The New York Public Library Presents New York StartUP! 2011 Business Plan Competition for New York-Based Startup Entrepreneurs

The New York Public Library in conjunction with its sponsor, Citi Foundation, is launching New York StartUP! 2011 Business Plan Competition. This second annual New York Start UP! gives aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to bolster their business acumen. Entrants gain practical insights about starting and growing a business, while learning about the rich small business resources at The New York Public Library’s Science, Industry, and Business Library (SIBL) located at 188 Madison Avenue at 34th Street. Judges decide the winners by evaluating each plan based on its content, including the thoroughness and quality of the analysis, use of information, and clear communication. Winners receive cash prizes, with a first place award of $15,000, second place award of $7,500, third place award of $5,000, and fourth and fifth place awards of $1,500. Full competition details are available at smallbiz.nypl.org

“The New York Public Library is thrilled to again host the New York StartUP! Business plan competition,” said Kristin McDonough the Robert and Joyce Menschel Director of The New York Public Library’s Science, Industry and Business Library. “The project allows us to foster new businesses and introduce users to a wide range of resources and services at the Library that support them as they pursue their goals. Helping the city’s future small business owners take their first step toward success is one of the missions of the Science, Industry and Business Library.”

In order to enter the competition officially, entrants must be 18 years of age or older, live in Manhattan, The Bronx, or Staten Island as a legal resident or United States citizen, and wish to start a business in one of those boroughs. One person can enter as an individual or as part of a team. The team must appoint one individual as the team leader and main contact and one other as the secondary contact. The prizes awarded represent the financial amount in total that will be given to a team leader to be disbursed for the purposes stated in the StartUP! business plan.

All entrants must attend one orientation session at the Science, Industry, and Business Library. The orientation will provide interested entrants with the full details about entering the competition. All eligible individual entrants and either the leader or secondary member of an eligible team will be required to attend three of four training workshops held at the Science, Industry and Business Library at 188 Madison Avenue during January through April 2011. The workshops include topics such as Developing a Business Plan, Business Research, Developing Your Marketing Plan, Developing Financial Statements, and Presenting Your Plan. All applicants must have a New York Public Library card.

Orientation Dates and Times

Tuesday, November 16, 2010 6 p.m.

Monday, December 6, 2010 6 p.m.

Saturday, December 11, 2010 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.

Monday, December 13, 2010 6 p.m.

Location of the Orientations

The New York Public Library

Science, Industry, and Business Library (SIBL)

188 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor

New York, NY 10016-4314

About The Science, Industry, and Business Library

The Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL), the nation's largest public information center devoted solely to science and business, was created in 1996 by merging The New York Public Library's extensive resources and services in these areas. Its circulating and noncirculating collections are enhanced by services and electronic resources geared to the needs of science and business users for quick, efficient access to accurate, up-to-date information. Reflecting advances in information and computer technology, SIBL houses multi-format collections. An Electronic Information Center (EIC), with 73 workstations, connects users to the hundreds of internal and external electronic information resources. The EIC is supported by a 39-workstation Electronic Training Center (ETC). SIBL also offers a circulating library of approximately 40,000 titles, and a noncirculating research collection of 1.2 million volumes.

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library was created in 1895 with the consolidation of the private libraries of John Jacob Astor and James Lenox with the Samuel Jones Tilden Trust. The Library provides free and open access to its physical and electronic collections and information, as well as to its services. Its renowned research collections are located in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street; The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center; the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem; and the Science, Industry and Business Library at 34th Street and Madison Avenue. Eighty-seven branch libraries provide access to circulating collections and a wide range of other services in neighborhoods throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Research and circulating collections combined total more than 50 million items. In addition, each year the Library presents thousands of exhibitions and public programs, which include classes in technology, literacy, and English for speakers of other languages. All in all The New York Public Library serves more than 17 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org.

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Contact: Jon Pace| 212.592.7710 | Jonathan_Pace@nypl.org