Fri 09|03|10

Area business owner a finalist in national competition

Submitted by The City Wire staff on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 10:26am.

Jody Weiche, owner of The Specialty Advertising Company (Spadco Inc.) in Fort Smith, is going to Hollywood.

Not that Hollywood.

Weiche is one of 25 women from around the country who will soon travel to Hollywood, Fla., to compete for an awards package in the “Make Mine A Million $ Business.” She was selected from 1,500 other women entrepreneurs hoping to be one of 15 winners in the contest.

Jody WeicheOn Dec. 11, Weiche will present her business plan in a 3-minute “elevator pitch” to a panel of judges and a live audience. The audience and judges will then select 15 winners who will receive “development packages that include money, marketing, mentoring and technology assistance to help their businesses grow into million-dollar enterprises,” according to a statement from Weiche.

Weiche started Spadco in 1987. The company distributes custom-imprinted promotional products.

Launched in 2005 by Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence and founding partner American Express OPEN, the Make Mine a Million $ Business program was created to help post-start up, women-owned businesses grow to one million dollars in annual revenue. Since its inception, the program has hosted 19 competitions in cities around the country and grown into a nationwide movement.