The Wisconsin Entrepreneur Network just published an article about Purely Poultry getting its start.
Bird Man Wins Business Plan Competition
Tyler Danke, 2009 UW-Oshkosh Business Plan Competition winner, combined an interest in poultry and an entrepreneurial drive to form his winning business, Purely Poultry. The $400 cash prize along with valuable advice from the competition judges helped Danke to get his business flying higher.
That was the best part the critique of my business from the judges, states Danke, who used that advice to advance his wholesaling company.
The bird business is nothing new to this young entrepreneur. While in high school Danke and his brother started Danke Bros Poultry at his parents' farm. We had a little hatchery, and we sold $15,000 worth of baby chicks my senior year in high school, notes Danke.
Today Danke is in his fourth year at UW-Oshkosh. He no longer raises the birds himself, but has formed partnerships with breeders throughout the nation to fill orders for chickens, ducks, geese, pheasants and other poultry.
I have 200 to 300 types of poultry Im working with. I sell to anyone that wants between 1 and 10,000 birds, says Danke.
To get his business off the ground, Danke went to Tony Goebel at Oshkosh Area Economic Development Corp.
I met with Tony to discuss financing. He also gave me advice on my business plan and referred me to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), says Danke. The SBDC has helped me get my business plan written. That assistance was very valuable. Phil Florek at SBDC helped me to find out what was missing in my plan.
In addition to birds, Danke sells books and poultry supplies through Purely Poultry, which he hopes will grow to a level that will provide a full-time income for himself and his wife in 2010, while he finishes his finance degree at UW-Oshkosh.
Check out the Purely Poultry Web site at
www.PurelyPoultry.com
