Business Plan Challenge winners listed

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A lifelong dream of owning her own business is about to come true for Vicki Schulte, and she now has $2,500 worth of business development funds to help her do so after winning this year’s Entrepreneur Fair’s Business Plan Challenge.

Schulte, who has been planning a business since she was first married, said the store, to be named Once I Was, will sell a variety of “repurposed” items at a store to be located at 121 S. Washington St.

“Our business plan is already into action,” Schulte noted, adding that she and family members hope to open the new store by sometime this May.

Schulte, who sold items this summer at the Market on Main events downtown, said her business plan includes “doing things in thirds” in the 700-square-foot store area they are developing in the South Washington building.

“One third of the merchandise is going to be things we create, one third is for things we have been testing the waters for to order wholesale merchandise to sell at retail and one third is to offer to (other) microbusiness entrepreneurs,” Schulte explained.

As part of her first-place Business Plan Challenge win, Schulte received a plaque from the Artful Swan, 500 printed business cards from Wilkinson Printing, and certificates for continued business courses and counseling from Wright State University-Lake Campus’ Small Business Development Center.

She also received a year’s free membership in the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce.

Second-place winner was Christy Balliet, for her business plan for Play Days Daycare LLC, a state-licensed daycare business in Convoy. She received $1,000 in business development funds, as well as 500 business cards from Burcham Printing and a plaque from The Artful Swan.

Third place went to Mike and Tracy Reichert for their plan for Distinct Curbing LLC, a decorative concrete commercial and residential landscaping business. They received $500 in business development funds.

Organizers of the Entrepreneur Fair and Business Plan Challenge include the Van Wert Chamber, Ohio State University Extension-Van Wert Economic Development Office, Main Street Van Wert, the Community Improvement Corporation, city and county government and the Lake Campus’ Small Business Development Center.