BLUFFTON, OH (WLIO)- After several weeks of hard work, the winners of the Ropp Triplett Business Plan Competition were announced Tuesday night in Bluffton.
The third place winner of a prize of $1,000 went to StandOut Creative Studios from Findlay. The second place winner of a prize of $2,000 was awarded to Goodness & Grace Bakery from Bluffton, and the first place winner with a prize of $3,000 was bestowed to Sanctuary Housing. Participating entrepreneurs, who have been in business for less than three years, first completed the Small Business Information Series at Rhodes State College. Following the information series, participants drafted their own business plan and gave a ten-minute pitch presentation to judges to get their business up and running.
"It helps with their start up expenses or expenses in the early years of business, and you can see the effect by a lot of the businesses that continue to operate and flourish," says Jim Enneking, Executive Director, Bluffton Center for Entrepreneurs.
With the prize money and feedback from judges, all the entrepreneurs have learned a great deal of knowledge that they can take back to their businesses.
"This was just a great way to kind of organize our plans, what we are doing, make sure that we are staying on budget," says Jessica Meyer, First Place Winner, Sanctuary Housing.
"The biggest thing is getting yourself organized laying out a plan of the business side of it to know 'ok this is your expenses; this is going to be your income,'" says Ryan Meyer, First Place Winner, Sanctuary Housing.
"I think just really like being more accountable to the business side of it. Like, I started this as a hobby. Eventually, I would love to have a brick and mortar bakery. I'm, currently, a home baker, but yeah, that would be the goal down the road, so I feel like I learned a lot of useful information with that," says Sarah Nycz, Second Place Winner, Goodness & Grace Bakery.
The next competition is planned for next January and February.
