SEED Dixie awards $5,000 and coaching to two St. George startups
by Paul D. Dail
According to a study done by SmallBusinessPlanned.com, over half of new businesses fail within the first four years. Many times, it’s a lack of funds to get the business past the crucial development phase. In an effort to help out St. George businesses that show promise, SEED Dixie (Stimulating the Expansion of Entrepreneurial Development) and USTAR (Utah Science, Technology and Research Initiative) have once again combined to award money and coaching to local businesses. This year’s winners, each receiving $5,000 to be used to help them launch their eMarketing campaigns, are AutoRepairMatch.com and Monster Mouthguards.
According to the Dixie State University Business Resource Center website, SEED Dixie “targets new or existing companies with potential for providing high wages and sustained growth in a national or global market … The initiative is an investment in the future of Washington County entrepreneurs. SEED Dixie partners with Site Select Plus and USTAR to focus on four main points, or pillars: entrepreneurial talent, business opportunity, funding and support infrastructure.”
Of this year’s applicant pool for the award money, four finalists were selected to pitch their ideas in front of a panel of judges. Since the award is to be used toward the winners’ eMarketing campaigns, the panel included representatives with marketing experience from the Business Resource Center, the St. George Chamber of Commerce, SCORE, and the Outlier Labs.
AutoRepairMatch.com provides a yearly subscription service whereby customers can use a connector that plugs into a vehicle with an app and call center to help customers diagnose problems and refer vehicle owners to reputable repair centers with an appropriate repair cost. According to AutoRepairMatch.com founder Marvin Ray, a mechanic with 25 years of running his own business—including training thousands of auto technicians—his process will help reassure people and save them money.
“Over sixty percent of vehicle owners fear being ripped off in their repair costs,” Ray said.
USTAR analyst Jared Goodspeed listed Ray’s sales skills and connections across the country as a big part of his success.
Monster Mouthguards provides semi-custom fitted mouthguards for people who participate in contact sports. Founders Brian Stanger, a dental lab technician, and entrepreneur Matt Arrington believed the market could use a product in between the expensive, fully-customized mouthguards and the cheap, less effective boil and bite models.
“We have created a beautiful, self formed design, made in the United States … scientifically proven to significantly reduce the chance of injuries and [which] are 140 percent more protective than regular mouthguards and mouthpieces,” Arrington said.
As part of their award winning pitches, both companies demonstrated strategies employing enhanced websites, mobile app use, and YouTube videos into their integrated marketing plans.
To learn more about the missions of both SEED Dixie and USTAR, visit www.brcdixie.com.
