The contest sponsored by global mobile phone maker Nokia, with FinNode, a business technology connector, and Red Herring magazine acting as organizers, was announced today. Prospective entrepreneurs who want to take the challenge can sign up at the contest site.

A FinNode representative said the Web-2-Mobile Business Plan Competition is seeking entrepreneurs who have innovative ideas about how to harness the power and ubiquity of mobile devices. Those who want to compete need to sign up by December 10, and finalists will be revealed on January 2, 2007.

The lucky finalists will present their plans to judges on January 24, 2007, with winners selected that day in Santa Clara, California. Winners then receive invitations to visit Nokia’s research labs, where they will try to implement their business plan.

FinNode also said the winning entrepreneurs will get profiled in Red Herring, along with the valuable exposure to investors and venture capitalists who can help get a business plan off the ground.

If you’re interested in taking a shot at the title, they recommend the advice from Garage Technology Ventures in completing the entry. Here’s what the competition’s judges want from entrepreneurs in their business plans:

1. The statement – What is your great idea?
2. The problem – What is the current or emerging problem that you will solve.
3. The solution – What do you offer and for whom?
4. The opportunity – What is the market for your solution?
5. The competitive advantage – What is your sustainable real competitive advantage?
6. The business model – How will you make money?
7. The team – Why will your team win?
8. The money – What are your financial projections?

Mobile services have become a focal point for big Internet players. Google recently debuted an application that gives a mobile phone user access to Gmail with an interface that replicates the desktop experience. Ask,Yahoo, and AOL all have designs on connecting people with their services, while Microsoft wants to own the mobile platform and the applications with its products.

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David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.

Eurekster’s Swickis can be found on sites like Popular Science and Hollywood.com, where they create ‘buzz clouds’ of search terms based on what users search for the most on a website.

As more users submit queries through the Swicki search, the cloud grows and terms become bolder as their number of searches increases. Eurekster calls it community powered search, and it has been recognized by Red Herring as one of its 100 favorites in North America for 2006.

“We are honored to have been selected by Red Herring for this prestigious award that serves as a testament to Eurekster’s vision, technology and business model,” said Steven Marder, CEO & co-founder of Eurekster.

Marder will also take part in the Red Herring Spring 2006 CEO summit, taking place in Monterey, CA. Previous early movers spotted by Red Herring’s editorial staff include Google and eBay among many others.

Eurekster and the other companies recognized by Red Herring will participate in “The Pursuit of Disruption,” this year’s conference theme. Various speakers will cover topics in roundtable sessions, with award presentations taking place on May 25th.

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David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.