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Aleutian Competition Boosts Aspiring Entrepreneurs

APICDA

During the month of January, a non-profit program dedicated to nurturing small businesses is offering cost-free application reviews for the 2016 Aleutian Marketplace Competition.

Sponsored by the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association (APICDA) and the Aleut Corporation, the Aleutian Marketplace is a regional competition only open to current or former residents of Unalaska and 11 other Aleutian communities.

The winner will receive $20,000 in seed money to start a business in one or more of 12 communities in the Aleutian Islands. Those communities - listed alphabetically - are Adak, Akutan, Atka, Cold Bay, King Cove, Nikolski, False Pass, Nelson Lagoon, Sand Point, St. George, St. Paul and Unalaska.

In order to enter the competition, applicants submit a business plan. The three finalists in the competition must be available for a paid trip to Anchorage to present their business plan in late April or early May to a panel of judges.

Although the competition's deadline is March 4, the Small Business Development Center at the University of Alaska Anchorage is offering to review business plan drafts during the month of January. The Center's staff does not charge for this service and provide constructive feedback. Applicants can send their plans anytime between Jan. 1 through Jan. 31 to media@apicda.com.

The Chief Administrative Officer of APICDA, Gary Chythlook, said Wednesday that he is hoping there will be lots of applicants for this round.

"Both APICDA and the Aleut Corporation believe a lot in entrepreneurship and we're hoping the ideas turn into ongoing, sustainable businesses to be able to create local jobs in our region," Chythlook said.

There have been two prior phases to the competition, and both were focused on seeking innovative ideas for Aleutian-based businesses. Applicants to those competitions didn't have to submit a business plan. The winner of the first competition was announced in December of 2014, and the winner of the second selected in April of this year.

This current third phase requires more of a commitment from applicants, in the form of detailed business plan, said APICDA's Ellen Krsnak. But it also offers a much greater monetary reward than the other two competitions, for which the top prizes were $1000, $650 and $350.

Credit APICDA
The competition's logo.

Unalaska resident Blaine Shaishnikoff won $350 in the first competition. His idea centered on a plan for a large hydroponic greenhouse, designed to provide the region with a continuous supply of fresh vegetables.

Another local winner of the 2014 competition was Unalaska resident KristjanLaxfoss for coming up with an idea to create tasty and healthy hot dogs made from pollock. He won $1000 and planned to manufacture the fish hot dogs in St. George.

The top winner of the second innovative ideas competition was Sand Point resident Anne Morris. She won first and second place for two separate ideas for new businesses. The first was for what Morris called JD Beltz, a "safety improvement alteration for a knife sheath on a belt that fishermen currently use," according to APICDA. Her idea for starting a baked goods business featuring traditional fry bread and piroshkies filled with salmon and rice, both seasoned with wild herbs harvested around Sand Point, won her second place. Morris also won second prize in the first competition for another food idea, an Aleutian burger made from local seafood.

Krsnak said it wasn't necessary to enter into the first two competitions in order to apply for the current contest. All it takes is a desire to become a small business owner and to submit a polished and workable business plan.

More information on the competition can be found on the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association's website at www.apicda.com.

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Greta Mart worked for KUCB in 2015 and 2016.