2008 Archives
Nearly $100,000 in Products and Services, Donated From Regional Businesses, Awarded to Winners of THE START ME UP BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION
HARRISBURG (April 30, 2008) The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, in cooperation with the Harrisburg Market Keystone Innovation Zone, held the Start Me Up Business Plan Competition Awards Ceremony at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel & Convention Center yesterday afternoon.
Start Me Up, a three-tier business plan competition, awarded nearly $100,000 in products and services to new and emerging businesses in the region. The three tiers are comprised of:
College Venture Challenge - a business plan competition for college students that awarded, collectively, $8,000 to the winners. There are two categories Graduate and Undergraduate.
Graduate winner
- BioCells2Cure from Penn State Harrisburg
Undergraduate first place winner
- Clipse Ethnic Style Beauty Salon from Millersville University
Undergraduate second place winner
- Springboard Language Academy from Dickinson College
Murata Great Business Challenge - a business plan competition for companies in business two years and younger. The winning company received nearly $20,000 worth of free products and services, including six months free rent at the Murata Business Center, Carlisle.
Winner
- Cruzstar - founded and owned by Adrian Fang, has developed a proprietary web-based system that allows customers to order meals online from top local restaurants and caterers. It also provides customers software tools to help them manage their events. Geared toward corporations and professionals who regularly order food for group functions, Cruzstar offers the convenience of ordering from a selection of vendors and menus online and Cruzstar's follow through to assure accuracy and satisfaction.
CREDC Fab 5 - a competition to find the "Top 5" emerging growth companies in the region that have been in business two to five years headquartered in Cumberland, Dauphin or Perry counties. The following businesses will be the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC "Poster Businesses" for the year. Collectively, the Fab 5 received over $70,000 of free products and services including human resource and marketing consulting, a group of advisors, and advertising opportunities.
- AutumnWave LLC
- Bitleap, LLC
- JEM Group LLC
- VQC Designs, LLC
- WebpageFX, Inc.
Adrian Fang of Cruzstar, winner of the Murata Great Business Challenge, stated, "Cruzstar is extremely grateful for all the advice and support that Murata has provided. We're really looking forward to the additional expertise and resources at their Business Center to help grow our business."
Start Me Up was created to raise the level of awareness that our region is a great place to start and grow a business, recognize that small and emerging businesses are the job and wealth creators in the community and to spur the economic vitality in South Central Pennsylvania.
The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC serves as a catalyst for promoting growth and quality of life in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry Counties by providing a unique blend of business, community and economic development and advocacy services under one roof to boost our economic vitality and livability as a region. HRC/CREDC has been accredited with four stars from the United States Chamber of Commerce.
