On the occasion of the tenth prize awards for the Liechtenstein Rheintal Business Plan Competition, held at the University of Liechtenstein on the evening of 26 May 2014, three exceptional projects were chosen to receive awards for the idea, execution and presentation of their business plan.
On the occasion of the tenth prize awards for the Liechtenstein Rheintal Business Plan Competition, held at the University of Liechtenstein on the evening of 26 May 2014, three exceptional projects were chosen to receive awards for the idea, execution and presentation of their business plan.
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The international business plan competition is held every year. It is jointly organised by the government of the Principality of Liechtenstein, the University of Liechtenstein and the Interstaatliche Hochschule für Technik in Buchs (NTB) [Interstate University of Applied Sciences and Technology in Buchs]. In its tenth anniversary year it was notable for the large number of business ideas from the widest variety of industries, including services, trade, catering, health, information technology and veterinary medicine.
Out of the business plans submitted, the jury of six under jury president Fritz Fahrni, Professor Emeritus (ETH Zurich and University of St. Gallen), selected the three most promising candidates. On the occasion of the prize award ceremony on the Monday evening the three winners received prize money ranging from CHF 5000 to CHF 12,000.
Openings for innovative types of sport in the freesports area
After a welcoming speech from Professor Stefan Güldenberg, Dean of the Graduate School and holder of the Chair of International Management at the Institute for Entrepreneurship of the University of Liechtenstein, Dr Thomas Zwiefelhofer, standing in for the head of government, handed over the first prize, worth CHF 12,000, to the ‘Freesports Company’ project.
The ‘Freesports Company’ winning team: from left to right, Lothar Ritter, Andreas Jesda Jügelt, Sabine Schmalschläger, Paul Schiff, Thomas Zwiefelhofer, Jürgen Nigg and Thomas Moll, Head of the SME Centre.
With their innovative idea of an indoor sports facility in the freesports area, Sabine Schmalschläger, Paul Schiff and Andreas Jesda Jügelt are assuming a pioneering role in Europe and closing a gap in the services available in the freestyle and climbing scene. The ambitious entrepreneurial team from Munich, Germany, are planning to set up their first centre right in the heart of Europe – in Liechtenstein. Their visionary approach, backed up by an enthusiastic presentation, was sufficient to convince the jury of experts.
Traditional family company in changing times
The Rector of the Interstaatliche Hochschule für Technik Buchs [Interstate University of Applied Sciences and Technology in Buchs], Lothar Ritter, handed over the second prize, worth CHF 8000, to aspiring businesswoman Nicole Greber from Vaduz in recognition of her impressive strategy for repositioning an established company, the Liechtenstein-based Greber AG.
Second place for the Greber company with its ‘Café l’Etagère’ [‘Shelves Café’] and ‘Kochstudio the Kitchen’ [‘Kitchen Cooking Studio’]: from left to right, Lothar Ritter, Thomas Zwiefelhofer, Nicole Greber and Jürgen Nigg.
The combination of an existing retail trade business with the ‘Café l’Etagère’ [‘Shelves Café’] and ‘Kochstudio the Kitchen’ [‘Kitchen Cooking Studio’] concepts would be hard to equal. The strategy of this newcomer to the field was put across with conviction and realism, and was found convincing by the panel of experts.
Modern holiday promoter for Liechtenstein
The business plan and implementation strategy under the banner of ‘Gastfreund GmbH’ [‘Hospitality Company Ltd.], submitted by three entrepreneurs from Kempten, Germany, achieved third place, winning CHF 5000 in prize money.
Third place for ‘Gastfreund GmbH’ [‘Hospitality Company Ltd.’]: from left to right, Lothar Ritter, Thomas Zwiefelhofer, Marc Münster, Dominik Hasselkuss, Sebastian Kern, Jürgen Nigg and Thomas Moll.
The team of company founders, Marc Münster, Sebastian Kern and Dominik Hasselkuss, had come up with an original idea to encourage tourism, which will offer service providers from Liechtenstein an additional platform for reaching out to their visitors. The prize was handed over by Jürgen Nigg, Managing Director of the Liechtenstein Chamber of Commerce.
Further information on the competition may be found at www.businessplan.li.