ALEXANDRIA, Ky -- Local entrepreneurs are getting a shot this week to turn their good ideas into money-making ventures this week with the Home Shopping Network, which is looking for the next big thing from budding businesses.
HSN's American Dreams Academy is in Cincinnati this week through a partnership with Northern Kentucky University. They're bringing the tools local entrepreneurs need to elevate their businesses.
"(We'll have) experts around product marketing, around packaging, around legal and patents, pitching and all the things that goes along with having a worldwide presence for a consumer product," NKU regent Norm Desmarais said.
Stacey Schieffelin is a former Ford model and owner of YBF Beauty, a multi-million-dollar cosmetics company featured on HSN.
"Most entrepreneurs just jump in because we're risk-takers...but we never really think about the back end of running day to day business," Scheiffelin said.
Over a hundred entrepreneurs are expected to show up to pick up tips and hopefully pitch their ideas in front of HSN's experts.
"That's the opportunity I've been needing to let somebody hear exactly, outside of Cincinnati, what I do, what I can do, and what we have to offer," said Aunt Flora, the owner of Aunt Flora's Kitchen & Cobbler Pie Company.
Flora and her cobblers are well known locally, and she's gotten some national exposure, but she wants to move up to the next level.
"We can make this better; we can make this bigger," Aunt Flora said.
She'll get her to pitch to the experts on Friday. Entrepreneurs get five minutes in front of the representatives of HSN.
Cincinnati is only the third city to host this event. They've picked products in other cities, so we'll wait and see if someone is selected from the Tri-State.
