Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Finalists Are Named

San Diego Business Journal, May 29, 2000 by Lee Zion

Turnquist, Schmitt Offer Business Start-up Guide

Ernst & Young have announced the finalists for San Diego's Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Winners will be announced June 21 at the La Jolla Hilton at Torrey Pines.

The winners will be eligible for several national Entrepreneur of the Year category awards, as well as the prestigious National Entrepreneur of the Year award. All finalists and award winners for the National Entrepreneur of the Year will be announced in November.

The finalists for the local entrepreneur of the year are listed. All companies are located in San Diego, except as noted:

* Consumer Products/Retail: Rod Barham of HDOS Enterprises in Carlsbad; Kathleen McDonnell of Delimex in Chula Vista; and James Fitzpatrick of San Diego Magazine.

* E-Commerce: Dennis Murphy of Medibuy.com; Michael Robertson of MP3.com; and Bill Strauss and Jared Schutz of Proflowers.com.

* General Category: Gerald Benowitz of Newgen Results Corp.; Jackie Townsend of The Townsend Agency; and Rick Valencia of ProfitLine, Inc.

* High-Tech Engineering Services: Edwin Lester of Maxim Systems; Massih and Masood Tayebi of WFI; and Eric Wenaas of Jaymark/Jaycor.

* Life Sciences: Gary Lyons of Neurocrine Biosciences; Michael Perry of Cardio-Dynamics; and Jay Short of Diversa Corp.

* Real Estate: Richard Allen of The Allen Group; William Gerrity of GMS in Carlsbad; and Sam Marasco of LandGrant Development, Inc.

* Software/Internet Services: Jorgen Lien of eHelp Corp. in La Jolla; Eric Olinger of ChatSpace, Inc. in Carlsbad; and K.D. Nyegaard of ERISS.com.

* Telecommunications: Mark Dank-berg of Viasat Inc. in Carlsbad; Joe Markee of Copper Mountain Networks; and William Son of NeoPoint, Inc. in La Jolla.

Business Guide Available: Starting a new business involves much more than hanging a sign and printing business cards. To help local entrepreneurs understand the pitfalls of starting a new business, San Diego-based accounting firm Turnquist, Schmitt, Kitrosser & McMahon created the New Business Guide.

The guide will help San Diego entrepreneurs navigate the maze of tax implications, business considerations and other factors that can make the transition into the business world confusing. It also provides practical help in registering a new business, organizing accounting, selecting a legal entity, obtaining financing and choosing an insurance policy.

The booklet offers San Diego County-specific information, such as who to call to get a business license and where to obtain necessary forms and applications.

Additional Resources Online: Chamber-Biz, a resource for small businesses, has advice on everything from where to find your local chamber of commerce, how to run a family-owned business and tips for starting small business E-commerce Web sites.

ChamberBiz can also help small businesses find new temporary employees, just in time for summer, even in this tight labor market.

Many of today's small businesses require educated labor with experience in Web design, finance and marketing. That's why many owners and managers are turning to the Web as a recruiting tool.

ChamberBiz is the answer to curing those employee shortage blues with services to help small businesses find qualified employees through its online resume service and virtual temporary employment agency.

Other areas of the ChamberBiz Web site offer more information about the many online tools that will help you to find talented people to make your small business a success.

ChamberBiz provides users with networking opportunities, and business solutions allowing small companies to expand their businesses and improve profitability. It has partnerships with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, local chambers located across the country and the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Association.

ChamberBiz can be reached at its Web site, or through the home pages of participating chambers. Funding for ChamberBiz is provided by Telcom Ventures, a venture capital firm in Alexandria, Va.