News
Two weeks left to enter The Challenge contest for $100,000 business grant

May 10, 2013 –Telus and The Globe and Mail have launched The Challenge, the third annual contest inviting Canadian small and medium-sized business owners to present their biggest business challenge for the opportunity to win a $100,000 grant from Telus. Entrepreneurs across Canada are invited to submit entries at Globeandmail.com/thechallenge and will be judged by a panel that includes entrepreneurs and business experts.

May 10, 2013 –Telus and The Globe and
Mail have launched The Challenge,
the third annual contest inviting
Canadian small and medium-sized business owners to present their biggest
business challenge for the opportunity to win a $100,000 grant from Telus. Entrepreneurs
across Canada are invited to submit entries at Globeandmail.com/thechallenge and
will be judged by a panel that includes entrepreneurs and business experts.

“Supporting small business growth in Canada is a key
priority for Telus. This contest brings together a community of entrepreneurs
to talk about their biggest pain points and receive advice from experienced
business experts,” said Jim Senko, vice-president of small and medium business marketing
at Telus. “As entrepreneurial spirit continues to drive the Canadian economy,
we’re excited to partner with The Globe and Mail for a third year in a row to
help Canadian entrepreneurs reach success.”

To enter the contest, entrants are asked to describe the
following in an 800-word submission:

• A
  challenge their business is currently experiencing (200 words);
• A
  proposed solution to this challenge and how the $100,000 prize would help
  overcome that challenge (200 words);
• An
  explanation of the results they expect to achieve (200 words);
• A
  description of how their business incorporates the following values into their
  business: 1) community investment/commitment to charities, 2) customer service
  and 3) innovation (200 words)

In
2012, TELUS received more than 1,200 entries. The 2012 winner Glassopolis,
sellers and distributors of fire-resistant glass in Toronto, Ont., invested
in new machinery to increase production and customer distribution.

"The win was wonderful and a real opportunity for
our business. The $100,000 prize was instrumental in helping us gear up to
offer a whole new product category to our customers," said Jordan
Richards, president of Glassopolis. "Because of The Challenge, we have added
production capabilities that are unique in North America and will support our
continued growth for years to come."

The judging panel will review and shortlist submissions
to four semi-finalists. For the first time, semi-finalists will be required to
present their business challenges to the judging panel at the Telus House in
downtown Toronto in June, and explain how they would use the business grant to
overcome their key obstacle. Semi-finalists will also be profiled in The Globe
and Mail’s Report on Business and at theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business.

“Our ongoing partnership with Telus helps us recognize
and support the small business community in Canada,” said Sean Stanleigh, editor of
Report on Small Business at The Globe and Mail. “Over the coming weeks, through
our pages and online, our business reporters look forward to profiling Canadian
entrepreneurs to provide insight into the types of challenges this group faces,
and highlight their successes.”

The final winner will be announced on September 26, 2013. For full details about how to enter
and to read the contest rules and regulations, please visit Globeandmail.com/thechallenge.

Judging panel:

·    Chris Griffiths
–
director, Fine Tune Consulting, a boutique business consulting practice, and
long-time entrepreneur

Carolyn Lawrence
–
president and CEO of Women of Influence 
Donna Marie Antoniadis – co-founder of She’s
Connected
Sally Daub – president and CEO of
VIXS Systems
Jim Senko – vice-president of SMB
and enterprise marketing at Telus
Hugh Johnson – vice-president of small/medium business at TELUS 
Terry Brodie – reporter and
editor for Report on Small Business at The Globe and Mail
Steve Tustin – editor for the Custom
Content Group at The Globe and Mail
Sean Stanleigh
–
editor of Report on Small Business for The Globe and Mail

Visit Globeandmail.com/thechallenge for
complete bios on each of the judges.

Canadians and fellow small business owners can join the
conversation and follow the contest on Twitter via @TELUSBusiness and @GlobeSmallBiz using the hashtag
#smallbizchallenge, on LinkedIn and on Facebook at Facebook.com/TELUSBusiness.
The contest closes May 27, 2013.

Telus offers office and mobile communications solutions
to more than 500,000 small-and-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across Canada.
SMBs doing business with TELUS can count on a large business team dedicated to
meeting their organizations’ needs 24/7. In addition to connecting businesses
on the go on Canada’s largest 4G LTE network, TELUS also supports the office
with offerings including voice, data, video, and managed and hosted solutions
for business.

Related Link
www.theglobeandmail.com/the-challenge/contest/

Photo courtesy of statesofmind.ca