(Oakton, Va. – March 30, 2015) NVFS’ program for small business, Escala, held its 2015 Business Plan Competition – its sixth one – at the Capital One headquarters in McLean, VA. Three entrepreneurs won cash prizes to help fast track the expansion of their businesses:
Octavio Diaz, whose Arlington small business, Inti Electric, helps train electricians in Spanish for their Journeyman and Master Electrician licensing exams. Diaz’s business plan includes expanding to offer vocational training for students interested in starting a career or business in the electrical field. ($1,000)
Nelson Lopez’s Grasshoppers Landscape is based in Leesburg, and provides residential and commercial landscape work with an emphasis on clear communication and great customer relationships. Lopez presented his vision to add two more vehicles so that he can obtain more commercial contracts. ($500)
Henry Trujillo, whose growing business, Answers Cleaning, prides itself on responsive customer service and excellent treatment of employees. Trujillo’s goal is to continue expanding from Arlington into Washington, D.C., and throughout Northern Virginia. ($250)
Five finalists presented their plans to establish and/or grow their small business. A panel of volunteer judges evaluated the plans’ overall description, competitive advantage, target market, promotional strategies and profitability to select the winners. The event also featured a video to catch up with last year’s winners, and can be seen on NVFS’ YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCir-qBQd3Q. Please note, this file is in Spanish but has English subtitles.
“I could see the long-term vision in all the business plans this year,” says Adrienne Kay, Escala program manager. “I have no doubt that we witnessed the seeds of high-growth future businesses with big impact on their communities.”
NVCC Global Learning Center and Kenya Zambrano State Farm Agency sponsored the event.
In addition to the business plan competition, Escala services include:
- One-on-one business consulting
- A four-week basic start-up course
- A ten-week business plan course, NxLevel
- Crowdfunding campaigns to invest in small business plans
- Additional workshops and events
Escala is housed at NVFS’ Multicultural Center, 6400 Arlington Boulevard in Falls Church. Classes and consulting services are currently offered at this location with satellite offerings at NVFS’ SERVE Campus in Manassas. For more information, please contact Adrienne Kay at (571) 748-2892.
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