Dawg Bytes, a company focused on teaching technology courses to seniors in retirement communities, is the winner of the first annual Zotec Business Competition, a competition for sophomore Butler University business students involved in the Real Business Experience (RBE) practicum course.
In RBE, all sophomores develop a business plan, present the plan to a board of local bankers and entrepreneurs to apply for up to $5,000 of start-up capital, and then if desired, start and run the business.
“Thanks to Zotec Partners, our students were challenged to work harder and run their businesses more efficiently,” said Butler College of Business Dean Chuck Williams. “This was an exciting opportunity for our students to learn about real life, real business and to be exposed to one of the leaders in Indianapolis.”
For winning first place, Dawg Bytes will receive $9,000 that can be spilt among the team members or reinvested in the company. Social Instructables, an online business that brings convenient fitness and sports development to clients, took second place and received a cash award of $5,000. BU Entertainment, a talent promotion business, and Enviro Nuts, an importer of environmentally-friendly laundry detergent, tied for third, and will each receive $1,500.
Since their formation in fall 2011, Dawg Bytes has conducted workshops at the Forum at the Crossing, Brookdale Place of Fall Creek and Britton Falls by Del Webb. Their lesson plans focus on the most basic of basics such as how to turn on a laptop, to more advanced subject matters like Skype.
“This last month has been crazy and it is wonderful to know it was all worth it and that all of our hard work has truly paid off,” said Dawg Bytes CEO Brian Kenny.
Through the Zotec Business Competition, RBE teams were evaluated on various measures including their presentation skills, operational effectiveness, sales/marketing, growth, financial management, use of technology, social responsibility and business valuation.
“The Zotec Business Competition was a way for our company to give back to Butler for providing such a solid educational foundation that has contributed to the success that we have realized to date,” said Zotec Partners President and CEO T. Scott Law ’85.
“My family and I have a long history with Butler, and I am excited to have this opportunity to help mentor and develop students as they take their great ideas and make them into real, viable businesses.”
The other RBE businesses competing in the Zotec Business Competition included: BU Gear, an apparel design company; Canal Coupons, which connects Broad Ripple and downtown businesses to the Butler community by posting coupons and discounts on their website and Facebook page; CustoMyzed t-shirt company; Excessive Pride, which provides specialized accessories for businesses, organizations and special occasions; Kings of Neon, which sells neon fanny packs and hats; and Omni Vend, which provides a vending machine on the Butler campus that is filled with toiletry items.
“I was very impressed with the level of sophistication and business savvy of the Butler students and mentors that participated in our competition,” said Law.“We look forward to watching and helping them develop into future business leaders.”
Media contact: Courtney Tuell
(317) 940-9807
ctuell@butler.edu
