Fair Exhibits

The goal of this project is to help 4-H members learn how to exploit a business opportunity.  Each level moves the 4-H member towards being able find an opportunity and/or need, then determine what the product or service that might meet that need, and finally to build a business around the opportunity.  4-H members are encouraged to think about how their existing 4-H projects or other interests they have might be turned into a successful business. 

Beginning

Idea Development - A display illustrating how the youth identified an opportunity or need.  Youth will identify who may already be responding to the identified need.  Youth will also explore their skills and abilities as an entrepreneur and where they can get help. 

Intermediate

From concept to prototype - A display with an accompanying report of approximately two typewritten pages plus an additional two pages of highlights of the material presented in the “Basic” class plus either a prototype model or illustration of the product or a description of the service. 

Advanced

The Business Plan - A display of the highlights of the business plan that might be used when trying to raise funds to start the business.  Also a complete business plan (15 typewritten pages max) as identified in Chapter 39 of “Be the E: Entrepreneurship.”

Judging Criteria

Beginning

In this class, the youth is to identify something that represents a business opportunity or need.  He or she should be able to say why it represents an opportunity and then provide examples of who the competition might be.

1. Has the youth clearly defined the opportunity? 

2. Has the youth supported his or her decision that this is an opportunity?  Have they given their reasoning for the decision and, if so, did they make a convincing argument?

3. Has the youth identified direct competitors?  Has the youth identified indirect competition?

4. Has the youth identified help he or she may need and where to go to get that help.

Intermediate

In this class, youth will build on information presented in the “Basic” class to now identify a specific product or service that will respond to the opportunity.  Youth will need to identify how their product or service responds to the opportunity and how it differs from other products or services already on the market. 

1. Has the youth identified a specific business idea that responds to the opportunity?

2. Is the business idea clearly defined? 

3. Has the youth discussed how his or her product is unique? 

4. Has the youth given the product a name?  Does the business have a name?

5. Has the youth included all of the material required in the “Beginning” class?

Advanced - Judging hint: Use of professionals from the financial industry who review business plans as your review panel.  You may even want to consider adding a verbal presentation by the youth to the panel. 

In this class, youth will summarize all of their activity up to this point and then develop a business plan with supporting documentation. 

1. Does the plan flow from one section to another?  Are all of the required sections included? 

2. Has the youth clearly identified who the market is?

3. Is there a focused marketing plan that identifies the unique aspects of the product or service and how those unique elements will be used to approach the target market?

4. Has the youth identified the amount of money and other resources needed to start the business and where to get those resources?

5. Has the youth developed and supported a realistic pricing model?

6. Is the overall plan logical, well-written with proper grammar and punctuation, and clear? 

7. What additional information has the youth added to the plan such as market surveys, census data, a list of anticipated problems and how those might be resolved, etc?