And the 2017 PayPal $10K Business Makeover contest winners are…
In July, we launched the
PayPal $10K Business Makeover competition with the goal of helping three small business owners achieve new heights. Along with a $10,000 cash prize, each winner receives a one-on-one payments consultation from PayPal, and the choice of either a website makeover from Shopify or a back-office makeover from Xero.
We received over 13,000 entries, each with a unique story and an impressive amount of creativity and drive.
“There were so many great companies that entered the competition, it was truly difficult to choose just three to win the contest,” said JJ Ramberg, 2017 PayPal $10K Business Makeover Contest judge, host of MSNBC’s Your Business and co-founder of
GoodShop. “It is extremely inspiring to see all these entrepreneurs turning their dreams into businesses that will impact their communities as well as contribute to the economy at large.”
Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry and without further ado, the winners of the 2017 PayPal $10K Business Makeover Contest are:
FORGE started four years ago with a simple mission: “Make Stuff Here.” FORGE founders, Bryce Pfanenstiel and Adam Dukes, decided to combine an old-world manufacturing attitude with new technologies to provide on-demand, custom manufacturing. The company also actively supports the Jacksonville geek and innovation community.
“The makeover would be specifically to create an online storefront for 3D printing supplies, digital models, in-house manufactured 3d prints, and also provide a storefront for other locally manufactured products.”
All dogs are sometimes let off-leash, whether it’s at home, at the dog park or on a hike – but carrying a leash around can be cumbersome, especially for runners. With this in mind, Brian Dagnon invented the Release N Run - a collar with a retracting leash built-in so he could easily leash his dog on trail runs – or let Jake run free.
The collar is made in the USA, and sourced as locally as possible with manufacturing out of Dagnon’s garage at first. The company has grown rapidly and now trains local college students to build the Release N Run.
“With the cash prize, we will make a Release N Run harness version prototype which is something customers have been asking us for. We’re also interested in streamlining our operational infrastructure with modern accounting software like Xero, and upgrading our e-commerce platform to Shopify. As the business has grown, it’s become apparent that our existing systems are inefficient and slowing us down,” said Brian Dagnon, owner of Rad Dog.
Parents regularly need to keep their children occupied – whether it’s on the go or at home. This is where Kids Go Co.’s ZoomKIT® comes in. This mom-invented product is a workstation that gives kids a special way to connect with their favorite toys and activities no matter where they are.
“[With the prize money] we plan to add two additional inserts and other family travel accessories to our product line. Having the line built out and a special carrying case makes ZoomKIT® more effective and appealing. It would also help our placement in retail stores who want a full line, not just one or two SKU’s.”
Congratulations again to this year’s winners and we’d also like to thank Xero, Shopify, and our wonderful judges for making this contest possible!
Alice Wong, Content Marketing Manager, PayPal