Better than the Gift

 

Like so many entrepreneurs, as Julie Belladonna and Jenny Seed Reis sought to ramp up their business, they were in search of capital which could supplement their own investment in the company. They decided to enter the New York Public Library's StartUp! business plan competition.

 

Their company, Better than the Gift, makes unique, funny and environmentally friendly gift-wrapping paper. They were matched with Pace SBDC business advisor Greg Callender, who worked with them on multiple revisions of their business plan narrative, accompanying financial projections, and rehearsed them for the in-person pitch they would ultimately deliver.

 

Having previously served as a reviewer of business plan competition entries, Greg was also able to offer specific insight into the business and presentation characteristics that would improve Julie and Jenny's chances of winning a prize.

 

Their collective efforts were a success. On December 11th 2024, Better than the Gift captured 3rd place in the contest, and was awarded $7,500 of prize money. The additional capital, combined with presentation skills refined during the contest and incremental exposure for their product, positioned Julie and Jenny to create an additional job as they accelerated their operations for the important year-end holiday shopping season and their wholesale launch in 2025.

 

Said Julie and Jenny: "Greg's guidance was invaluable to us as we navigated not only our business plan competition entry but also the very real obstacles we encountered as new business owners.  We had so many questions and Greg always guided us with a calm composure that allowed us to believe we could succeed. We couldn't be happier with the outcome, and we look forward to continuing to work with Greg and his incredible team at the Pace SBDC for years to come". 

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