Awards:
- Most with the Least Award
- Presented to a business that has demonstrated business savvy by having the ability to take a minimal amount of start-up capital and create outstanding sales growth.
Most with the Least Award
Melissa Graham, Women Magazine
Women Magazine was created in 2001 by Melissa Graham who had no publishing experience prior to this time. The business was started without any capital, with a black and white publication of 10,000 in distribution. This has now grown to a beautiful glossy-covered magazine with 65,000 in distribution in two major Central Texas markets. The magazine,e which provides women with educational articles and resources by professionals, continues to maintain itself without debt due to careful strategic planning and marketing.
- Rookie of the Year Award
- Presented to a business that has demonstrated excellent management in its first year of operation, through the development,execution and maintenance of a business plan.
Rookie of the Year Award
Tied
Bianca Balogh & Carlos Benavides, CityView TV
CityView TV is an independent advertising company that produces and shows commercials on a closed-circuit hotel channel. The company services 23 local hotels and promotes local businesses and events throughout the Austin area. CityView TV is the first to start this type of advertising in Austin, Texas. CityView TV grossed an amazing $48,750 in its first full year of operations, and will eventually have 40 businesses running commercials on its networks in cities that will include San Antonio and Dallas.
Steven Collins, Dockworks
Steven Collins established Dockworks in July 2002. Prior to this time, he had successfully managed projects for over 700 slip marinas, marina grounds, a floating restaurant and ship shore. Collins saw the need for his services, and he decided to establish Dockworks, where he repairs, maintains, builds, anchors, and installs new and used docks, commercial and private, throughout the Highland Lakes and Lake Travis. During his first six months of operation, Collins exceeded his sales goal, grossing sales of $85,000 and hiring 3 new employees.
- The Wings Award
- Presented to a woman or minority-owned business whose owner has shown the most skill in leveraging intellectual talent, experience, and know-how to transition from another profession to their own business.
The Wings Award
Emanuel Iroanya, Home Market
Home Market is a retail ethnic grocery store, located in North Austin, that offers high quality products at competitive prices in a courteous and friendly environment. Emanuel Iroanya established Home Market as a family-owned business in 1997 after seeing the need for specialty foods including African, Caribbean, and Mexican foods in the Austin area. Since the business opened, Iroanya has continued to work full-time for the Texas Department of Health, while creating a full-time job for his brother Joseph who operates the store in the daytime.
![[Emmanuel Iroanya]](http://content.onlineagency.com/sites/28510/images/iroanya.jpg)
- Most Creative Business Idea Award
- Presented to a business that has been financially successful in creating a new product or innovative business service.
Most Creative Business Idea
John Cunningham and Chris Chileck, Pick-A-Prof
While attending Texas A&M University, Cunningham and Chileck saw the same need every semester, right around registration time-students were frantically asking their friends about recommendations fro professors, and many of them had to register without knowing anything but the class time and name of the professor. Pick-A-Prof was created to address this need, allowing students to post their recommendations on the Pick-A-Prof website. Pick-A-Prof currently provides services for over 50 colleges and universities, has over a quarter million students using the site, and over 50,000 student reviews posted.
![[John Cunningham and Chris Chileck]](http://content.onlineagency.com/sites/28510/images/pickprof.jpg)
- Most Successful BiG Graduate Award
- Presented to a business that has undergone BiG training and exemplifies the highest business insight, performance and potential of graduates of the BiG training program.
Most Successful BiG Graduate
Navid Nadimi, Mail & Check Express, Ltd.
As the name suggest, Mail & Check Express is a one-stop, super mailing center and check cashing service. Nadimi approached BiGAUSTIN about business training, and after enrolling in the classes, he learned how to put together a business plan, approach a bank with the plan for a business loan and how to try to meet the plan's objectives in his daily business. As a result, his business has been so successful in the Austin area that after being in business for only a few months, it was approached by many people from as far away as Washington, DC to franchise the center.