FINALISTS IN UA CONTEST SUBMIT INTERESTING PLANS TO BUILD LOCAL BUSINESSES

A late-night hangout for folks under 21 to play pool and video games could come to town if Aaron Hartley brings his business plan to life after the University of Akron's Business Plan Competition.

Hartley submitted his idea for a gaming club and earned a spot to face off with three other finalists April 2 to show judges, an audience and potential investors the businesses they've been formulating.

``What I'm trying to do is get people together,'' said Todd Finkle, director of the university's Fitzgerald Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. ``This is not just about presenting plans. It's to congregate in a place to exchange ideas, stimulate creativity and network, and we need to work together to enhance the economic environment of the region.''

In Hartley's research for the business, he tabulated 200 surveys and said he found the under-21, after-hours entertainment market isn't being served.

``There's an opportunity in the market and a need that needs to be filled,'' Hartley said.

He wants to open Obstacles Gaming Club near campus either this August or next and make it into a corporation. Pool halls are a fragmented market, Hartley said. He compared his idea to small hardware stores being replaced by large home improvement centers. Eventually, Hartley plans to open 30 of these gaming clubs nationwide.

The club would hold tournaments for pool, video games, cards, darts and other games.

Judges already have chosen four finalists from 10 entries. Two of the finalists are graduate projects and two are undergraduate, including Hartley's. After the presentations of the four businesses, one plan from each group will win $3,000, and the other two groups each will take home $2,000. In addition, one project will win $5,000 for having the best retail plan for a new business near the university.

Two other entrepreneurs plan to open a business in August 2006. Valerie Pitts and Elisette Lopez put together the other finalist project in the undergraduate category.

Libros Etc., a textbook rental shop combined with cafe, also focuses on students' needs.

The idea came about with high college textbook prices in mind, Pitts said. Students could save hundreds of dollars if they rent their books at the beginning of the semester and return them at the end.

The business's Web site would have the book rental as well as some furniture rental. Pitts said the business eventually would expand to other campuses.

Any entrepreneur needs to create a business plan, Finkle said.

``Business plans are the heart and soul of a business,'' Finkle said. ``You need business plans to get financing, to give you direction. It's your blueprint.''

The two graduate teams created their business plans for existing local businesses.

XGEM uses small power generators in its hybrid vehicles, and the students' business plan outlines ways to expand use of the generators. Jing Wang, Katie Kuzior and Jeff Smith suggested that XGEM market its generators to construction companies, the military and developing countries without access to other power sources.

The other graduate team, Flow Control Corp., created a hypothetical business plan to take over a local water valve company that didn't want to be named. Frank Colarik and Tally Althefery's plan focuses on improving the business by working more closely with its customers and understanding how its products are used. The team discovered new markets, customers and applications for the valves.