Enterprise Challenge Gala Finale

Join us in the celebration and conclusion of the First Annual Enterprise Challenge on Friday, December 10th from noon to 1:00 p.m.  The eight finalists are vying for over $17,000 in prize money.  The finalists have been working hard on their business plans and practicing their final presentations.  The final judging round will be held Thursday, the 9th and the entrepreneurs will be anxiously awaiting the announcement!

DATE:  Friday, December 10

TIME:  12 noon to 1:00 p.m., registration and networking begins at 11:30

PLACE:  Yakima Red Lion Hotel, 607 East Yakima Avenue, Yakima

COST:  $20, includes lunch

Email or call 575.1140 for more details, or click here to register.

Lessons from School

In particular, lessons from The Wexley School of Girls.  We had the great fortune of taking our  eight finalists in the Enterprise Challenge and a group of Yakima Valley college students to the Northwest Entrepreneur Network’s ”Entrepreneur University’ last week.  The one day workshop was jam-packed with three keynote speakers, breakout sessions and over 350 attendees.  Talk about entrepreneurial energy!

One of the sessions was about marketing and branding and was led by the founders of the Wexley School of Girls, fast becoming a common name in the marketing agency arena.  They are known for being non-traditional, the opposite of a ‘regular’ ad agency, a little quirky, and a lot creative.  By the way, it’s not a school or just for girls only.  They have implemented some very successful campaigns that have gone viral, for example the Seattle Sounders kick off, and a video for a Nike competition (sans Nike logo) called ‘Winner take Steve‘ (if you’re a Napoleon Dynamite fan you’ll appreciate this short clip, directed by Jared Hess).  Their client list also includes Pepsi, Microsoft and Virgin Mobile.

Here are three things that I thought were great lessons for entrepreneurs in general, not even just for marketing:

1. Worry about what you can control;
2. Solve the problem first…get the message right; and
3. Live in authenticity.  ‘Be what you are’.

I thought these lessons were particularly relevant during this phase of our Enterprise Challenge, especially #3.  The finalists are wrapping up their final business plans and they are gearing up for their oral presentation to another panel of judges.  As they prepare their final presentations, we are encouraging them to be themselves (their confident, presentation self!), make sure their plans, financial projections and assumptions are realistic.  Above all a person can have the most fabulous business plan in the world and show tremendous growth and market potential, but if their numbers aren’t viable or realistic, and more importantly the person is not believable, they won’t get far with a panel of judges or in real life, investors, customers or partners.  Any lessons learned out there regarding the three lessons?

Eight Entrepreneurs Advance in Business Plan Competition

We are excited to announce that eight emerging businesses are advancing to the final round of our association’s business plan contest.  These entrepreneurs were selected by 32 judges that met with and evaluated business plan contestants at an afternoon trade show yesterday.  We were very pleased with the trade show.  The judges and our contestants did a great job.

The following companies are advancing on to the final round of the Enterprise Challenge:

« adorn.  Owner:  MaryAbigail Dills
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 Wind Turbine.  Owner:  Alvin Parraz
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.

« Cascade Animal Care Products, Inc.  Owner:  Bruce Noyes
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 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.  Owner:  Lan Schiefelbein
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.

« Jenny Mae’s Gluten Free Bakery. Owners:  Jeff & Jenny Simmons
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.

« RubyVegas Designs. Owner:  Robbie Bustos
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.

« Tieton Farm & Creamery. Owners:  Lori & Ruth Babcock
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.

« Thermo-Green, Inc. Owner:   Bruce Wolverton
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.

These contestants will attend Entrepreneur University next week in Bellevue.  After returning from this “boot camp” for entrepreneurs, contestants will have three weeks to complete their business plans.  During this time contestants can be matched with local business mentors to help them refine and improve their plans.  We also plan to organize a pitch clinic to help contestants polish their presentation skills. A team of final judges will review contestant plans in December and hear oral presentations from each entrepreneur before selecting the contest winners.  Enterprise Challenge contest results will be announced at a special luncheon on December 10^th.

The selection process yesterday was difficult.  We had 15 outstanding contestants and they are all winners in our book.  The entrepreneurial energy at our trade show yesterday was incredible and we are convinced that most of our contestants are on the right path towards success.

New Vision and its business development partners are interested in working with all the contestants and other emerging companies in the Yakima Valley.  We have discovered a bunch of great homegrown entrepreneurs and our team wants to help these emerging companies take root within the area.