OTTAWA, Canada--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Shopify Inc. (NYSE: SHOP)(TSX: SHOP), the leading cloud-based, multi-channel commerce platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses, is partnering with New York Times #1 best-selling author, philanthropist and America’s #1 Life and Business Strategist Tony Robbins on the 2017 Build a BIGGER Business competition, which is now open to applicants at www.shopify.com/BIGGER.
An evolution of the long-running Build a Business competition – one of the world’s biggest entrepreneurial contests – the new competition aims to equip established small and medium-sized businesses and trend-setting entrepreneurs with the resources and mentorship needed to accelerate their business dreams. The partnership with Robbins marks his second year guiding entrepreneurs using the Shopify platform.
“With the right coaching, the right tools and the right mindset, entrepreneurs can take their businesses to incredible heights,” said Robbins. “I’ve seen it firsthand at our Business Mastery events as well as through the Shopify Build a Business competition. Helping the leaders of tomorrow stretch the boundaries of what they thought was possible is a longtime passion of mine, and I’m thrilled to continue this partnership.”
Over the past six years, Shopify’s competitions have helped create over a 100,000 new businesses that have sold millions of dollars in products.
“Since the launch of the Build a Business program in 2010, we’ve seen thousands of companies start and grow successful businesses using Shopify under the tutelage of the world’s best business minds,” said Harley Finkelstein, COO at Shopify. “In keeping with tradition, we’re equally excited to watch this year’s field of competitors embark on a new journey.”
Eligibility
The competition is open to privately-held businesses in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand that have been in operation for one year or longer. These businesses must already sell on the internet, migrate to or already operate on Shopify, and have 2016 sales between US$1 million and US$50 million.
How it Works
The competition kicks off this month with an open call for eligible entrants on January 19, 2017 from Robbins’ Business Mastery event, a 5-day seminar for entrepreneurs in Palm Beach. Eligible entrants will receive coaching from mentors and experts through the Build a BIGGER Business online academy - an exclusive resource for competitors. The entrants will be assessed from March to July 2017, and those that perform the best during the course of the competition will be declared winners in eight categories: Highest Total Gross Sales Gain, Highest Percentage Growth, Best Scale Strategy, Best Marketing Strategy, Best Raving Fan Culture, The Disruptor, Tony Robbins’ Choice and Shopify’s Pick. For the Official Rules, visit www.shopify.com/build-a-BIGGER-business/rules.
The Prize
In the Fall, all winners will travel to New York to participate in an exclusive New York Stock Exchange experience, and afterwards, they will embark on a learning retreat with Robbins and other Shopify coaches at Tony's exclusive Namale Resort and Spa - the #1 resort in Fiji. The two entrant businesses that achieve the highest growth in sales and the highest percentage growth will also receive a potentially life-changing prize, including a marketing and brand strategy campaign, a feature story with a leading business publication and 24 months’ of Shopify Plus subscription fees for free.
All participants will gain access to the exclusive Build a BIGGER Business online academy with videos, tutorials and written content. Participants will also receive advice from official mentors, including: Tony Robbins; Daymond John (Founder & CEO, FUBU); Tim Ferriss (Author, Investor); Marie Forleo (Author, TV Host); Tom Farley (CEO, NYSE); Debbie Sterling (Founder, Goldieblox), Scott Allison (Chairman & CEO, Allison+Partners), Jean-Francois Bouchard (CEO, Sid Lee), and Harley Finkelstein (COO, Shopify).
About Shopify
Shopify is the leading cloud-based, multi-channel commerce platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. Merchants 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 a merchant 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 325,000 businesses in approximately 150 countries and is trusted by big brands including Tesla, Red Bull, Nestle, GE, Kylie Cosmetics, and many more.
About Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins is an entrepreneur, #1 New York Times best-selling author, philanthropist and the nation’s #1 Life and Business Strategist. A recognized authority on the psychology of leadership, negotiations and organizational turnaround, he has served as an advisor to leaders around the world for more than 4 decades. Author of five internationally bestselling books, including the recent New York Times #1 best-seller MONEY: MASTER THE GAME and the soon to be released UNSHAKEABLE: YOUR FINANCIAL FREEDOM PLAYBOOK.
