Juny Nguyen

Marketing
5/8/2014
Work Sample NFTE Business Plan
In the Spring of 2013, I competed against 50 students around the San Francisco Bay Area
in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Bay Area Business Plan Competition. We all had
one objective create a new, innovative business idea and present it. Using my business idea,
Neckcessories, I was awarded 2
nd
place out of 50. The top 2 from each district for the Network
for Teaching Entrepreneurship was then allowed to compete in the National level. I attended the
National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge and presented my plan to businessmen on October
3
rd
, 2013. I placed Top 3 out of the 36 national finalists.
From this competition and assignment, I learned how to be innovative, how to think
critically, and how to use the skills I learn in the classroom and apply them to real life situations.
I was able to create a worthwhile idea and refine it to improve it to the point where it was able to
place Top 3. This business called for all the innovation I could muster up. To make a business
innovative took an extreme amount of creativity on my part. After that, I had to figure out all the
flaws with my business, and then make decisions to solve these flaws in both inventive and
traditional ways.
A huge portion of this competition was the presentation. For the final round, the
presentation was in front of approximately 1000 people. This included the other finalists who did
not advance to the final round, and their families, and also CEOs and company presidents. Doing
this competition taught me to articulate my thoughts orally, nonverbally, and through body
language. During the question and answer section of the presentation, I learned how to truly
listen to the deeper meaning of the questions, and communicate regardless of what pressure I was
under.
Before the national competition, the preparation and the pressure to revise my plan
helped me grow as a person. I was able to learn to manage my time wisely to reach my goals,
and learned to quickly adapt to any change that had a chance of occurring. No one taught me
how to create this business. I had to learn how to be independent, but also ask for help
respectfully when needed. In the end, I truly expanded my opportunities through self-drive and
self-direction.
However, my business plan was not perfect. The final presentation was slightly lacking,
and my nerves took over. In the future, I could improve on my presentation skills. My product
was also imperfect, and I shouldve put more time into creating it. The other businesses had
already created profit, while I had barely any units sold. Having actual numbers could have
boosted me above the competition.
Through the NFTE Business Plan, I learned to be innovative, to be creative, and to think
outside the box. That is what made my plan stand out amongst the rest, and that is what I did the
best in. The skills I have gained from this plan will continue to help me improve my
presentations, my critical thinking, and my creativity in the future. I will become wiser, more
clever, and a truly great speaker.