2017 BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION April 20, 2017
Support provided by BB&T
OBJECTIVES OF THE COMPETITION ➤ to promote the creation and development of new ventures at High Point University ➤ to provide University support and funding to the most innovative business ideas from undergraduate students ➤ to provide undergraduate student entrepreneurs with direct exposure to possible mentors and/or investors ➤ to provide students a forum outside the classroom where they can develop skills in “pitching” their business ideas to capital providers and entrepreneurs, and to receive constructive feedback – increasing the probability of the success of their ventures
SPECIAL THANKS TO BB&T FOR SUPPORTING THIS EVENT SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR EXPERT VOLUNTEERS Business Plan Judges Christy Cottrell: Founder and Co-Chairman RetailData, LLC Les M. Goldberg: Author, Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of LMG USA Holdings D. Eric Hill: Co-founder of BioRx; COO of Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. and Founder of three other active companies Flint McNaughton: CEO & Founding Partner, SunCap Property Group Richard F. Wood: Financial Advisor for Wells Fargo Advisors & Founding Director of Bank of NC Coaches David Horne: Principal, writer, UX & content strategist, product manager @ honestly.co
AGENDA | 5:30 - 7:30 PM Welcome Message Dr. Jim Wehrley Dean, Earl N. Phillips School of Business at HPU Introduction of Sponsor & Judges Kim Maddrey Advancement Officer, HPU Office of Institutional Advancement Presentation of the Finalists Alex Hostetler Co-President of the HPU Entrepreneurship Club Kathy Elliott Director of the Belk Entrepreneurship Center Networking & Refreshments Cottrell International Ballroom Awards Cottrell International Ballroom
Trey Miller: Owner and Founder, Triad Tech Services Kerry Idlebird: State Farm Insurance Agent Gary Simon: CEO of Simon Jewelers, High Point, NC Dalton Grein: Fund Executive of the Piedmont Angel Network Bob Hirth: Assistant Professor of Management at HPU Jo Lacy: Assistant Professor of Accounting at HPU Randy Moser: Assistant Professor of Marketing at HPU Lillian Watson: Assistant Professor of the Practice of Business Communications at HPU Kathy Elliott: Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship & Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at HPU
OUR STUDENT VOLUNTEERS Kit D’Anthony
Bixuan Li
Brandon Wolfe
Alex Hostetler
Hannah Rowell
George Wakeman
THE PRIZES Up to $25,000 in cash prizes may be awarded to the finalists.
2017 BUSINESS PLAN FINALISTS the product to aircraft manufacturers to be sold with new aircraft. Annually, airlines spend roughly $5 billion (approximately 14% of all fuel used) on the use of jet fuel while their fleets are on the ground. This is reflected in the cost of plane tickets, the volatility of oil prices creating significant fluctuations in the stability of margins for airlines.
Panther Propulsion Joseph McCabe The business, “Panther Propulsion� is focused on the aerospace industry. In recent years, airlines have become increasingly aggressive in creating efficiency and hedging against rising prices of oil. Every aspect of the flying experience is subject to efficiency optimization. Panther Propulsion proposes a mode of the boosting efficiency of aircraft operations. The company would derive its sales from aircraft manufacturers and airlines via the sale of a mechanical apparatus fitted to the aircraft as a means of efficient propulsion while airplanes are conducting ground operations. Panther Propulsion proposes an electric engine, to be mounted to the front nose wheel, which would generate pilot controlled propulsion of the aircraft while on the ground. The propulsion system would be drastically more efficient than the use of jet engines. Revenue would be generated through two channels. The first is the direct sale of the engine to airlines for retrofit on existing fleets of aircraft. The second is the sale of
Knot Average Erika Bridges Knot Average was formed as a charitable business primarily selling and making hair accessories for a variety of causes. A percentage of sales from selling custom or pre-designed hair ties is donated to different charities. Erika has always had a passion for being involved in helping the community and finally decided to be the lead person making a difference. Knot Average creates custom orders in just about any color or print for events, clubs or organizations. Profit sources include high margins, repeat customers, and custom orders. Going forward the business will grow by expanding into
boutiques, salons, and yoga studios. Knot Average has already obtained its first retail partner through Simon Jewelers in High Point, NC.
PE3RS Jacqueline Stein PE3RS is a virtual reality (VR) company that teaches educators about students with learning and mental disabilities, from the first person perspective of the student. When using the VR headset, the viewer will be able to see, hear, and relate to what a student with the specific kind of disability experiences in the classroom. The company aims to change the education system from a cookie cutter approach, to a more personalized style. These VR experiences allow teachers to be fully immersed in someone else’s life, creating empathy for the students.This is a virtual reality experience based on different learning disabilities. Each disability has its own VR device that projects real-life scenarios of disabled students. This educates teachers and increases their empathy for
2017 BUSINESS PLAN FINALISTS
Student Storage Ryan Gilbert Student Storage is a company that partners with colleges to develop and manage their own storage services using a revolutionary technique. The colleges benefit because they can generate revenue with space that was previously unusable. Student Storage is revolutionary because it uses a crate system that is unique to the company. At High Point University, 80% of the students come from out-of-state, and they need reasonably priced storage over the breaks or while studying abroad. Student Storage is able to undercut existing storage options as it uses a new crate system and partners with universities. Student Storage also allows students to invest in the
company by buying crates, which gives them real world investment experience. Similar to some current systems, a crate is dropped off at the student’s dorm and can be loaded by Student Storage employees. Unlike some current systems, Student Storage crates are on wheels, can be lifted easily by two people, and fit through double doors. After the crate is loaded, it is sealed then placed in a truck. After the trucks are full of crates, they drop them off at a location near the college such as a warehouse, vacant building, or any other space that can be locked. The crates are tracked using barcodes linked to customers. Current companies that use warehouses to store student belongings have to rely on tagging multiple items, which leads to lost or stolen property. Once the students return, the trucks drop off the crates back at the dorms and employees place the items back in the students’ rooms.
revolutionary and impact-driven concept to solve the need for the continuous supply of fresh water. The average American shower lasts 8.2 minutes, and it uses approximately 17.2 gallons of water. The average toilet uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Therefore, the average shower uses an amount of clean water equivalent to nearly 11 toilet flushes. Toilet flushing is the second greatest consumer of water in the household. By reusing the gray water for toilet use, the average water usage per person per household will drastically decrease. This product will make money because it is sold per unit. The unit will be a pipe attached from the shower which is then directed to a tank. The tank will be in the wall so it cannot be seen. But there will be an access panel, similar to a breaker panel, in the wall to allow access when maintenance needs to be done. Then a final pipe will be directed from the tank to the toilet. The target market in the beginning will be hotels and apartment complexes. Each hotel room/apartment will require one Water-You-Saving unit. This makes it very easy to sell the product in mass supply to customers but keeps it small-scale enough per room that maintenance will be small and manageable.
!
the affected students. For a fee, PE3RS will attend professional development programs at schools and associations. Teachers can test the product and use what they learn to develop effective techniques and programs tailored to affected students.
Water-You-Saving Charlotte Thompson Water-You-Saving is a
STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS....IN THE RUNNING The following are other entrepreneurial companies introduced by our students this year. Indivisual Hans Lang Indivisual is an e-commerce apparel and accessory company with a unique line of products. Everyone wants to be unique and different today. Indivisual is the answer. Customizable designs will be featured on a website/app where customers can select the clothing items of their choice. This company is special in that they only produce one-of-a-kind apparel designs, showing the personality and authenticity of our target customers. Indivisual creates the opportunity to be truly original and one-of-a-kind. Using a Just-in-time system, the company will purchase blank apparel items, which will then be sold to the buyer with its customization. McCoy’s Integrative Medicine Brittany McCoy McCoy’s Integrative Medicine will operate similarly to a shopping mall, but with a very special purpose. It will include a restaurant, a fitness center, a pharmacy, a library, a grocery store and more, with the specific goal of bringing businesses together that have people’s well being in mind. All businesses involved must be geared toward customers interested in holistic and organic wellness practices. By bringing them together in one location, it makes it easier to manage a sometimes challenging lifestyle of the customer. The primary target audience for this business will be individuals with poor health who are motivated to change their lifestyles and nutrition but are not sure how to begin. A companion website for this facility/service will be organized in a way to capture interests of our future customers.
Millenial Lifestyle Leadership Consulting Grace Barrett Roughly 73 million strong, millennials are changing the United States through a search for meaning and passion in work and life as well as in patterns of consumption. This creates clear challenges for companies, nonprofits, and governments looking to develop the next generation of millennial leaders who can inspire and motivate their generation. Millennial Lifestyle Leadership Consulting, LLC will be the bridge between organizations and millennials by providing leadership through a holistic approach – leadership as lifestyle. Millennial Lifestyle Leadership Consulting, LLC will offer a variety of services for corporations, non-profits and government agencies as well as directly to millennials by providing training and development through the leadership lifestyle experience that includes social media content, training and development products, and consulting and coaching services. Organizations and individuals will benefit from this because millennials will be ready to move up and represent the company in the best way. Through YouTube and social media platforms, it will produce original content to inspire millennials on leadership lifestyle. SAND Apparel, LLC Matt Greezicki Since November 2015, SAND Apparel, LLC formed as a clothing company specializing in swimwear while upholding a passion for the ocean by donating 15% of its proceeds to the Ocean Conservancy Organization. SAND Apparel product lines are custom fitted, organic fabric
based clothing. SAND represents a relationship to beach culture and a drive to benefit the well-being of our oceans. The company will primarily generate revenue through several websites’ online retail sales. In addition to online sales, SAND Apparel will be sold wholesale to surf shops all along the East and West Coasts. SAND Apparel will ensure brand awareness and sales through our college-based brand ambassador program. Lastly, SAND Apparel will be featured at events like music festivals, art shows, and other vending opportunities. The target market for SAND will be Millennials. We have based our target market on our competition’s success in attributing brand recognition. It is the future plan to establish in-house manufacturing of our product in North Carolina. This will place us strategically along the corridor where we hope to build our enterprise. Skills Market Rami Aoun/Taylor Elsroad In today’s world, one of the biggest obstacles when starting a business is finding qualified employees to hire. The solution in Skills Market is a pairing through the website of employers with employees for FREE. The match is based on the skills the employee has, as well what the employer is seeking. Having a pool of free agents seeking employment makes recruiting employees much easier. Skills Market is a website/ application that provides a service to users through its users. The target market is any employer seeking parttime or full-time employees. Profit for this business will be generated three ways: companies advertising on the site, users registering for premium account packages, and a 1%
STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS....IN THE RUNNING transaction fee charged on each job posting placed. SOW Philip Butts/Joseph Cochrane-Brown Sow is an alternative study tool that enables constant learning through unique mediums. Sow is both a Google Chrome extension and a Web application. It allows users to upload flashcards and multiple choice questions into its database, set their study preferences, and allow for Sow to intuitively prompt them to study without interrupting interactions on preferred websites. There are many online platforms that attempt to aid in the study process such as Quizlet, Cram, and Khan Academy. Some sites offer a wide array of features and activities for the student, ranging from flash cards to computer games to help students learn in a more interesting way while others use the technique of micro learning to give students bitesized lessons to teach within today’s attention spans. And yet – students still cram. Sow has created a way that studying is done as the distraction from other online activities making it a more constant activity for the student while they are engaged in their other programs – it does not shut their favorites down – it integrates study into pleasurable activities making the study seem pleasurable, too! Spot-To-Go Gaia Meda/Julia Caroprese Ferreira Spot-To-Go is a car application inside a navigator system directly usable from the screen of any vehicles, which can be supported by a mobile phone application. The founders are from Italy and Brazil and face day by day intense traffic struggles with no space to park cars. This system can efficiently develop and spread throughout the world in highly populated, heavy car use areas. This product will reduce time
spent searching for empty parking spots. The entire process is handled through the application. The consumer uses the app to pick and pay for the parking spot. The first city in the US we will target will be Charlotte, NC. In Charlotte, innovative solutions for parking are being explored, but it has been on a small level. Ultimately we envision Spot-To-Go to be partnered or sold to a gps company such as Garmin. Taradiddle Jacob Froats Taradiddle is a video messaging mobile application equipped with self learning algorithm (AI) lie-detection software, opening up exciting new applications for the industry. Taradiddle functions through the sharing of short messages available for the industry standard 24 hours before becoming inaccessible. Taradiddle allows users to record video messages of up to 15 seconds, while using the most advanced verbal and non-verbal metrics to detect whether or not the statement was false or true. Taradiddle functions as a social messaging application and does not solve a traditional “problem,” but rather performs like other social networks. The incredible opportunity is found in the midst of Snapchat’s and Facebook’s all-out market war for the last five years. Both companies have been buying out any and every new technology in the space, ranging from the newest facial recognition software, 3D mapping, advertising tech, etc. in order to gain top market share. Each organization would be eager to differentiate themselves by acquiring the top of the line mobile lie-detecting software for a hundred million dollar drop in the bucket. Features include simple back and forth messaging, posting in a storymode view to all friends, and a two truths and lie guessing game – verified by the lie-detecting technology of
Taradiddle. Taradiddle’s exit strategy is a buyout by Snapchat or Facebook within three years. V Elite Storage Solutions Matt Greezicki V Elite is a half storage and half incubator facility that has been designed to cater to the needs of student entrepreneurs. During summer months, students need storage space until they return for the fall, and student entrepreneurs need space from which to operate their businesses. By making the storage business pay for the service, it would allow the student entrepreneurs space at no or low cost for running their companies. Many students are not able, for various reasons, to operate a business from their dorm rooms. Having a work space will allow them to truly test their business while still testing their concept. Willow Bend Estates Sierra Survil Willow Bend Estates is a service based company providing venues and event services for weddings. More couples are opting to hold their nuptials in offbeat or unusual venues, driven by the desire to have a memorable event. Each year $72 billion dollars are spent on weddings. Over two million weddings took place in the U.S. alone during 2016. Wedding Wire reports wedding service businesses are profiting at a national average of 58% of total sales. Willow Bend Estates will be considered the option of Wedding by Design. The future bride and groom can select from a variety of vignettes and customize from there on. Sites to be offered will include The Wildflower Field, The Crystal Cove, The Chapel and Fairy Garden, and The Green House. Over the first three to ten years other buildings and sites will be added to create greater choices.
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.ÂŽ
Department
One University Parkway, High Point, NC 27268 USA highpoint.edu