Meet the Challenge Contestants!

The Enterprise Challenge is right in the thick of the competition!  There are 17 entrepreneurs vying for the cash prizes in our business plan contest.  I’ve been getting to know the contestants and have been very impressed with their hard work and effort thus far.  There’s a very broad mix of entrepreneurs, experience levels and businesses, which is adding a lot to the competition.  Some of the entrepreneurs have started networking and learning from each other, even offering to help one another on their business plans.

The contestants have each submitted their executive summary that are out to the opening round judges for feedback.  Next week they’ll have the chance for one-on-one meetings with business advisors and a workshop to prepare for the Investment Round Trade Show event in early November. The Investment Round will be set up as a trade show event, with approximately 35 judges that have $1,000 ‘Investment (play) Bucks’ to invest in a minimum of five companies; the top eight ‘money’ winners will move on to the next round of the competition.

Here’s a snapshot of the participants. Some businesses are still in the planning stages, so they may not be ready to launch their official name yet, and others have websites and storefronts that you can visit for more information!

adorn (maryabigail creations):  adorn is a women’s clothing store that will offer new and vintage clothing.  Customers will be able add their own flair to the clothes in the art center, which offers a variety of embellishments.  adorn is a ‘clothing store meets art store’.

ATP Ent: ATP Enterprises has developed a new type of blade for wind turbines which provides 13-17 % more power than any known blade on the market. ATP has also developed a new modular wind turbine which can grow as customer needs grow.  ATP Type turbines now make small wind turbine farms possible.

BDE, LLC: BDE, LLC is an event planning & party rental business that offers party entertainment and event services at competitive prices.  They offer a 10,000 watt mobile Pro DJ, complete with laser lighting, karaoke and music videos, in addition to party food concession machines and interactive sports inflatable rentals.   BDE, LLC also highly believes in donating its entertainment services to legitimate charitable causes throughout the local community.  No event is too big or small – weddings, Quinceañera, reunions, parties and more!

Cascade Animal Care Products, Inc.:  Cascade Animal Care Products is a retail company that specializes in total care for your animal, with the exception of food products.   They are Yakima’s experts in animal care – dogs, cats, horses or livestock.  Products include antibiotics, vaccinations, dewormers, special supplements and retail toys and supplies to keep animals healthy and happy. Their special niche is having an extensive knowledge of animals and the products they sell.

CTR – Contractor Tool Repair:  Contractor Tool Repair (CTR) will service the greater Yakima area in regards to warranty and repair services on contractor tools, such as electric saws, drills and air tools.

Guerra’s Gourmet:  Guerra’s Gourmet spices and products are grown on the Guerra’s Ranch located in Sunnyside, WA on the foothills of the Rattlesnake Mountain. The family prides themselves on bringing the freshest and finest product from farm to table. Guerra’s Gourmet products line includes: Seasoning, Pickled Vegetables, Pickled Peppers and Salsa.

Jenny Mae’s Gluten Free:  Jenny Mae’s gluten free bakery is an allergen free bakery, specializing in breads, buns, cookies, pies, and more.   The baked goods are gluten, dairy and soy free yet retain many of the characteristics and qualities of traditional wheat breads.  Their products are consumed by people that are medically advised to adhere to an allergen free diet, as well as individuals who choose to eat this way.

Healing Greens:  Outdoor Experiential Learning and Challenge Course Facility.  Offering educators, social systems and faith based organizations a centrally located facility with exploratory learning elements, physical, mental and sensory challenge courses, real-world ecological projects, outdoor adventures and community gardens, encouraging healthy lifestyles and higher learning.

Pivot, A Reiki Salon:  Experience calm reflection in a safe comfortable environment as this Japanese hands-on body work session realigns your energy field, leaving you more relaxed and focused.

RubyVegas Designs: Robbie Bustos aka RubyVegas Designs is a jewelry designer. She has her work in Vogue Knitting magazine, The American Music Awards and the Golden Globes and looks forward to selling her work in more area boutiques & galleries. She is also planning on expanding her niche internet business and taking it to the next level.

Tieton Farm & Creamery:  Tieton Farm & Creamery is a 21-acre farm located in Tieton.  Tieton Farm & Creamery combines responsible farming methods and artisanal cheese making techniques to produce small batches of high-quality cheeses, such as fresh chevre, feta, provolone and grill-able Halloumi.  Products are made on-site, with no milk transportation and no double-pasteurizing. Our customers appreciate high-quality cheese, and they care about social issues such as the environment, local sourcing of products and the fair treatment of animals.

Whisper Ridge Winery: Whisper Ridge Winery is an “Old World” style winery with a hands-on flair. The owners are actively involved in all aspects of the winemaking process from selecting outstanding quality grapes from the finest vineyards in Washington to hand labeling each bottle. They truly love the art, elegance (and of course the taste) of their wines!

Write Way Communications: Write Way Communications is a bilingual writing, editing and design service that specializes in print and online projects for small businesses and individuals. Based in Yakima, Write Way Communications works to improve the messaging and visual presentation of marketing materials for companies just starting out or those going in a new direction.  Other services include newsletters, website content, resumes, document creation and translation for any and all materials.

Yakima Valley Social Media Alliance:  Yakima Valley Social Media Alliance is a social media strategy, consulting and implementation firm based in Yakima, WA. The firm has motivated and savvy professionals that can assist businesses make sense of social media applications such as blogs, social networks, online communities and mobile technology.   Services include education, hands-on coaching, strategic communications planning, relationship marketing and building a customer/client base built on trust and loyalty.

Lunch Box & Multi-Cultural Museum:  The Lunch Box and Multicultural Museum is designed to be a historical and multicultural experience. There will be hundreds of lunch boxes and lunch box bottles on display from the 1950s through the 1980s. Seniors will have special memories of some of the 1950 lunch boxes. Young people will see a lunch box display of boxes and bottles from before they were born. The multicultural exhibits will document important historical events in American history regarding its vast racial/ethnic groups.

Thermo-Green, Inc.

Thermo-Green, Inc is adding a new dimension to your Green technology. With the application of a flexible, thermo-ceramic, insulating coating we are reflecting over 95% of the effect of the sun and keeping your roof and sun exposed exterior building surfaces to within 3 degrees of the ambient temperature.  Applications world-wide are showing energy savings in excess of 50% and even 60% when our product is applied to the roof of a building. For refrigerated commercial trailers saving of 20% to 30% of fuel to operate the reefer are easily achieved. Your equipment has a decreased work load which extends its life span, decrease maintenance costs, so you save money in fuel, maintenance and equipment replacement costs with our simple solution to Green technology.

Professional Automotive Collision Repair

Let the contest begin!

The dust has settled and we officially have at least sixteen entrepreneurs who will vie for top honors in our business plan contest.  We have some great emerging businesses competing for prizes and recognition – the competition should be intense.  It is especially rewarding to also see a great mix of contestants with a varied backgrounds and experience levels.

Contestants include a retail boutique, jewelry designer, winery, animal care products wholesaler, contractor, niche organic food processors, service providers (communications, social media consulting, wellness, industrial-related) and some in the renewable energy field.   A few are in the idea stage, others are planning to start in the next year and a few are already in business.

We are very encouraged by the response to our inaugural business plan contest.  Next steps will be for teams to attend an orientation session, gather some feedback as to the level of assistance they would like and then plan accordingly.  We want to offer them the chance to network, meet with SCORE counselors and the Small Business Development Center as well.  We’ll have more information posted on this site about each contestant next week and will keep you updated as the contest progresses!

Key timelines

1	Registration Deadline	October 1
2	Executive Summary Due	October 18
3	Investment Round Trade Show	November 4
4	NWEN Entrepreneur University	November 12
5	Coaching Round	November 15 – December 3rd
6	Final Plans Due	December 3rd
7	Oral Presentations	December 9, 2010
8	Competition Finale	December 14, 2010

Congratulations to all our teams for taking this step to start or expand their business and/or develop a business plan.  Good luck, may the best plan win!