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Sage Awards $20,000 to Winner of Small Business Start-Up Contest
Socially Conscious Clothing Designer INDIE PEACE Takes Home Top Prize in Small Business Contest on MyBizCounts.com
| Source: Sage
ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwire - October 22, 2009) - Sage North America today announced the winner
and runners-up in its $20,000 MyBizCounts.com Start-Up Cash Contest, aimed
at helping entrepreneurs turn their business dreams into reality.
Atlanta-based INDIE PEACE, a
socially conscious fashion brand, secured top honors and the $20,000 cash
prize, along with a suite of software and services: Peachtree by Sage,
ACT! by Sage, Timeslips by Sage, and planning software from Palo Alto, to
assist in managing the business.
About the contest
Contest participants were tasked with creating a brief video commercial for
their business idea or new business (less than two years old), along with
their business plan and a brief essay. Based on online votes, the 20 most
popular videos advanced to the final judging round. Videos, business plans
and essays were then evaluated by a team of small business experts,
including Wayne Rivers, co-founder and president, Family Business
Institute and Bob Shephard, Director External Affairs-Florida, SCORE.
About INDIE PEACE
INDIE PEACE is a lifestyle brand that weaves premium apparel with an
environmental consciousness to create SUSTAINABLE FASHION. The company is
committed to environmental responsibility literally from the ground up.
This can easily be seen in the product and protection of the resources used
to provide high quality fashion to the people who crave it, while leaving
the lightest possible footprint on the planet in the process.
Priding itself on attention to detail, INDIE PEACE designs for men and
women using the highest quality organic domestic fabrics, with
consideration to the social and environmental impact of the design,
manufacture, sale and distribution of their product. Their tagline, "make
a mark without leaving one," suits, as they use only certified organic
cotton, hemp, RPET(recycled poly), or bamboo, and only natural or low
impact dyes and water based printing inks.
Four other businesses were recognized by the contest as runners-up, and
will receive software and services to assist them in managing their
businesses: Peachtree by Sage Premium Accounting 2010 Multi-user Version
with one year of Peachtree Freedom Support; ACT! by Sage 2010 with 5 user
licenses; Timeslips by Sage 2010 5-user version; Palo Alto Software's
Business Plan Pro Standard Edition Version 11; and Palo Alto Software's
Marketing Plan Pro. The runners-up are:
-- WebIRB Software: A micro
business located in Jackson, TN, providing a customized, Web-based software
system to the niche market of Institutional Review Boards (IRB's) Their
product allows for Paperless Submission and Review over the Internet,
reducing paper waste and contributing to Green Initiatives.
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=550362
-- Catoctin Creek Distilling
Company: An artisan distillery producing the finest in organic and
kosher distilled spirits, and is the first family-owned microdistillery in
Loudoun County, Virginia since before prohibition. Producing high quality
organic spirits and liqueurs: rye spirits and whisky from organic sources,
brandy from Virginia wines, and seasonal specialty liqueurs.
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=550307
-- SoulRealiS, LLC:
GameDevMasters' mission is to help game developers and those who need their
services to connect and collaborate on creating video games.
GameDevMasters is part of an internet startup company located in NJIT's
Enterprise Development Center incubator in Newark, NJ.
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=550360
-- Queen Fuel Components, LLC: A manufacturer of "hands free" onboard
additive injection systems for diesel equipment and a distributor of diesel
fuel additive blends and related products. QFC is a new-start company with
one location in Shelby, NC, and their product is named EZ ADD ("EZ-ADD - So
You Don't Have To").
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=550356
Quotes:
Doug Meyer, Chief Customer Officer, Sage North America:
"Small businesses are the main engine driving the economy, and while the
past year has been difficult from an economic perspective, the passion and
creativity that drive small business owners to success is as strong as
ever. The gifted entrepreneurs who participated in our startup cash
contest -- and millions of others like them across North America -- are the
reason that Sage employees come to work each day, supporting small
businesses' dreams, vision, and goals."
Lawton Ursrey, Founder, INDIE PEACE, and MyBizCounts contest winner:
"I am so honored and humbled to be selected as the winner. These times are
extremely challenging for new businesses, and we at INDIE PEACE are
grateful to Sage for helping to make a difference in the lives of
entrepreneurs. This contest will help accelerate our success and allow us
to make even more of a positive impact on the world."
Wayne Rivers, President and Co-Founder, Family Business
Institute (Judge):
"The MyBizCounts.com Start Up Cash Contest showcased enterprising
businesspeople in diverse industries like fashion, distilling, marketing,
IT, and green fuels technology. What they all had in common was a passion
to 'build a better mousetrap,' the desire to control their own business
destinies, and a wish to make a difference in the world. They represent the
qualities that make the family and closely held business sector so
resilient and successful -- even in the face of challenging times."
Bob Shephard, Director of External Affairs, SCORE (Judge):
"Indie Peace's vision and potential for success made them the clear winner
in my opinion, but all of the finalists appear to have what it takes:
creativity, passion, and a strong drive to succeed."
Additional Resource Links:
MyBizCounts.com
Family Business
Institute
SCORE
About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier
of business management software and services. Sage North America employs
more than 4,100 people and supports nearly 2.9 million small and
medium-size business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was
floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 14,500 people
and supports 5.8 million customers worldwide. For more information, please
visit the Web site at www.sagenorthamerica.com.
©2009 Sage Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Sage, the Sage logos,
Peachtree, Timeslips, ACT!, and the Sage product and service names
mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software,
Inc. or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are the property of
their respective owners.