Laid Off Tampa Resident Turns Entrepreneur and Wins $26K from Tampa Bay Small Business Jumpstart Contest
Mike Mayo will be honored as the 2009 Tampa Jumpstart contest winner at a reception on Aug. 11 at 11 a.m. in Tampa, where he will formally meet the contributors of over $26K in pro bono start up services. After being laid off in May, 2009, he is starting his own company, Golden Vision Photography, a mobile pet studio that will provide exceptional pet photos while also working to educate the community about therapy dogs.
Tampa, FL, August 11, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Mike Mayo, owner of Golden Vision Photography, has been selected as the winner of the 2009 Tampa Bay Small Business Jumpstart contest and will receive over $26K in pro bono business start up services.
Mayo will be formally congratulated at a reception on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 11 a.m. at his new office location at 3111 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd, Ste. 100, Tampa, FL 33607 (in the Tampa Bay Office park at Himes & MLK Blvd).
Mayo, who lost his job with Vermont-based coffee manufacturer in May 2009 due to an economically-motivated decision to eliminate his position, is launching a mobile pet photography studio (www.goldenvisionphotos.com). With a keen interest in photography and a love of animals, Mike is excited to bring his talents and passion to pet owners throughout Tampa Bay.
“I am very honored to be selected as the winner of the Tampa Jumpstart contest,” Mayo said. “I was proceeding with my business plans, either way, but the boost I will receive from these generous companies is more than I really could have hoped for. It will make a significant difference in the upstart of my new company.”
According to Julie Heidelberg of Heidelberg PR, a contributor to the Tampa Jumpstart program, “The Jumpstart team unanimously agreed that Golden Vision Photography has high potential for success, and we wanted to make sure our finalists, and ultimately our winner, were people with viable business plans. Having gone through it ourselves, we had some perspective on what that type of plan would look like. We’re thrilled to be helping Mike.”
Through his photography business and interaction with pet owners, Mike also hopes to educate people about therapy dogs, as he and his wife are handlers for their certified therapy dog, Lexi. They take Lexi to nursing homes, hospitals, children’s homes and schools to bring happiness and joy only the unconditional love of a dog can bring to people who need company and affection.
Initially, Golden Vision Photography will be booking appointments at various pet-oriented businesses on weekends. For more information or to set an appointment, call 813-350-7855 or 813-748-4476.
Contest runner-ups were Benjamin Justice, with www.SoUnemployed.com, and Christine Heynysh of G-C Industries, LLC (www.G-CIndustries.com).
About Tampa Bay Small Business Jumpstart
Eight Tampa business entities contributed to the Tampa Bay Small Business Jumpstart contest, creating a package of services that includes internet marketing and web site development, on-site IT support, a public relations campaign, office space and receptionist support for nine months, start-up accounting services, life coaching, printing services and ongoing business planning and counseling.
To qualify for the Tampa Jumpstart contest, aspiring entrepreneurs were required to meet two primary criteria:
• They lost their job due to the economic crunch (laid off, downsized, etc)
• They were not looking for a new job with another company or organization, but instead, were pursuing the development of their own new company.
Full details on the award package and the contributors are available at www.tampajumpstart.com.
Editor’s Note: Media representatives are invited to the awards reception for photos and interviews with the contest winner and the contributors. Headshots of the contest winner and contributors are available through Heidelberg PR. Contact Julie Heidelberg at Julie@heidelbergpr.com or call 813-784-6288.
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Mayo will be formally congratulated at a reception on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 11 a.m. at his new office location at 3111 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd, Ste. 100, Tampa, FL 33607 (in the Tampa Bay Office park at Himes & MLK Blvd).
Mayo, who lost his job with Vermont-based coffee manufacturer in May 2009 due to an economically-motivated decision to eliminate his position, is launching a mobile pet photography studio (www.goldenvisionphotos.com). With a keen interest in photography and a love of animals, Mike is excited to bring his talents and passion to pet owners throughout Tampa Bay.
“I am very honored to be selected as the winner of the Tampa Jumpstart contest,” Mayo said. “I was proceeding with my business plans, either way, but the boost I will receive from these generous companies is more than I really could have hoped for. It will make a significant difference in the upstart of my new company.”
According to Julie Heidelberg of Heidelberg PR, a contributor to the Tampa Jumpstart program, “The Jumpstart team unanimously agreed that Golden Vision Photography has high potential for success, and we wanted to make sure our finalists, and ultimately our winner, were people with viable business plans. Having gone through it ourselves, we had some perspective on what that type of plan would look like. We’re thrilled to be helping Mike.”
Through his photography business and interaction with pet owners, Mike also hopes to educate people about therapy dogs, as he and his wife are handlers for their certified therapy dog, Lexi. They take Lexi to nursing homes, hospitals, children’s homes and schools to bring happiness and joy only the unconditional love of a dog can bring to people who need company and affection.
Initially, Golden Vision Photography will be booking appointments at various pet-oriented businesses on weekends. For more information or to set an appointment, call 813-350-7855 or 813-748-4476.
Contest runner-ups were Benjamin Justice, with www.SoUnemployed.com, and Christine Heynysh of G-C Industries, LLC (www.G-CIndustries.com).
About Tampa Bay Small Business Jumpstart
Eight Tampa business entities contributed to the Tampa Bay Small Business Jumpstart contest, creating a package of services that includes internet marketing and web site development, on-site IT support, a public relations campaign, office space and receptionist support for nine months, start-up accounting services, life coaching, printing services and ongoing business planning and counseling.
To qualify for the Tampa Jumpstart contest, aspiring entrepreneurs were required to meet two primary criteria:
• They lost their job due to the economic crunch (laid off, downsized, etc)
• They were not looking for a new job with another company or organization, but instead, were pursuing the development of their own new company.
Full details on the award package and the contributors are available at www.tampajumpstart.com.
Editor’s Note: Media representatives are invited to the awards reception for photos and interviews with the contest winner and the contributors. Headshots of the contest winner and contributors are available through Heidelberg PR. Contact Julie Heidelberg at Julie@heidelbergpr.com or call 813-784-6288.
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Contact
Heidelberg PR
Julie Heidelberg
813-784-6288
www.heidelbergpr.com
Headshots of the winner and contributors are available through Heidelberg PR.
Julie Heidelberg
813-784-6288
www.heidelbergpr.com
Headshots of the winner and contributors are available through Heidelberg PR.
Contact
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