Captions below story

Big Plans

Posted on May 11, 2010 - Permalink
Audiences: Alumni Current Students Faculty and Staff HomePage Parents and Visitors Prospective Students Research Trustees

Business plans for an Internet enterprise, a dance studio, and a fitness center earned BSC student entrepreneurs a little start-up capital thanks to the Center for Entrepreneurship Studies Spring 2010 Business Plan Competition held in the East Campus Commons.

Francisco Oliveira, a first-year graduate student from Taunton, and his team were named by the center's judges as the grand prize winners. The team earned $2,500 for its business plan for Platoon Daddy, a Web-based marketplace and review site of service providers who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Mr. Oliveira's business partners were two members of the Armed Forces: Staff Sergeant James McCormack of Plymouth, and MAJ NGMA Ronald Cupples of Easton.

The second-place winner was Lauryn Barie, '10, who went home with $1,000 for her business plan for In the Wings - Academy of Dance. The $500 third-place prize went to students Alex Clatterbuck from Marblehead and Josh Yousif from Tiverton, R.I., for their business plan for Bramwell Fitness.

"We had seven teams compete this year for their share of the $4,000 to be awarded in start-up money," said Dr. Shannon Donovan, co-director of the CES and associate professor of accounting and finance. "It was a tough competition, but in the end, Francisco's plan was the most comprehensive in terms of planning, budgeting and marketing. The CES is very pleased to see the prize money go to such a deserving candidate."

Mr. Oliveira said he plans to use the prize money to hire someone to create the site and begin soliciting vendors to take part.

"The free assistance and advice the CES provided along the way - in the form of workshops and individualized guidance - was instrumental in enabling me to write this plan effectively and finish this project in a timely manner," said Mr. Oliveira. "Winning this contest gives me the confidence I need to work with Jim and Ron to make this project come to fruition."

Photo captions: (Top, left to right) James McCormack and Francisco Oliveira pose with Vicki Donlan, BSC's 2010 Entrepreneur in Residence, and Dr. Shannon Donovan. Lauryn Barie (middle photo, center) receives her award and (bottom, left to right) Josh Yousif and Alex Clatterbuck receive theirs.