A nationwide search for the best small-business idea has been narrowed down to four. MEGAN SCOTT profiles the savvy entrepreneurs who hope they're coming soon to a storefront near you.
Scott Tarazevits, Mason Granger and Kyle Sutton are the Mayhem Poets. (AP Photo/Microsoft/Carolyn Dentz)
Given Cambell: make-your-own wallpaper. (AP Photo/Microsoft)
Alexandra Dumitru: The Endless Closet dress rental business. (AP Photo/Microsoft)
An organic beauty bar. A spoken-word restaurant. A design-your-own-wallpaper store. And a dress rental service for the ultra chic woman.
These are businesses that exist only in people's minds -- at least for now. But one will soon receive $100,000 in startup money, a rent-free storefront in New York for one year, and infrastructure and software to help run the business.
On Monday, Microsoft Corp. announced the four finalists in its first Ultimate Challenge Contest, a nationwide search for the best small business idea in America. The four were chosen from more than 5,000 applicants based on originality, feasibility, marketing aspects and public interest.
The winner will be announced next week.
"There is a lot of imagination out there in America," says Rajet Taneja, general manager of Small Business Applications and Services at Microsoft. "There were some fantastic ideas -- some that people had been thinking about and dreaming about for years.
"When you look at the four, one theme that came out was what I call "mass customizations" -- ideas for small businesses that bring a service or product from the entrepreneur to the customer in a far more personalized manner."
asap profiles the savvy finalists.
___
SLAM CHOPS: Kyle Sutton, Mason Granger, Scott Tarazevits.
THE IDEA: It made its mainstream debut in 1997 with the movie Love Jones: a female photographer who falls in love with a spoken-word artist. Since then, this mix of poetry and performance has become a staple in coffeehouses, night clubs and on college campuses. This trio of professional spoken-word artists known as the Mayhem Poets is proposing a restaurant that hosts weekend workshops on spoken word and nightly performances by some of the top artists paired with a themed dinner menu.
THE PITCH: "It's not going to be like open mic," says Kyle Sutton, of Jersey City, N.J. "When you have a poetry open mic, it's more avant garde, loosely organized based on whomever wants to come up and read. This will be performances, and it will be more mainstream. We're planning on catering spoken word to everyone. People who are not even into poetry will come and check us out."
THE CHALLENGE: New York already has a strong spoken-word movement.
__
THE ENDLESS CLOSET: Alexandra Dumitru.
THE IDEA: OK, ladies. We've all been there. A big event is coming up, we're sifting fruitlessly through endless rows of clothes in our closets, and we're too broke to purchase something new. The frustration inspired Dumitru to come up with the idea of a clothing rental service, specializing in high-end dresses. A designer dress priced from $200 to $700 will rent for 15 percent of the retail price.
THE PITCH: "So you walk in and have all this great stuff to choose from," says Dumitru of Hinsdale, Ill. "We have stylists to help you pick something out. You drop it off after four days. We take care of the dry cleaning. We add in an insurance as well, so you don't have to fret if something happens to the dress while you're wearing it."
THE CHALLENGE: Sizes 0 to 10 only. The average sized woman is 14 or larger.
___
DESIGN YOUR OWN WALLPAPER: Given Campbell.
THE IDEA: Sherwin Williams can't beat this, says Campbell, who opened a wallpaper company in August 2005. She offers standard designs and custom work; the custom work has been more popular, she says. A lot of wallpaper design companies require customers to purchase a minimum of 20 rolls for custom work but she can print small rolls. Now she wants to take her business to the next level -- be to wallpaper what Shelia Bridges is to interior design.
THE PITCH: "A lot of people are looking for wallpaper they can integrate into something they already have," says Campbell, of Tampa, Fla. "They have this great chair they bought in Paris. They can sit down and bring a picture of a chair and say this is the color of the fabric and find something that will blend seamlessly."
THE CHALLENGE: Removing wallpaper is a mess.
___
MY ORGANIC BEAUTY BAR: Dana Greaves.
THE IDEA: Organic food, organic tampons and now organic beauty products? Greaves wants to open an organic beauty bar with made-to-order natural beauty products and treatments -- body lotions, cleansers, toners, exfoliating creams. No chemicals allowed in her shop. Greaves compares her beauty bar to a smoothie bar -- select the ingredients you want -- an avocado, a carrot, cream and honey -- and then watch as the staff whips up your facial mask. The bar will also sell pre-made products.
THE PITCH: "What you put on the outside of your body is just as important as what you are putting on the inside," says Greaves, of Laurel, Md. "The products you put on your skin get absorbed into your body. If you come to my organic beauty bar, we will customize a blend that will suit your needs. It will not only improve your skin but your overall being at the same time."
THE CHALLENGE: There are lots of organic beauty products on the market.
___
WANT TO VOTE?
You can view video footage of the finalists and vote for your favorite until March 10 by going to http://www.ideawins.com . The winner will be announced March 13 on the Today Show.
___
Want to comment? Sound off at soundoffasap@ap.org.
©2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
