John and Rose Vincent of
Offbeats Violin & Guitar

Entrepreneurial innovation was honored Aug. 6 at the annual Jump-Start Downtown Business Plan Competition. The awards, which are given out by Downtown Eau Claire Inc., are designed to stimulate business growth downtown. The big winner was Offbeats Violin & Guitar, which is described as “a multifaceted stringed-instrument shop serving the varied needs of musicians.” Proprietors John and Rose Vincent received a prize of $5,000 plus a $500 DECI media package, and they are in the process of relocating their business to the downtown. The runner up, who received a $500 DECI media package, was William Glass for the business plan he created for the Eau Claire Brewing Project, a forthcoming craft brewery and taproom. (Glass is owner of the Fire House tavern downtown.) And the Innovative Idea Prize went to siblings Mike and Vicki Milewski, who recently opened Galaudet Gallery, 618 S. Farwell St. They received a $1,000 scholarship to the UW Small Business Development Center. This was DECI’s ninth annual Jump-Start competition. To learn more about DECI or how you can submit your business plan to next year’s contest, visit www.DowntownEauClaire.org.