With less than 40 days left to enter your idea in #GetStarted2014, we thought we’d give you a few tips on what we’re looking for!

In case you haven’t heard of #GetStarted2014 yet, we’re offering £50,000 worth of web development, marketing and hosting to the best mobile or web application idea.

You don’t have to be an entrepreneur to enter and you don’t have to be techy or business-minded. All you need is an idea and we’ll take care of the rest.

Or perhaps you’ve already started working on an app but a lack of time, funding or like-minded people is holding you back. Then #GetStarted2014 is perfect for you. We can continue development on your app, provide business advice and help you meet the right people to work with.

So, now you know about the whopping £50,000 prize, how are you going to win it?

How to win!

Optimise your entry

Enter your idea on the #GetStarted2014 website to be in for a chance of winning (you’ll need to login with a Facebook or Twitter account).

You’ll need to enter a high level concept of your idea. In other words, describe your idea in a sentence.

Tip: Your high level concept (as well as your idea name & image) is the only information that will appear on the Discover Ideas page. It might only be a sentence but spend time on your high level concept. Keep it short, snappy & concise to attract voters to your idea.

Don’t forget to fill in the Elevator Pitch with the “who, what and why” of your idea. We’ve made the elevator pitch as simple as possible for you. Just fill in the gaps and explain what makes your idea useful and different from anything else on the market.

Tip: If you’ve already started work on your product, don’t forget to enter the URL for your website, Twitter account, Kickstarter page or anywhere else where voters can learn more about you.

Promote your entry

The top 10 ideas with the most votes will be passed on to our expert panel of judges who will decide the winner.

That means, to be in for a chance of winning, you need to get a lot of votes!

Here’s a few ideas of how you can promote your idea and get those all important votes…

– Share your entry on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, G+, whatever social network floats your boat. Each idea has it’s own unique URL so you can share your idea without worrying about promoting the competition!

– Don’t be afraid to share your entry more than once on social networks. According to Buffer, the average life cycle of a Facebook post is just 90 minutes and for a Tweet it’s a measly 18 minutes. Not everyone will see your entry first time so don’t be offended if you don’t get many votes the first time – keep trying!

– Add the URL for your entry to your email signature and urge everyone you email to vote for you.

– Do you have a regular newsletter? Why not ask your subscribers to vote for you? You could even ask them for feedback and features they’d like to see in your product if you win! If you don’t have a newsletter, why not ask someone you know who does to give you a shout out?

– Get networking! If you go to networking events on a regular basis, don’t forget to tell people about your #GetStarted2014 entry and ask them to vote for you. Most people will be happy to help if you just ask.

– Do you have a blog? Why not write a blog post about your idea? If you don’t have a blog, why not ask someone who does to write about you.

– Who are your most influential Twitter followers/ Facebook friends/ LinkedIn connections? Send them a private message and ask them to share your entry with their followers.

– If you have a website, why not add a link to your entry to the homepage and ask people to vote for you?

So go, on, what are you waiting for?! Head over to #GetStarted2014 now and enter your idea today!