Big Fish Presentations

We’ve all taken that college course. An incredibly intelligent professor with an incredibly dull barrage of powerpoint slides. You would have retained substantially more had there been an engaging  set of slides to support the lecture. For Louisiana State students, Kenny Nguyen and Gus Murillo, the lackluster powerpoints inspired a stroke of genius.

Anticipating a well composed presentation from a visiting Fortune 500 executive, Nguyen and Murillo left their college auditorium less than impressed.

“It was 200 slides of nothing but text, and he read each one,” Nguyen recalls. “I couldn’t believe the president of one of the world’s biggest companies was presenting like this. I thought, We could do so much better.”

The boys buckled up and bootstrapped their way to the top, “using personal computers to create presentations and upgrading software after clients paid their invoices”. After being approached by ABC”s Shark Tank, Nguyen and Murillo realized their idea was a winner.

In 2011, they officially launched their business, Big Fish Presentation, transforming the “boring” slides of old, into presentations which convey stories and “resonated emotionally with viewers for effective promotion of products”.

With a basic package price of $2,500, Big Fish Presentations delivers a quality service, ensuring “audiences will always remember the presenter more than the presentation”.

Today, Murillo acts as the company’s COO, while Nguyen has taken the reigns of the business as CEO. He says his decision reflects the fact that “we make our clients a promise that no one is going to be more passionate and driven about creating a great presentation than we are.”

By developing a remedy for “less than captivating” presentations, Big Fish Presentations has created a niche market, radiating a light for innovators to come.

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/227133#ixzz2mNPYOMRH

      We’ve all seen that toddler. The little guy or gal following mommy or daddy, dressed in that miniature Sunday dress or adorable sailor outfit. It seems dress-up time is just as much fun for Mom and Dad as it is for them. For Brandi Temple, mother of two, nothing could be closer to the truth. She began jazzing up her toddlers’ wardrobe, not only with cute clothing, but with her home-sown creations.

      Before long, she was sowing up a storm! With a surplus of clothing, Temple began listing her clothing on eBay, receiving positive feedback about her designs. Her hobby quickly grew into a entrepreneurial opportunity, and she soon expanded her market to Facebook users.

Lolly Wolly Doodle/ Brandi Temple

     Today, Temple’s designs have attracted over 765,000 followers on her Facebook page, contributing to her $10 million annual earnings. What exactly is it that attracts so many shoppers to Lolly Wolly Doodle? The key to there success that’s separated Lolly Wolly Doodle from other competition, besides the name, is it’s customer service and “just-in-time” production. Serving the customer through providing a custom product has been very instrumental in Lolly Wolly Doodle’s success.  “If they saw a green dress one day and said they loved it but wanted it in red, the next day that’s what they would see,” Temple elaborated.

     Temple’s approach to putting the customer first contributed greatly to her company’s reputation, attracting an immense amount of customers. So many, in fact, that she contemplated selling the business, due to it’s rapid and seemingly unmanageable growth. News of Temple’s predicament spread, reaching high level New York entrepreneurs, ultimately providing her with professional business advice, support, and financial backing to expand her business.

    All in all, Lolly Wolly Doodle has proven that when “customer is king”, business booms. Temple’s passion and entrepreneurial spirit have enabled her to “sew success”, delivering quality products to an ever growing market. Who knows what’s in store next for this developing entrepreneurial venture? Keep an eye out for that little toddler, he may be modeling Lolly Wolly Doodle!

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/227089#ixzz2kwblRKvM

Have you ever had that idea? That idea you’ve spent sleepless nights tossing and turning over? That idea you’ve formulated, reworked, and refined till your mind nearly burst? That idea which, once thought to be in left field, developed into something within reach? Most of us chuck our hair-brained ideas at the waste basket, convinced they’re all a “mission impossible”. For two eager college graduates, however, their idea remained far from the basket and developed into something bigger than they could have ever imagined.

Meet Lauren and Darin Kunkle. With minds for business and hearts for service, these newly weds yearned to make a difference in the world through their innovative ideas. As Grove City College students, equipped with a “skies the limit” mentality, the two schemed on their vision for the future; opening an ice cream shop in China.

After entering Grove City’s Business Plan Competition, the two pitched their “West to West” business venture. The competition was fierce, but the judges distinguished not only a sense of confidence, but also an incredible drive to make the dream a reality. With a $4,500 check in hand, Lauren and Darin’s idea came out on top, giving them the green light to take action.

From establishing a solid reputation with local Chinese merchants to learning the ropes of China’s restrictive government, Lauren and Darin opened up shop in a more rural, western region of China, near the boarder of Tibet. This location not only provided a steady stream of curious clientele, but also opened up opportunities to strengthen the local Tibetan community. After months of hard work and preparation, the Kunkle’s college business plan materialized, and Bowman’s American Ice Cream opened its doors.

Today, Business is booming and customers flock from across the city to experience their “scoop” of America. From their wide variety of gourmet flavors, such as Java Almond Fudge, to their top sellers, Bubble Gum and Jasmine, serving ice cream to the people of China has helped to bridge the gap between two diverse cultures.

Through their success, Bowman’s American Ice Cream plans to open a sister creamery in a neighboring city, in hopes of one day becoming a national franchise. From serving ice cream to embracing the community, the Kunkle’s have displayed that with perseverance and a “can-do” attitude, you can make your scribbled idea a booming business. Are you ready to make that idea reality?

Paulette’s Bakery Food Truck

There is nothing like indulging  in a flaky, freshly baked croissant . Buttery layers of pastry dough, baked to its golden perfection, transporting your taste buds to the streets of France. Can such an authentic art form be replicated to the maître boulanger’s (master baker’s) standards? Minneapolis baker, Janna Gustin, took the challenge to master this iconic French pastry.

After touring and tasting all France had to offer, Janna returned from “the land of pâtisseries”, only to discover her city’s lack of these delectable treats. From her first day back, she searched high and low for a croissant similar to the one she experienced in France. However, her efforts were of no avail.

Longing for just one morsel of authenticity, Janna decided to try her hand at the art. For months, she rolled, cut, chilled, proofed, and baked for hours on end, in hopes of surpassing her local faux-French competitors. With the help of high quality butter, and the liberal use there of, Janna’s dream materialized. It was time to hit the streets and start spreading the love.

Strapped for cash, but motivated to cure Minneapoli’s lack of French flavor, Janna invested in a functional and economical investment; her very own food truck. With a coat of paint and customized details, “Paulette’s Bakery Food Truck” began its route. Within no time, Janna was selling multiple variations of her croissants, including her pain au chocolat, almond paste, and her savory ham gruyere.

Today, Janna remains one of the only breakfast food trucks in Minneapolis, highly esteemed for her mastery of the croissant. From providing pastries “on-the-go” for the bustling business district to bringing joy to visiting tourists, Janna attained her goal, conquering the seemingly impossible task of not only mastering the French croissant, but sharing it with her city.

http://www.kare11.com/news/newsatfour/article/1038962/323/Paulettes-Bakery-Food-Truck