Here at the Brass Tacks @ businessplan.com, we get it. That's why we're hosting a quarterly competition that rewards the entrepreneur with the best executive summary $10,000 in start-up capital.

That's right, executive summary. Let's be honest—most investors don't read past the first paragraph of a business plan, let alone the entire document. If you don't nail it in the executive summary, you won't get funding. Our competition works the same way.

Here's how it works: each quarter, we'll announce the competition's theme, which may range from green business, to Web 2.0 companies, to Scandinavian fusion restaurants. If your start-up fits the bill, send us your executive summary for a shot at scoring $10K in funding.

A Brass Tacks contest winner will develop an exceptional exec sum demonstrating that they have more than just a good idea. It must be well-written and your concept must be clearly and thoroughly explained. We'll also judge the feasibility of your concept, as well as your presentation and organization. Finally, you should clearly establish how $10,000 in funding would address the needs of your business. Because we want to make a difference, part of judging will include an assessment of the impact $10K would have on your company (Sorry—that means you can't use winnings to pay off pesky credit card bills.).

If you think you've got a winning executive summary, please enter now. We've got $10K to give away!