PRESS RELEASE Black River Technical College, Paragould May 27, 2013 – Contact Person: Audra Howerton 870-239-0969 ext 5220 Victoria and David Sessums officially opened their taxidermy business, Animals Gone Wild Taxidermy LLC, in March 2013. Victoria said what sets their taxidermy business apart from others is “we create artistic quality mounts in quick turnaround time at reasonable prices.” Victoria enrolled with 10 other participants in the NEA Operation JumpStart six week course last fall at Black River Technical College in Paragould to learn about cash flow, marketing, product pricing, market research, and legalities of business ownership. At the end of the program, several participants chose to enter the business feasibility contest, and Victoria Sessums took first place with her plan for Animals Gone Wild Taxidermy LLC, Donna Linton won 2nd place for her plan for The Blue Rose Café, and Quiera Borders won 3rd place for her dance studio, DancEmotions LLC. In order to collect the seed grant for each place in the contest, winners must provide proof of business establishment as well as provide receipts for business expenses equaling the amount of their seed grant. Created and facilitated by successful entrepreneurs, NEA Operation JumpStart is a practical, hands-on, planning course designed to help entrepreneurs test the feasibility of their business ideas and plan to launch new ventures or expand present ones. Microenterprises are small businesses with just a few employees that require relatively small capital investments to start. The term encompasses businesses representing a wide variety of service, retail, and light production concepts such as repair or cleaning services, pet grooming, computer technology, specialty foods, jewelry, arts and crafts, clothing, childcare, and many more. These small companies initially create employment for the founder and other family members, and often grow large enough to employ other members of the community. Operation JumpStart was created in 2006 by the Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The program has gained national recognition for its success in accelerating microenterprise creation. In the last five years over 600 individuals in rural communities in Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee have completed the Operation JumpStart program leading to the immediate creation of nearly 225 new businesses, with an additional 25% of the participants going on to launch a business within 2 years. What’s impressive about these nearly 300 businesses is that they are succeeding at a rate of over 90% after two years. Even more important: 58% were low income; 64% unemployed; 42% have less than a high school education; and 30% were minority. Black River Technical College, Paragould campus, and the Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce partnered in 2011 to begin offering the program to Northeast Arkansas residents in an effort to help boost local economic development. They sought donations to raise money for the seed grants and administration of the NEA Operation JumpStart program to keep costs low for participants. The program partners and participants want to extend a special thank you to the following sponsors for donating to the program in 2012: Focus Bank, First National Bank, American Railcar Industries, Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce, Greene County Industrial Training Council, and Black River Technical College. For more information about the upcoming NEA Operation JumpStart 2013 session or to donate to this worthy cause, please call Audra Howerton at Black River Technical College, Paragould – 870-239-0969 ext 5220. Photo Caption: Victoria Sessums (right), owner of Animals Gone Wild Taxidermy LLC, is awarded a check of $1,800 for first prize in the Northeast Arkansas Operation JumpStart microenterprise feasibility plan seed grant contest by Audra Howerton (left), administrator of the program.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 04:26:37 +0000
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