevator pitch competition or join the M3 1000 community by visiting: www.makemineamillion.org.  

M3 1000 targets enterprises organized and doing business in the United States with the following characteristics:

•           The business should be at least 50% owned by a woman who is a U.S. citizen or legal resident

•           The company should be at least two years old and have annual revenues between $85,000 - $700,000

•           The entrepreneur should be ready to grow her business to a million dollars within the next 18-36 months