Charles Barkley, the National Basketball Association Hall of Fame power forward also known as “Sir Charles” has announced on his website a contest called “Earn Chuck’s Bucks.” He’s calling for the best business-plan pitches and says he’ll give the winner $25,000 to help fund that business.
How it works
Any U.S. resident age 18 or older can visit the contest page and submit his or her business-plan pitch. The entry period ends at 11:59 p.m. on July 18. Finalist entries will be posted on CharlesBarkley.com where fans will be encouraged between Aug. 16 and Sept. 2 to vote for their favorite pitch.
A winner will be selected in mid-September based on the total number of fan votes and other criteria, which include the pitch’s creativity, originality, feasibility and “energy and enthusiasm.”
Charles Barkley’s advice to applicants
• Keep it short. The official rules call for entries to be 3,900 characters or less. “Send me the CliffsNotes [version],” Barkley says in the video. “I don’t want to be readin’ through a bunch of crap.”
• Make it realistic. Give your idea some thought, and preferably do some market research before sending in your entry. “Don’t be sendin’ me no bull,” Barkley says. In other words, make sure the idea isn’t “turrible.”
