Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Clayton Smith, of St. Louis, is an ideas man.
Clayton Smith is a small business owner in St. Louis, who is entering his company, Chaggle in the St. Louis Regional Business Plan Competition.
He and a buddy from work like to bounce ideas off each other and see what they come up with. Back in 2008, Smith’s friend shared an idea that took the shape of a plan.
“One day he comes in and says he can’t understand why he can’t talk to everybody else who’s looking at the same web site that he is,” Smith said. “I thought that’s the best idea I’ve ever heard of and I actually went home and started working on a business plan that night.”
Along with two partners, Smith began building the next block in online social networking.
Additonal Information
Chaggle: www.chaggle.com
To enter the Regional Business Plan Competition: www.slcec.com
Chaggle is a free application that allows web browsers to chat with other people who are viewing the same sites.
“You know whenever you go to a site, there are probably other people looking at the same page at the same time and with Chaggle, you can talk to them,” he said.
Smith said Chaggle helps connect people with similar interests and encourages discussion of products.
Some may use Chaggle on their favorite band‘s page to chat with other fans or a consumer searching for a new camera may check it out on bestbuy.com and read comments from people who have purchased the same product.
“We always say we’re trying to make Chaggle the online conversation of the Internet,” Smith said. “If we could get the word out at national level, it could easily be the next Twitter.”
Two years after starting on a whim, Smith said the company like most small businesses, would like to attract more users and grow--which is why they are entering the Regional Business Plan Competition sponsored by the St. Louis Economic Council in partnership with Edward Jones.
St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley announced the start of the competition Tuesday.
He said the competition was organized to encourage entrepreneurs, like Smith and help small start-up businesses to further growth in the region.
“I want small businesses to know-- we know you’re concerns, we hear you and we’re trying to address your concerns,” Dooley said. “Small business is the core of this community, there’s no doubt about it.”
Interested business owners must apply online at www.slcec.com by March 9.
Judges will review the applications and select semi-finalists who must submit their business plans by April 16.
Semi-finalists will be invited to make presentations in May and the winner will be announced in June.
Plans will be judged on a list of criteria including creativity, marketability, funding, quality and growth potential.
The first prize is $50,000, second is $30,000 and third is $20,000 toward the entrepreneurs’ growing business.
Smith said if he won the money he would like to use it to expand his number of users by reaching out to the community.
“I think don’t think us going out and advertising is going to do a whole lot of good--I think where we’ll see a lot of benefit is getting out into the community where people can see what it can do,” he said. “That’s what we’re hoping this competition will help us with”
Smith added he would like to see Chaggle sponsor local and national events in the community.
Smith said he thinks the business plan competition is a good way to encourage growth in the St. Louis region because small businesses create so many jobs opportunities.
“When you look at the contribution small businesses make--they make up the biggest part of not only the St. Louis economy, but the national economy,” he said. “It’s the small businesses that drive the most jobs.”
Smith said he thinks entrepreneurship and start-up businesses are what will help regenerate the economy.
“People focus a lot on the big companies but it’s the small companies where everyone gets up and go to work everyday,” he said. “That’s what I think is so exciting about this competition.
You can really see the St. Louis region government organizations recognizing how important small businesses are.”
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