Intuit’s Dan Wernikoff Talks Small Business Big Game

At this point the next Super Bowl is almost a year away. But Intuit is gearing up for the big game just the same.

Senior Vice President and General Manager of Intuit’s Small Business Group Dan Wernikoff took the opportunity during National Small Business Week to share why.

The now famous QuickBooks Small Business Big Game contest begins June 1 with companies submitting their stories for a chance to win a coveted commercial for the 2016 Super Bowl produced by Intuit.

The benefits a small business can gain from such exposure should be obvious.

“Toymaker startup GoldieBlox from Oakland, California, won the contest, with Intuit creating a television spot — ‘Come on Bring the Toys’ — that reached more than 100 million viewers during the broadcast,” Wernikoff told Small Business Trends in an email interview.

“This exposure provided a boost to GoldieBlox, which has gone on to launch three new games and a new mobile app,”he added

Here’s a look at the commercial the company created:

Commercials like this cost between $4 to $4.5 million.

But the benefits weren’t limited to the winner.

“The three finalists also saw big benefits from increased exposure: One company saw a 300 percent in feed sales and 100 percent increase in T-shirt sales; another finalist’s revenue increased 132 percent, and they are about to hire their first employee, and another company’s sales increased more than 500 percent, from 250 bags (of their product) for their first six months to 800 bags a day!” Wernikoff added.

The contest is judged by the public and Intuit employees. But Wernikoff shares some insight about what goes into a winning submission.

“The best evidence of what makes for a winning submission comes from the inaugural Small Business Big Game contest finalists,” he explains. “More than 15,000 small businesses entered the first Small Business Big Game contest in 2013, and 2.3 million votes were cast as people across the country supported their favorite company.”

“Each of the four finalists had very different kinds of businesses — from a toy company to a maker of natural dairy compost. But the one thing that all finalists shared was a passion for their business, a commitment to their community, and a determination to make a difference.”

Of course, Intuit’s history of assisting small businesses reaches back much farther than the well-publicized contest.

The company first introduced its Quicken personal finance software to American households looking for a helping hand in balancing their checkbooks back in 1983.

Today, businesses handle their payroll, inventory and sales using Intuit’s QuickBooks software. Companies and individuals can avoid costly visits to tax preparers by using TurboTax. And bills can be paid all in one place instead of on individual websites with the help of Mint software.

“Our aim is to create products that make it easier for small businesses to run their operations,” Wernikoff explained.

“QuickBooks Online provides a simple, integrated view of how money flows in and out of a business,” he added. “Instead of spending time trying to reconcile old bills, small business owners can focus on the things that made them passionate about being their own boss in the first place.”

Wernikoff says the company’s growing list of services is all focused on helping small business owners and entrepreneurs face a unique set of challenges.

“We recognize that being a small business owner is really tough work,” he explains. “The days are long, there’s never enough time, and the work can be lonely. So, we’re committed to making products that help more small businesses to find long-term success.”

To learn more about the Quickbooks Small Business Big Game contest visit here.

Image: Dan Wernikoff, LinkedIn 6 Comments ▼

---