Business plan winners announced
The team of Andrew Radillo of Willits, Calif., and Oscar Gonzalez of DeQueen are the winners of Henderson State University’s Fifth Annual Business Plan Competition. They won $4,000 for their plan entitled Textbook Hawk.
Six student teams competed for $9,000 in prize money. The competition is open to all undergraduate students regardless of major. It gives students a forum where they can present their original ideas in front of a distinguished panel of judges including bankers, financiers, and other entrepreneurs, according to Lonnie Jackson, assistant professor of management.
Second place and $3,000 went to Osnar Pena of Grand Prairie, Texas, and Aaron Villimez of Montgomery, Texas, for Upscale Beer, Wine, and Liquor. Bag Boys Delivery Service presented by Dallas Hardison of Bentonville, Logan Holmes of Little Rock, and Jason Palmer of Monticello placed third, earning them $2,000.
The competition is sponsored by BBA Solutions and Henderson’s School of Business.
All three teams qualified to compete for an additional $10,000 against Ouachita Baptist University in the Battle of the Ravine Business Plan Competition held on Feb. 19. The Bag Boys team placed second, with the Textbook Hawk team placing fourth.
Henderson’s School of Business recently added an emphasis in entrepreneurship to its degree offerings. “This program will provide an opportunity to combine creativity and innovation in business while learning in a hands-on environment,” Jackson said.
Students develop additional skills, knowledge, and the upward career mobility necessary for advancement in their careers through the Business Beyond the Classroom” program, the Mentorship Experience program, and participation in the annual Business Plan Competition.
BBA Solutions was founded in 1996 by James Barnes, a graduate of Henderson’s School of Business. He opened the Reddie or Not Bookstore as an off-campus solution for the college textbook market. He has grown the bookstore company to include more than 100 colleges and universities in 20 states and has become a leader in the college textbook industry.