Featured News 

2022 HCC Business Plan Competition

Season Opens

2022 HCC Business Plan Competition 

Application Period - January 7-28

Prepare Now to Apply

The annual HCC Business Plan Competition is for Proposed, Startup and Existing Entrepreneurs. All accepted contestant teams get free training and advising late February through May to refine and polish their plans to start and/or grow their business.  The top five teams win prize money!  All graduating teams feel like winners because they all come out with the greatest value, a stronger written plan, slide deck and video to pursue their business goals and to seek funding. 

Are you ready to apply?  

Proposed and Startup* Entrepreneurs - Steps to Apply  

1) Complete One Prequalifying Class or Program and 

2) Attend the Financial Webinar/Workshop

3) Apply in January

Have you completed ONE of these Prequalifying Classes or Programs?

• HCC Creating a Successful Business Plan Online Continuing Education Class - Still Available! - Quick Sign Up. It takes just three minutes to sign up and takes about 24 hours of your time! Scroll down for More and to Sign Up.
• Small Business Success Series by HCC^©  
• Small Business Management - College Credit Class at HCC
• Entrepreneurship and Economic Development - College Credit Class at HCC
• Liftoff Houston Startup Competition
• Houston Area Urban League Small Business University
• University of Houston SURE Program

If you still need the class/program scroll down to sign up for the self-paced class.  

If you still need the financial workshop/webinar sign up for one of the January financial webinars. Then submit a strong application January 7-28. Have you completed the above already? Then take a sneak peak at Application questions and get started on your answers before the Application period opens! 

* You are considered to be a Startup Entrepreneur for the purposes of our competition if you have not yet achieved six continuous months of net profit prior to or during the pandemic.

Existing Entrepreneurs - Steps to Apply

1) Financial Webinar/Workshop - Sign Up Now for a January Virtual Webinar & attend it.

2) Apply

All Applicants Should Submit a Strong Application between January 7 - January 28

Ready to start working on your application? Our Competition Website gives you a sneak peak at the application's business concept questions, if you'd like to start working up your answers!  

www.hccs.edu/businessplancompetition

Featured January Events

For proposed, startup and existing business owners. A two-and-a-half hour webinar that sets you up for success. Know your numbers and plan right for 2022!

Thinking of applying for the 2022 HCC Business Plan Competition? This webinar prepares you to go for it!

Featured Topics:

• Understanding the Primary Purpose of your Business
• How to Generate Revenue from your Business Idea
• Understanding concepts such as Burn-rate, Breakeven, and Cash-Flow
• Determining Cash Needs of Business
• Financing Cash Needs
• Financial Record Keeping



Funding Panel - Hear from, and ask questions of a panel of our financial resource partners from Houston's entrepreneurial eco-system.

Event Fee: Free to all entrepreneurs 

Choose One of the Following Financial Webinar Dates and Register Now: 

Saturday, January 22, 2022, 9:30am - 12:00pm

Saturday, January 29, 2022, 9:30am - 12:00pm

Turn your business ideas into a solid plan for financing and long-term success. Committing your idea to paper in the form of a business plan not only increases your chances of obtaining financing, but also in keeping your business strategically focused. 

You will work through all the major components of writing a business plan and emerge with your first draft in hand. And most importantly, you will have completed the first-and most difficult-step on the path to small business success.

If you are a proposed or startup entrepreneur, this class prepares you to apply for the Spring 2022 HCC Business Plan Competition (BPC)!  

How it works: Complete 12 online lessons (each about 1.5 - 2 hours) with quizzes to advance to next lesson. At the end of the 12 lessons, take the multiple choice test to complete the class. (Hint - Save your quizzes; they prepare you very well for the final). The whole class takes about 15-24 hours of your time. 

Easy Enrollment - Takes just three minutes to register for the class!  

Choose Self-Paced Class if you are taking it to apply for the 2022 HCC BPC!

Self-Paced - Sign up any day any time!  Our Continuing Education department gives you three months from the date you sign up to finish the class. However, for those taking the class as a prerequisite to apply for the 2022 HCC Business Plan Competition ("Competition"), we recommend that you finish the class by the Competition's Application Deadline of January 28 or by no later than February 14.   

Click below for more info on each lesson and to sign up for the class!  

Register Now 

Lindsey Brantley

CEO

Camellia Alise

12,000 - 1st Place Winner

Winner - 2019 HCC Business Plan Competition

Camellia Alise is a woman-owned, specialized, skincare, training and wellness company, focused on providing comprehensive beauty educational services and effective natural personal care products which eliminate pseudo-folliculitis (a razor bump inflammation condition). 

Lindsey Brantley CEO won the competition in 2019. She says, "The competition helped me stop working for the business and work on the business. I'd launched my product line before the competition. I entered the competition to create a plan to open my first 2,000 s. f. spa location to deliver spa services and training services for certifications and to create a phased plan to grow further after that." Lyndsey opened that first location later in 2019 in the Third Ward. Then she proceeded to pursue the next phase of her plan; her second location.

We are happy to announce that on Friday January 14, 2022, Lyndsey had a grand opening; for Camellia Alise's second location; a 6,000 s.f. facility in the River Oaks Montrose area of Houston! We congratulate her and her team and wish her the best as a multi-unit operator!

Lyndsey also gives back to support our competition and entrepreneurs. She is a recurring BPC Alumni Circle sponsor and she has also committed to becoming an in-kind sponsor for our 2022 HCC Business Plan Competition! In 2022, she will also co-present in our competition's Pitch training session.

Hear More - Click here for Lindsey's Brief Video Interview on Up to the Minute with HCCTV host Todd Duplantis.

For More and to Order: https://www.camelliaalise.com

Watch Lyndsey Brantley's Interview on HCCTV - Up To The Minute with Host Todd Duplantis

Juan Alanis

Managing Partner

Big Oak Tree Media

8,000 - 2nd Place Winner

Winner 2021 HCC Business Plan Competition

Big Oak Tree Media is a full-service integrated communications firm with over 30 years of combined experience specializing in creative storytelling and multicultural marketing. Whether working with blue-chip brands to target Latino or Southeast Asian communities across the state, or developing a new influencer strategy in the tourism sector, our team prides itself in providing innovative solutions that meet our clients’ goals successfully. 

Through the competition training and advising, our team is implementing our plan to launch a new Content Creation Division that produces original content for clients such as podcasts, live-streams, and other videos. We used our prize money to purchase additional equipment, expand our network of qualified audio/video editors, and invest in the lease of our new studio space in Houston's East End.

Watch Juan Alanis' Interview on HCCTV - Up To The Minute with Host Todd Duplantis

Sponsor Spotlight

Vertical Web

Beth Guide Launches her New Company Vertical Web

Recurring In-Kind Sponsor and New Bronze Level Cash Prize Sponsor

Beth Guide has been serving Houston businesses for more than two decades, providing high quality services for small businesses. Her newest venture, Vertical Web, offers full-service digital marketing that provides a one-stop solution for small business owners who are tired of running between multiple companies for their internet needs. As Beth puts it, "Gone are the days of needing to find a web host, then a web designer, then a person to market it, only to be told the first two did it wrong and you need to start over."

Vertical Web is a continued evolution for Beth, as she was formerly with SEO411 focusing on SEO consulting for business. Over the years, she realized she could provide more and more to better serve her clients. Verticalweb.com provides a more comprehensive list of services that include: SEO consulting; robust web design; and a high-end web hosting company committed to client success; all designed to meet Google's rigorous standards. "Simply put, we have all the tools and we make the web work," says Beth.

Our Center for Entrepreneurship has worked with Beth & SCORE for the past two-and-a-half years to offer monthly Digital Marketing Clinics to proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs.

Vertical Web is proud to continue in the traditions that SEO411 started by continuing to provide generous in-kind prizes to all teams that graduate from the 2022 HCC Business Plan Competition. Furthermore, in 2022, Beth has increased her support by becoming a Bronze Level Cash Prize Sponsor!

We thank Beth and Vertical Web for your sponsorship and service!

Announcing 2022

HCC Business Plan Competition Sponsors

Now and Throughout the Spring

More About Each 2022 Competition Sponsor

Upcoming Virtual Events & Classes

HCC & Partners

Minority Business Development Agency Business Center Virtual Subs and Sandwiches

Register Now

HCC Corporate College

Small Business Administration - Events

Understanding How to Access Capital

Thursday, January 20 | 7:00pm CDT |  JOIN LIVE

Join this meeting to learn the benefits of an SBA loan and how it can lower the equity injection for start-up businesses and towards the purchase of equipment and owner-occupied real estate. The competitive terms help lower monthly payments as well. SBA 7a loans also mitigate weaknesses with collateral.

Unraveling the Mystery of 8(a) Certification

Tuesday, January 25 | 1:00pm CDT | REGISTER

The federal government's goal is to award at least 5 percent of all federal contracting dollars to small, disadvantaged businesses each year. Before you can participate in the 8(a) Business Development program, you must be certified. The federal government fully defines who qualifies for the 8(a) program—including what counts as being socially and economically disadvantaged.

Diversifying Your Contracting Portfolio

Thursday, January 27 | 10:00am CDT | REGISTER

Learn how to market your company to do business with various government agencies. Hear from experts about doing business with the U.S. federal government, City of Houston, University of Houston, and Harris County. The event will feature a panel of successful businesses who will share their insights into how they navigated different agency requirements.

Houston Business Matchmaker

Register Now

Access to HCC - Procurement Expo

Register Now

More News From

Performance Update - Our Success is Your Success!

Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship

We appreciate all who have contributed to our success! Provided below is a link that leads to a performance update of recent and past activities and a bit more about our signature programs: the HCC Business Pan Competition; Small Business Success Series by HCC^© and our HCC Mattress Mack School of Selling^©.

We thank: our entrepreneurial champions; sponsors; internal & external partners; entrepreneurs-in-residence; facilitators, trainers & panelists; volunteer advisors; all of the alumni of our signature programs and all of the proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs who participate in our offerings.

For our Performance Update and more thanks to all who make it happen:

Performance Update and Thanks

We look forward to overcoming the obstacles and challenges of 2022, making a difference together!

Sandra, David, Sabiha and Flora  

About the Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship

HCC Northwest

OUR MISSION: To help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. We do this by offering workshops, seminars, summits, classes and competitive training and advising, while also providing practical knowledge, resources and connections.



Contact us at c4e@hccs.edu or 713-718-6650

Houston Community College 

2020 Entrepreneurial College of the Year

October. 6, 2020: The Houston Community College System was selected as the winner of the 2020 Entrepreneurial College of the Year award by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) at NACCE's annual conference, where entrepreneurial colleges from across the U.S. gather to share best practices. On behalf of all of our entrepreneurial programs and staff, we thank all of the entrepreneurs, partners, sponsors, volunteers, students, and HCC faculty and staff who have contributed to our efforts! Without your support and dedication to our programs, this wouldn't have been possible!

Houston Community College Receives 2021 Diversity In Business Award from the Houston Business Journal!

Congratulations to all students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs (aspiring & existing); and to all our community participants, supporters, volunteers, partners and sponsors who collaborate with us to make awards like this possible! Congratulations also to all of the other honorees and awardees! 

#WeAreHCC # HoustonStrong #HBJDiversity