Press Release
Contact:
Steven Thorpe
504-533-2753
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 8, 2013
steven.thorpe@capitalone.com
Capital One Bank Announces ‘Grow Mid City’ Small Business Growth Plan Competition
For Mid City-Area Small Businesses that Meet Qualifying Criteria
Cash prizes of $10,000 for the grand prize winner and
$7,000 and $3,000 for runner-ups will be awarded
Baton Rouge (February 8, 2012) – Capital One Bank, in partnership with Mid City Redevelopment
Alliance of Baton Rouge, today announced “Grow Mid City” a small business growth plan competition to
help small businesses in the Mid City area of Baton Rouge grow and create jobs.
The winner of the Grow Mid City competition will receive a cash award of $10,000 to invest in
his or her business. The contestants who finish second and third will receive $7,000 and $3,000,
respectively, to invest in their businesses. The top three also will receive technical and professional
assistance in areas that include marketing, legal, human resources, technology and finance to enhance
their businesses.
“At Capital One Bank, we are committed to Investing for Good in greater Baton Rouge,
connecting our company’s people and financial resources to education, financial literacy, and small
business and workforce development,” said Cindy Haygood, Small Business Area Manager. “The Grow
Mid City competition is a great example of how we bring Investing for Good to life for businesses in
Mid City, a historic and important part of Baton Rouge. We’re pleased to partner with Mid City
Redevelopment Alliance to offer this competition.”
To be eligible for the Grow Mid City competition, businesses and their owners must meet the
following key criteria:

Business revenues in the most recent fiscal year must have been $1 million or less.

The applicant must have owned the business since before January 15, 2012.
1

The applicant/owner must demonstrate the potential or desire to grow and create jobs
in the Mid City community.

The business must be located in the Mid City area.
The competition is divided into two rounds. In the first, applicants will complete and submit an
online form to provide a comprehensive overview of their business, including its mission and vision,
products and services offered, management plan, marketing strategy and other key information. Each
of the applicants then will be assigned two Capital One business bankers who will provide insight and
help the applicant fine-tune the application. Six finalists then will be notified in mid-April and will
compete in the second and final round in early May, during which each contender will make an 8-10
minute business presentation in front of a panel of community and business leaders. The cash awards
will go to the owners of the three businesses whose plans are judged by the panel to be the most
creative, innovative and likely to succeed and create jobs in the Mid City area.
The deadline to submit the first-round online application is 5 p.m., Friday, March 22.
Applications will be accepted at www.cybergrants.com/capitalone/growmidcity. The site provides
detailed information about the competition, eligibility guidelines and a pre-screening checklist. The
revised applications must be submitted no later than April 8.
Applicants to the competition can participate in educational classes and seminars offered by the
Southern University Small Business Development Center, Money Management International and Capital
One Bank. The workshops will include “Credit Repair” and “Financials and Cash Flow Statements” before
March 22 and “Marketing and Social Media” between March 22 and the second submission in early
April.
About Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company whose
subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A., and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., had $212.5 billion in
deposits and $312.9 billion in total assets outstanding as of December 31, 2012. Headquartered in
McLean, Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers,
small businesses and commercial clients through a variety of channels. Capital One, N.A. has more
than 900 branch locations primarily in Louisiana, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and
the District of Columbia. ING DIRECT, a division of Capital One, N.A., offers direct banking products
and services to customers nationwide. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York
Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index.
2
Capital One Bank is a registered trade name of Capital One, N.A.
About Mid City Redevelopment Alliance
The Mid City Redevelopment Alliance (MCRA) is a non-profit organization which serves as a catalyst,
facilitator and coordinator encouraging the growth and renewal of the Mid City region of Baton Rouge
by attracting new, and retaining current, businesses and residents. Founded in 1991 by General Health
System (parent company to the Baton Rouge General Medical Center), MCRA takes a proactive and
aggressive approach to the problems of crime and decay in Mid City.
###
3