(Left to right) Business School Dean Catherine Morgan, Barbara Mulford, Dr. Shannon Donovan

Alumna Wins School of Business Contest

Posted on July 2, 2009 - Permalink
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Bridgewater State College's Center for Entrepreneurship Studies has named Barbara Mulford the winner of its 2009 Business Plan Writing Contest. The Canton resident, who was a senior at BSC at the time she entered the contest, won the top prize of $2,500, as well as free services and support from local firms, including law, accounting, and marketing companies.

The funds received from the contest allowed Ms. Mulford to incorporate her business, apply for trademark protection and attend a week-long training session on solar panel installation.

"Winning this contest gave me the funds I needed to break over the threshold and start my own business," Ms. Mulford said. "I hadn't planned on being a business owner when I returned to college last fall, but the entrepreneurship courses at BSC inspired me to really think about it."

Dr. Shannon Donovan, director of the center and an associate professor of accounting and finance, said she was pleased to see the award go to such a deserving candidate.

"Barbara's plan was very well researched and presented," she said. "She clearly identified her market and explained how her skill sets from her previous work experience in the mortgage industry will aide her in running this company."

Ms. Mulford said she was always interested in topics such as the environment, science and energy. After an introductory course in entrepreneurship, she started to see how she could turn these interests into a livelihood.

"When I started putting my business plan together, I realized it was actually a viable option and I could make money," she said.

The company she started, Watts Green Inc., is a photo voltaic solar energy system provider. The company provides home and business owners with an electrical generating system that is powered by the sun through solar panels placed on the roof.

Learn more about about Ms. Mulford's business at www.watts-green.com. (Submitted)