Starting a Business 101 Giveaway Contest Rules

Contest Rules 

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT

INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. 

1.          Eligibility

Starting a Business 101 Giveaway (the “Contest”) is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry. Employees of Michele Cagan CPA and other companies associated with the promotion of the Contest, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates and advertising and promotion agencies as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible. The Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

2.          Sponsor

The Contest is sponsored by Michele Cagan CPA, located at P.O. Box 263, Baltimore, Maryland 21139.

3.          Agreement to Official Rules

Participation in the Contest constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon being compliant with these Official Rules and fulfilling all other requirements set forth herein.

4.          Contest Period

The entry portion of the Contest begins on April 16th 2024 at 12:00 am Eastern and ends on April 28th 2024 (Updated)

at 11:59 pm Eastern (the “Contest Period”). Entries that are submitted before or after the Contest Period will be disqualified. Submissions will be accepted for the duration of the Contest using any of the following methods:

Online 

The voting portion of the Contest begins on April 29th 2024 at 12:00 am Eastern and ends on May 3rd 2024 at 11:59 pm Eastern (the “Voting Period”) (Updated). Votes that are submitted before or after the Voting Period will be disqualified. Votes will be accepted for the duration of the Voting Period using any of the following methods:

Online

5.          How to Enter

Online: This method of entry will be available by visiting our website (michelecagancpa.com/start-a-biz-101-contest) and following the directions provided to fill out the entry information, and submit.

Limit one (1) entry per pet. Limit 4 entries per person, per email address, for the duration of the Contest Period, regardless of method of entry. Entries received from any person, e-mail address, or household in excess of the stated limitation will be void. All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.

6.             Use of Pet Images and Ideas

By entering the Contest and submitting their pet pictures and ideas, all Contest entrants give permission to Michele Cagan CPA to use their pets’ pictures and their made-up business ideas as part of the promotion for this Contest. Pictures and ideas will be displayed on Michele Cagan’s website, michelecagancpa.com, posted on social media, and may be used elsewhere as promotional material. Pictures and ideas will be voted on by participants to determine the winner of the Contest.

7.             Voting

Pet pictures and business ideas will be uploaded to the voting page, where participants will be asked to vote for their favorite pet and business idea during the Voting Period. Contest entrants are encouraged to share this page with friends, family, etc. and ask them to vote for their pet. The 3 pet pictures and business ideas that get the most votes will each win the prize.

If 2 or more pet pictures and ideas belonging to the same entrant are among the top vote getters, one prize will go to the entrant with the pet picture and idea with the next highest number of votes.

8.          Prize Awarding

On May 4th, 2024 (Updated), the Sponsor will determine the 3 top entries based on the number of votes received from among all eligible entries received. The odds of being selected depend on the number of entries received and the number of votes each entry gets. The Sponsor will attempt to notify the potential winner via email on or about May 4th, 2024 (Updated). If the potential winner cannot be contacted within five (5) days after the date of the first attempt to contact him/her, the Sponsor may select an alternate potential winner in his/her place at random from the remaining non-winning, eligible entries.

9.          Winner Notification

The potential winners will be notified by email. Each potential Grand and First Prize winner (parent/legal guardian if a minor in his/her state of residence) will be required to complete, electronically sign and submit a Declaration of Compliance within five (5) days of the date notice or attempted notice is sent, in order to claim his/her prize. If a potential winner cannot be contacted, or fails to submit the Declaration of Compliance within the required time period (if applicable), or prize is returned as undeliverable, potential winner forfeits prize. If the potential winner is at least 18 but still considered a minor in his/her jurisdiction of residence, Sponsor reserves the right to award the prize in the name of his/her parent or legal guardian, who will be required to sign the Declaration of Compliance on the potential winners behalf and fulfill any other requirements imposed on winner set forth herein. Potential winners must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. In the event that a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, Sponsor will award the applicable prize to an alternate winner by random drawing from among all remaining eligible entries. Only three (3) alternate drawings will be held, after which the prize will remain un-awarded. Prizes will be fulfilled approximately 8-10 weeks after the conclusion of the Contest.

10.      Prizes

 1 hardback copy of Starting a Business 101 by Michele Cagan

 1 hardback copy of Starting a Business 101 by Michele Cagan  

 1 hardback copy of Starting a Business 101 by Michele Cagan

11.       General Conditions

In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Contest is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, bug, worm, unauthorized human intervention or other technical problem, or in the event the Contest is unable to run as planned for any other reason, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either (a) suspend the Contest to address the impairment and then resume the Contest in a manner that best conforms to

the spirit of these Official Rules or (b) terminate the Contest and, in the event of termination, award the prize at random from among the eligible, non-suspect entries received up to the time of the impairment. The Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to damage the website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages (including attorney’s fees) and any other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Failure by the Sponsor to enforce any provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

12.      Release and Limitations of Liability

By participating in the Contest, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Sponsor, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, other companies associated with the Contest, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, representatives, and agents (the Released Parties) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto), including, but not limited to: (a) any technical errors associated with the Contest, including lost, interrupted or unavailable Internet Service Provider (ISP), network, server, wireless service provider, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cellular tower or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties; (b) unauthorized human intervention in the Contest; (c) mechanical, network, electronic, computer, human, printing or typographical errors; (d) application downloads, (e) any other errors or problems in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors that may occur in the administration of the Contest, the announcement of the winner, the cancellation or postponement of the event and/or the flyover, if applicable, the incorrect downloading of the application, the processing of entries application downloads or in any Contest-related materials; or (f) injury, death, losses or damages of any kind, to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrants participation in the Contest or acceptance, receipt or misuse of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto). Entrant further agrees that in any cause of action, the Released Parties liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Contest, and in no event shall the entrant be entitled to receive attorney’s fees. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest. Entrant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

13.      Disputes

Except where prohibited, each entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in Maryland. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, entrants rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Maryland, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules, which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Maryland.

14.      Privacy

Information collected from entrants is subject to sponsor’s privacy policy.