Ready, Set, Start!
Intuit Offers $50,000 Reasons to ''Just Start'' Your Own Business
National Campaign Empowers Aspiring Entrepreneurs to Turn Business
Dreams Into Reality
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (Business Wire EON/PRWEB ) October 15, 2007 --
Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq:INTU) has
$50,000 reasons to inspire Americans who dream of starting
a business to “Just Start™.”
A nationwide “Just Start”
campaign at www.IWillJustStart.com
is designed to help turn dreams into reality, changing “I
wish I had just started my own business…”
to “I just started my own business!”
With research showing that 72 percent of Americans aspire to run their
own company, the “Just Start”
campaign helps wishful entrepreneurs take the next step in realizing
their business aspirations with encouragement and guidance from Intuit –
and a chance to win a $50,000 startup grant.
Many Americans are unfulfilled by their work based on Intuit’s
recent “Just Start”
survey conducted by an independent market research firm. In fact, 84
percent believe that they would be more passionate about their work if
they owned their own business and nearly 70 percent regularly think
about resigning from their job.
To help Americans feel more fulfilled by what they do every day, the “Just
Start” campaign encourages them to explore
their entrepreneurial aspirations. It offers them guidance to take the
next step with key getting-started resources, from how to incorporate a
new business, to cost-effective ways to find customers. The campaign
also offers a head start with a chance to win a business
startup grant valued at $50,000 in cash, products and services.
Free
Accounting Software
As part of the campaign, Intuit today also announced that it is offering
its easy-to-use QuickBooks Simple Start accounting software for free.
Previous versions of the award-winning software were valued at $99.95.
Trusted by more than 300,000 businesses, Simple Start liberates new
entrepreneurs to focus on running their business and not hassle with
managing their finances. It tracks the essentials of “money
in” and “money out”
and keeps key business data organized for tax time. The software can be
downloaded for free at www.IWillJustStart.com.
“Whether it’s
someone working in their day job, a stay-at-home mom, or a recent
retiree, we’re looking to inspire anyone who
dreams of starting their own business,” said
Rick Jensen, vice president of Intuit’s Small
Business Division. “‘Just
Start’ is a rallying cry for people to break
free – whether that’s
to resign from the corporate world or simply to take a hard look at
whatever is stopping them from pursuing their business dream –
and finally commit to take the next step in making it happen.”
Enter the “Just Start”
Contest
Aspiring business owners can enter the “Just
Start” contest by submitting a letter or
video to www.IWillJustStart.com,
or by visiting one of the local “Just Start”
events in four major cities. Entrants will describe their business
dream, what they need to do to make it happen and how they would use
Intuit’s “Just
Start” business grant to get started.
Entries must be submitted by Dec. 15, 2007. A panel of independent small
business experts, including Anita Campbell of Small
Business Trends, John Jantsch of Duct
Tape Marketing and Ramon Ray of Smallbiztechnology.com,
will review the submissions and select five semi-finalists. Those
entries will be posted on the site in mid-January, when visitors can
view and vote for their favorite.
Winners will be announced at the end of January 2008. The grand prize “Just
Start” grant is valued at $50,000, which
includes $40,000 cash and a $10,000 value in business services and
resources. In addition, two finalists will receive $5,000 in cash.
Experience the “Just Start”
Feeling
Budding entrepreneurs can experience “Just
Start” in four busy commuter hubs across the
country. At each “Just Start”
Lounge, they can enter the contest by sharing their business dreams on
video. They can also draw inspiration from local entrepreneurs, obtain
expert advice from local business experts and get a free copy of
QuickBooks Simple Start. Cities include:
-
Seattle – Oct. 24-25, Westlake Center.
-
Chicago – Nov. 1-2, Union Station.
-
New York – Nov. 7-8, Grand Central Station.
-
Boston – Nov. 13-14, South Station.
“For those grappling with the idea of
starting a business, this campaign is the perfect opportunity to finally
do it,” said Anita Campbell of Small Business
Trends. “It shows Intuit’s
commitment to go beyond products to empower the entrepreneurial spirit.”
Multimedia and additional information: Intuit
Press Room
Suggested links: Facebook
Group, JumpUp.com
About Intuit Inc.
Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management
solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions,
including banks and credit unions; consumers and accounting
professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks®,
Quicken® and TurboTax®
software, simplify small business management and payroll processing,
personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. ProSeries®
and Lacerte® are Intuit’s
leading tax preparation software suites for professional accountants.
The company’s financial institutions
division, anchored by Digital Insight, provides on-demand banking
services to help banks and credit unions serve businesses and consumers
with innovative solutions.
Founded in 1983, Intuit had annual revenue of $2.67 billion in its
fiscal year 2007. The company has approximately 8,000 employees with
major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other
locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.
Intuit, the Intuit logo and QuickBooks, among others, are registered
trademarks and/or registered service marks of Intuit Inc. in the United
States and other countries.
MULTIMEDIA GALLERY http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5517412
See the original story at: http://eon.businesswire.com/releases/business/start/prweb561220.htm
Post Comment:
Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/U3F1YS1TcXVhLUVtcHQtTG92ZS1UaGlyLVplcm8=
Bookmark -
Del.icio.us |
Furl It |
Technorati |
Ask |
MyWeb |
Propeller |
Live Bookmarks |
Newsvine |
TailRank |
Reddit |
Slashdot |
Digg |
Stumbleupon |
Google Bookmarks |
Sphere |
Blink It |
Spurl
|
