Central Michigan University

Family inspires CMU business plan competition winners

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Topics in this story: Business, finance, jobs and the economy, College of Business Administration, Entrepreneurship

Central Michigan University's business plan competition first-place winners have two things in common: they are both women and both of their business ideas were inspired in someway by members of their family.

CMU's spring 2008 Celani Business Plan Competition also saw two firsts - all of the competitors were female and there was a tie for first place. Seniors Lia Mackey of Chesterfield and Haley Stegman of Shepherd impressed an advisory board of entrepreneurs at the competition to secure a tie for the top spot.

Mackey, a double major in communication disorders and entrepreneurship with minors in gerontology and American Sign Language, developed a plan to open a speech pathology clinic in the metro Detroit area. Mackey developed a passion for speech-language pathology by helping her younger brother learn language skills. As the idea of opening her own clinic in the future began to take shape, she realized that she should also have some business knowledge.

"I have learned a lot from my instructors in the entrepreneurship program," said Mackey. "The business plan competition made the idea of opening a clinic more realistic, and it is a really amazing feeling to know that someone would back me if I decided to go ahead with this."

Mackey will receive her bachelor's degree May 3 and will begin working on her Master of Arts degree in speech pathology in the fall of 2008 at CMU. She also plans to continue her education in the area and obtain a doctoral degree before she considers starting a clinic.

Stegman, an entrepreneurship major, was frustrated with the lack of maternity clothing options in central Michigan while pregnant with her daughter, Makayla, and the frustration while shopping for children's clothing after Makayla was born. This frustration spurred the idea of "Especially For: Mommy & Me," a maternity and children's clothing store in Mount Pleasant. She also has plans to include child care services, personalized packaging and embroidery, pregnancy and infant massage, and other specialized services within the store.

"It was great to receive feedback and advice from professionals who have all started and run businesses," Stegman said of the business plan competition. "I now feel like I could actually get this business up and running."

Stegman also will graduate from CMU May 3 and will continue employment at her family's business in Mount Pleasant, ProComm Inc. She is getting married in June.

The second-place prize was awarded to North Street senior Alyssa Higgins for her plan of a specialty custom-fit bra store, and the third-place prize went to Wales senior Ellen Ninku who created a plan for an indoor dog park that also would include a workout facility for visitors of the human variety. Each of the four winners will receive cash prizes.

Along with receiving cash prizes, competition recipients also have the opportunity for possible investment in their plans by advisory board members, who are always looking for new projects to invest in.