Student entries for the annual NBR 24/7 Audacious Business Idea Competition have skyrocketed this year.
University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic students have submitted over 200 business ideas to the competition, more than double the number entered the previous year.
After the ideas were reviewed and judged by a panel of academics and business professionals, top ten candidates were awarded $1000 each.
Peter Harris, manager of the Dunedin City Council economic development unit, which coordinates the competition, said he was thrilled with the response.
“Audacious aims to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs and the jump from 97 ideas entered last year to 226 this year is fantastic.”
Ryan Priemus, the Audacious business coach who advises students about the reality of running a business, has been swamped with students wanting advice about their ideas before they submit them.
“It’s a great job because there are some wild ideas that students talk to me about, and I can never pick which of them might turn them into reality. Some ex-Audacious students have gone on to create really successful businesses”.
In addition to one-on-one advice, Audacious runs a series of seminars for students who want to understand the realities of business.
In the second semester competition students are required to turn their ideas into a detailed business plan the winner of which is awarded prizes to the value of $20,000 to start their own business.
The winners of the NBR 24/7 Audacious Business Idea Competition 2010 are:
1. Michael Clark, SafeTrac.
2. Andrew Robinson, Geodesi.nz "Voice Box" web application.
3. Lucie Douma, Eyedaption.
4. Quinn Lucas, Fitnessbuzz - A DeltaQ Ltd venture.
5. Shelley Wrigley, Health Web Telemetry.
6. Chris Hutchings, Lap Waves.
7. Trevor White, StethoSTAMP.
8. Zak Hogg, Wheels No More.
9. Alyse Cooper, the Portable Roundabout.
10. Henry Hewat, Bright Eyes.
NBR staff
Wed, 11 Jul 2018