Competition Season Open

We had our first business case competition this past weekend at the University of Louisville.  We are anxious and nervous at the same time.  Overall it was a fun experience.  We didn't win the big prize but we didn't walk away empty handed.  Thanks to our energetic chief business development officer, Jack Avery, we won the elevator pitch portion of the competition.  We received a check for $1,500 and an autographed baseball of all the elevator pitch presenters.

Everyone involved in the competition also received a personalized Louisville Slugger bat.  The team that won the competition got funded, $300,000, by a couple of judges.  They showcased their business and got real investors. 

Next weekend we are headed down to Rice University in Houston for the regional Walmart Sustainability Business Plan Competition.  We got lots of good feedback in Louisville, so we'll being making some adjustments as we move forward.  I'll keep you posted on how we are doing. 

Snow, Snow, and More Snow

So this week has been interesting.  There's been lots of snow...  lots and lots of snow.  While I must admit I enjoy an occasional snow day, but this is ridiculous.  It's been a long time since the University has been closed for the better part of a week.  I feel like I'm living in Minnesota with all this snow, and the temperatures are quite frigid to say the least.

Aside from the weather, other items of interest are our upcoming travels.  cycleWood Solutions, LLC has been accepted to several competitions.  We'll be headed to Louisville in a couple weeks, followed by Houston, San Diego, and Manitoba.  These are exciting times for us.  We want to represent the University well.

Today was the annual business forecast luncheon.  It was very optimistic.  The economy is expected to grow more than last year, unemployment should decrease, and manufacturing is making a comeback (in Arkansas).  As a state, Arkansas is well below the national unemployment rate at just over 7%.  Arkansas is also one of only three states with a balanced budget, which means that we are poised to make greater economic gains during these difficult times.

I've also started my job search.  I guess I actually started last Fall some time, but I've put in a few applications the past couple weeks.  I've got some tough decisions to make in the coming months.  Everything will turn out just fine, I'll fill you in on the details later.