Shopify Announces Winners of Inaugural Build a BIGGER Business Competition
September 05 2017 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
Winners receive a one-of-a-kind, eight-day
entrepreneurship experience, including mentorship from some of the
world’s most successful entrepreneurs - Tony Robbins, Daymond John,
Debbie Sterling and more
Shopify Inc. (NYSE:SHOP)(TSX:SHOP), the leading multi-channel
commerce platform, today announced the winners of its inaugural
Build a BIGGER Business Competition. Born from Shopify’s Build a
Business competition, one of the world’s largest competitions for
entrepreneurs, Build a BIGGER Business aims to help later-stage
start-ups and trend-shaping entrepreneurs scale their business to
reach new heights.
“The opportunity to support more entrepreneurs is really what
inspired us to create Build a BIGGER Business,” said Harley
Finkelstein, the Chief Operating Officer of Shopify. “We understand
that the challenges facing later-stage business are different from
those looking to make their first sale. That’s why we wanted to
evolve the competition and create an experience focussed on
providing the right coaching, right tools and right mindset for
entrepreneurs looking to grow from $1 million to $50 million and
beyond.”
From March to July 2017, Build a BIGGER Business competitors
were asked to grow or scale their businesses using traditional and
non-traditional strategies and tactics. To help with this growth,
competitors were given access to the exclusive Build a BIGGER
Business online academy, including immersion sessions with mentors
on topics ranging from organizational leadership to how to optimize
your sales funnel.
Winners of Build a BIGGER Business will ring the opening bell at
the New York Stock Exchange, receive strategic and creative
planning/support from leading brand-building agency Sid Lee and a
trip to Namale Resort & Spa in Fiji for five days of mentorship
with some of the biggest entrepreneurs in the world, including Tony
Robbins, Tim Ferriss, Marie Forleo and Debbie Sterling.
Build a BIGGER Business By the Numbers:
- The Build a BIGGER Business Competition
attracted applicants from 70 different countries, spread
over 750 different cities
- Over the course of five months,
competitors generated over 8 million orders, resulting in
more than half a billion dollars in gross merchandise volume
(GMV). Stacking half a billion $1 bills would reach more than
42.2 miles in height and stretch beyond the Earth’s
Stratosphere
- The average growth for the businesses
participating in the competition was 14% during the
competition period
- The Top 10 participants with the
highest percentage growth increased their GMV by an average of
over 500%
- The Top 50 participants with the
highest percentage growth increased their GMV by an average of
107%
To enter the Build a BIGGER Business competition, participants
needed to have an existing business on the Shopify Platform with
sales between $1 million and $50 million USD. The contest ran from
March 1, 2017 to July 2017, and eight winners in eight respective
categories were selected:
- Highest Total Gross Sales Gain:
GymsharkGymshark is a global fitness apparel and accessories
brand for both men and women, targeting a key audience of 18-25
year old’s in over 170 countries worldwide. Based in the United
Kingdom, Gymshark was founded in 2012 by Ben Francis. From a screen
printing operation in a garage, to the fastest growing company in
the UK, Gymshark has dedicated itself to creating innovative and
effective performance wear and is one of the fastest growing &
most recognized global brands within the fitness market. Gymshark
are focused on creating hype, disrupting the market and stimulating
demand through innovative brand building campaigns and creating
innovative product.
- Highest Percentage Growth:
Skinnymixers ShopSouth Australian based Skinnymixers is
backed by an amazing online community dedicated to sharing healthy
thermal cooking recipes, which has helped launch 5 best-selling
self-published cookbooks. While struggling to lose weight after
child birth, founder Nikalene Riddle noticed a distinct lack of
healthy Thermomix recipes in the cooking community. She channeled
her passion for creating healthy food without sacrificing on taste
to create cookbooks, which reflected her understanding of the need
for flexibility in a recipe to cater for a wide range of dietary
needs. Nikalene has built one of the largest and most active
healthy recipe and lifestyle groups on Facebook to over 145,000
members.
- The Disruptor: KnixwearKnixwear
is an active intimates brand that is reinventing intimate apparel
to enable women to embrace the blood, sweat, and tears that
accompany a life well lived. The brand launched in 2013 with a line
of leakproof performance underwear, which continues to be a
top-seller. Founder Joanna Griffiths expanded the brand with the
8-in-1 Evolution bra in 2015, which became the most funded fashion
Kickstarter project in history, with over $1.6M in pre-sales. A
firm believer that women of all shapes and sizes look beautiful in
their products, Knixwear opts to use customers in their photoshoots
instead of models, and has earned a cult following through constant
innovation and continued commitment to a culture of listening.
- Best Scale Strategy: FanjoyWhile
working with his brother’s band, A Great Big World, founder Chris
Vaccarino realized that many fans wanted a deeper connection with
the ones they admire. After 2 years of focusing on custom box sets
for Influencers with a fan base (think subscription boxes), Chris
saw the opportunity to support Content Creators (YouTubers) with
all things merchandise. As YouTubers focused their time on creating
consistent digital content, it was obvious that there was a huge
opportunity for them to sell merchandise directly to their fans,
but had no time to organize it. Fanjoy evolved and is now an
end-to-end solution for anyone with a fan base to create custom
merchandise experiences for their fans without any risk or upfront
cost. These Influencers use their life experiences, identity,
interests, and content to create meaningful merchandise that their
fans will love (aka “Fanjoying”).
- Best Marketing Strategy: BestSelf
CoBestSelf Co is a young high-growth company founded by Cathryn
Lavery and Allen Brouwer, on a mission to change the world through
providing people with the tools to reach their full potential. They
do this by bringing focus, strategy, and action to big goals and
cutting out all the noise, helping people better themselves, and by
extension, the world. Since hitting the market a little over a year
ago, BestSelf.co’s products have been adopted by over 100,000
people. With those who fill in the SELF Journal (their flagship
product) first thing in the morning, and last thing at night.
Whether it’s for personal, professional, or health reasons the SELF
Journal is helping people achieve their goals 13-Weeks at a time.
It’s not all achievement though, the products have also proven
successful for those suffering from depression, chronic pain, and
even personal tragedy. One interaction at a time, one action at a
time BestSelf.co works hard everyday to make a positive difference
in people’s lives.
- Best Raving Fan Culture: Sand
CloudSand Cloud, is a San Diego-based company with a powerful
purpose: to save marine life. Partnering with organizations that
are stewards of the ocean, Sand Cloud donates 10 percent of its net
profits from the sale of towels with colorful designs to
organizations that help protect and preserve beaches, oceans, and
marine life. As their business grows, so does the giving. Company
sales grew from $30,000 in 2014, the year it launched, to $2.5
million in 2016.
- Tony Robbins Choice:
LIVELYLIVELY was built initially to deliver what founder
Michelle Cordeiro Grant always thought was missing from the
lingerie category- a brand that delivered on what it means to be
sexy today... smart, healthy, outgoing and confident. Grant
identified a void in the market for bras and undies with an
aesthetic inspired by authenticity and "real life". The goal was to
create something that women could live in for 14 hours day, and not
have to choose between HIGH STYLE and ULTIMATE COMFORT. With this,
LIVELY has established an entirely new category and POV of
lingerie, a movement they call Leisurée. Beyond product, LIVELY set
out to create a community first and foremost. One that would
enable, empower, and remind women what life is truly about. Doing
what you love with the people you love. LIVELY’s mission is to
drive women around the world to live life passionately,
purposefully and confidently. This is what they call,
#livingLIVELY.
- Shopify’s Pick: Kindred
BravelyFounded in 2015, Kindred Bravely is a collection of
luxury maternity and nursing wear that enables moms to transition
from the bump to the breast and beyond. Pregnancy and motherhood
can be hard, finding comfortable, stylish clothing doesn’t have to
be. Created by Deeanne Akerson, Kindred Bravely provides bras,
underwear, and sleepwear to make life more comfortable for new and
soon-to-be new moms.
For more details on this year’s Build a BIGGER Business winners,
visit
https://Shopify.com/enterprise/build-a-bigger-business-winners. For
more information on Build a BIGGER Business Competition, visit
https://www.shopify.ca/build-a-bigger-business.
About Shopify
Shopify is the leading cloud-based, multi-channel commerce
platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. Merchants
can use the software to design, set up, and manage their stores
across multiple sales channels, including web, mobile, social
media, marketplaces, brick-and-mortar locations, and pop-up shops.
The platform also provides merchants with a powerful back-office
and a single view of their business. The Shopify platform was
engineered for reliability and scale, making enterprise-level
technology available to businesses of all sizes. Shopify currently
powers over 500,000 businesses in approximately 175 countries and
is trusted by brands such as Red Bull, Nestle, GE, Kylie Cosmetics,
and many more.
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Shopify Inc.Erin Hochstein, 416-238-6705 x 302Shopify Plus PR
Managerpress@shopify.com
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