OdomRD Looks to The Future, Post-2016 Business Plan Competition

The 2016 San Angelo Business Plan Competition provided aspiring businesses the chance to map out their future.

The competition originally began in 2004 with a collaboration between the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and The Business Factory; both fall under the oversight of the City of San Angelo’s Development Corporation.

It took a hiatus after the 2009 competition, but started again in 2016, and lead to local business owners Tabitha and Ryan Odom winning the competition on April 27, 2016.

“The competition was great for us as a company because it allowed us to sit down and write out our business plan,” Ryan said. “It’s one thing to talk about doing something, but actually taking the time to do it is the rewarding part.”

Both Ryan and Tabitha founded OdomRD Dietitian Consultant, which helps with long-term healthcare facilities in the community.  

The competition began in January of 2016, and consisted of 19 business approved to compete in the planning stages of the competition. Ryan said the names of the business were kept confidential from all who were participating.

After proceeding through the scheduled timeline that had different parts of the business plan being due on specific dates, there were eight business left, and eventually four finalists were selected.

The prospective business owners presented their progress to a panel of six judges who all had experience of owning businesses. Some of the judges were also professors of businesses at Angelo State University, Ryan said.

Through the entirety of the competition, the judges provided recommendations and advice for the contestants while drafting their business plans.

Both Ryan and Tabitha were excited to collaborate with the SBDC, and enjoyed getting to work with David Erickson, The Director of SBDC.

Erikson gave some insight into what the judges wanted to see from the contestants.

“They looked for those who have technical experience in their field, as well as a passion for what the contestants are pursuing,” Erickson said. “These factors are what make strong entrepreneurs stand out.”

He also mentioned that both Tabitha and Ryan did a great job presenting their business plan, and showed the viability behind their business and how it can benefit the community.

“They did a good job of explaining the market, and viability of their service,” Erickson said.

Since winning the competition, Ryan and Tabitha received $15,000 towards their business, and they also received In-Kind prizes that included a year membership to the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce and web design assistance from Media Jaw.

They will be launching their new website on August 1, and are also planning a grand opening for their business sometime in August, Ryan said.They have also hired a full-time representative in Abilene, and also plan to hire people in San Angelo and Lubbock.

“We were at a point with OdomRD that we wanted to expand and start hiring people,” Tabitha said.

Tabitha has been a registered dietician for more than seven years. She finds it rewarding working with long-term care services, and enjoys getting to work with clients by helping them eat healthier without completely throwing away some of their favorite meals.

 “We don’t want to give our clients tasteless food on a tray," Tabitha said. “ We want to treat our meals more like a fine dining experience.”

She mentioned the food has flavor, and is also part of liberalized diets. When clients are put on heart healthy diets, it cuts out salt and fats that make food taste good.

“We believe if they were to cut out too much of this from their meals, people aren’t going to eat their food and will become malnourished," Tabitha said. “In this setting, we can lift those restrictions and let clients eat the foods they like. We are really focusing more on the quality of life over the quantity of life.”

Ryan mentioned that they plan to expand their business across Texas, and eventually want to make their brand known across the nation.

Ryan recently graduated from Angelo State University this past May and majored in marketing.  

Tabitha graduated from Texas Tech in 2007 with a bachelor's in science and nutritional sciences. She also received her master's of public health at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston.   

“We thought the whole competition was fantastic for not only us, but for San Angelo as well,” Ryan said. “We highly recommend that the competition continue on.”

If there are any registered dietitians who would be interested in working at OdomRD, contact Tabitha at 325-262-2133, or email [email protected]. Also check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OdomRD/.