Campus News

Westminster College announces its 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place Business Plan competition winners

Business Plan competition winners, awarding $8,000 in cash prizes.

SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster College’s Institute for New Enterprise and the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business announced Savvy May Creations as the first place winner of its first on-campus business plan competition – Opportunity Quest. At the Awards Banquet held Friday, January 25, 2008, Savvy May’s founders, Brent and Rebecca Davidson, were handed an award check of $5,000.

The second place winner was Vinyl Accent, founded by Heather McEntire, a December, 2007 graduate of Westminster College. She and her partner, husband Jacob, were awarded $2,000, and the third place winner, Faster Than Light Education, led by team member Kim Bowman Jr., a Westminster MBA Student, took home $1,000.

Savvy May Creations has invented the Cap Trapper™, a simple solution to lost marker caps, and disorganized, dried-up writing instruments (www.savvymaycreations.com (about:www.savvymaycreations.com)). Vinyl Accent, a vinyl sign company, has developed a simple web model to order and customize vinyl signage for small businesses and end-consumers (http://www.vinylaccent.com (about:www.vinylaccent.com )). Faster Than Light Education is a 501 (c)3 non-profit business model designed to provide interactive education with mobile, computer simulation trailers traveling from school to school so students may participate, engage, and be inspired to imagine a better future.

First place winner Rebecca Davidson stated that “Westminster's Opportunity Quest has been a fabulous experience. The most valuable part of the competition was the networking and interaction with mentors and judges, which is of more value than the money we received because it will open many doors for us.”

As Westminster’s first place winner, Savvy May Creations will automatically advance as a finalist in the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge (UEC), the statewide business plan competition open to all college students across the state. All teams participating in Westminster's Opportunity Quest can compete in the UEC state competition. The UEC registration deadline is February 2, 2008, and the first place winner of the UEC will be announced in April 2008, receiving $40,000 in cash.

The competition, called Opportunity Quest, was co-directed by two Westminster business students, Jason Badell and Jared Hansen, and included a series of events that prepare students for the competition. Events included forums and presentations on business plan writing, presentation skills and one-on-one mentorship from college faculty and other local business community leaders.

To learn more about Westminster Opportunity Quest and the Top Ten Finalists, go to www.westminstercollege.edu/opportunityquest.

The Institute for New Enterprise at Westminster College has established the Opportunity Quest business plan competition as one of its flagship programs to foster innovative ideas, and provide an experiential learning process to validate, plan and develop sustainable business models. Housed in the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business, the Institute of New Enterprise aims to help individuals create organizations that promote independence and self-sufficiency, and make significant contributions to our communities. For more information visit: www.westminstercollege.edu/ine.