Inspiration4 was recently announced as the world’s first all-civilian mission to space, which is targeted to launch in the fourth quarter of this year. The mission will be commanded by Jared Isaacman, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Shift4 Payments and an accomplished pilot and adventurer. Named Inspiration4 because of the four-person crew’s mission to inspire support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and send a humanitarian message of possibility, the journey represents a new era for human spaceflight and exploration.
We are excited to announce that one seat on this historic adventure will be awarded to a deserving Shift4Shop entrepreneur who has demonstrated innovation and ingenuity in launching their dream business! Current and new Shift4Shop customers with an active Shift4Shop web store will have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to earn a non-transferable crew seat aboard Inspiration4 by sharing their stories and business details on Twitter. The winner will be selected from the highest-trending videos by a pool of special judges yet to be announced.
Table of Contents
How to Enter
New Shift4Shop Customers:
Are you ready to launch your free online store? If you’re brand new to Shift4Shop, then follow these steps for an opportunity to secure a seat on Inspiration4:
Step 1: Launch Your Shop
To enter this contest, you’ll first need to sign up for a new Shift4Shop online store. It’s fast and free to sign up for the End-to-End eCommerce plan — the only requirement is that you use Shift4 Payments as your payment processor.
Once you create a new online store, you’ll need to set it up. Choose a store theme, add products, set up shipping, configure payments, and anything else that your online store needs. To set up Shift4 Payments as your store’s payment processor, simply fill out the Merchant Application and you’re ready to launch.
Disclaimer: You must be a US merchant to qualify for this contest.
Every entrepreneur’s story is unique and worth telling — especially yours. Once you’ve launched your store, tell us all about your journey as a business owner. How did you get your start? How far have you come? What obstacles were in your way, and how did you overcome each one? We want to know it all.
Simply record your story and publish the video to Twitter. Be sure to link to your new Shift4Shop online store and use the hashtag #inspiration4contest to secure your entry.
Step 3: Go to Space!
The deadline to submit your entry is February 28th, 2021 at 11:59 pm ET, so there’s no time to waste. If your story ends up becoming a top trending video, it’ll be reviewed by a panel of celebrity judges. In mid-March, these judges will select the most inspiring entrepreneur to join this historic adventure to space on Inspiration4.
Existing Shift4Shop Customers:
If you already have a store on Shift4Shop, don’t worry — you can enter this contest too! The steps to entry are mostly the same, but we’ll go over exactly what’s required for you to enter for your chance to win.
Step 1: Switch to Shift4 Payments
If you haven’t already, you’ll need to switch your store’s payment processor to Shift4 Payments to be eligible for this contest. To use Shift4 Payments, all you’ll need to do is navigate to your Online Store Manager’s Settings, then to the Payment tab. Once you’re there, click on “Select Payment Methods” under the Payment Methods section and look for the Shift4 Payment module. Click on the Connect button and begin setting up your Shift4 Payments Merchant Account.
Disclaimer: You must be a US merchant to qualify for this contest.
Once you’re live with Shift4 Payments, it’s time to tell us about your journey as an entrepreneur. Record a video telling all about your business’s ups, downs, and how you’ve found success as an entrepreneur. We’re looking for inspirational stories, so don’t be modest about how far you’ve come — we want to hear it all.
Once you’ve recorded your story, post the video to Twitter with the hashtag #inspiration4contest. Be sure to include a link to your Shift4Shop website in the tweet as well.
Step 3: Go to Space!
All entries must be submitted by February 28th, 2021 at 11:59 pm ET to be entered into the contest. Then, in mid-March, a panel of celebrity judges will review all of the top trending video entries to select the winner. The most inspirational entrepreneurial story will be chosen for this historic, once-in-a-lifetime trip on Inspiration4.
Are You Ready for The Trip of a Lifetime?
Remember, starting a business isn’t all about winning a contest and going to space. While that is a great opportunity, you should start your business out of your passion — what have you always aspired to contribute to the world that you are uniquely able to do? That’s the type of inspiration we’re looking for, and the type of drive that will make your business truly successful even after you come back down to Earth.
