MINDBODY, Inc. Selected as the Central California 2009 Small Business Person of the Year

MINDBODY, Inc. Selected as the Central California
2009 Small Business Person of the Year

National Small Business Week May 17-23, 2009

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA - The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Fresno District Office announced today that Rick Stollmeyer owner of MINDBODY, Inc. has been selected as the 2009 Central California Small Business Person of the Year.

The award presentation for MINDBODY, Inc. will be held on May 21, 2009, 10 a.m., at the Creekside Career Center located at 4111 Broad Street in San Luis Obispo. For additional information regarding the award presentation, please contact Melende Ward at (559) 487-5791.

This year marks the 46th annual proclamation by the President calling for the celebration of National Small Business Week. The award recognizes a business owner who exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit and honors his or her individual contributions to the community. MINDBODY, Inc. was selected after a competition held among businesses located within the 15 Central California counties served by the Fresno SBA office. Mission Community Women’s Business Services of San Luis Obispo nominated the business for the award.

"The Small Business Administration is very proud of the tremendous growth and success that MINDBODY, Inc. has achieved. This company serves as a role model for other small business entrepreneurs,” said Carlos G. Mendoza, District Director for the Fresno SBA Office.

Upon notification that he was selected for the award Stollmeyer said, “I feel humbled by this award, and fortunate to be at the helm of a business that is growing rapidly and improving the world. The MINDBODY mission is to leverage the power of the internet to improve the health and wellness of the world. The principle way we do this is by helping thousands of wellness professionals serve millions of people. Our success to date has stemmed entirely from the talents and passion of our amazing MINDBODY Team, and it is on their behalf that I accept this award.”

Born into the fourth generation of a family retail business, Stollmeyer started MINDBODY Inc. in his garage in 2001. Stollmeyer, a U.S. veteran and a graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy with an engineering background, focuses on helping people achieve and maintain healthier lifestyles. The company provides business management software to service providers in the health and wellness industry.

Stollmeyer, with a vast technology background, knew that business software could be less expensive and more reliable if it was delivered over the internet giving small businesses the operational advantages and marketing power previously enjoyed by other large companies. In 2003 the company began migrating to SaaS technology. Upon completion of the software development effort, they released their first online edition in February 2005. This product proved an instant success, saving their business owner clients money and improving their bottom lines. It instantly surpassed and rendered their desktop software product obsolete. The last desktop license was sold one month later. Sales of online software have continued to grow for the company. Company clients range from self-employed working from home to managers of large multi-location enterprises and from line dance studios to health center inventory management.

The company has grown from an employee base of one (Stollmeyer) to over 100 employees. Today, MINDBODY Inc. serves more than 5,000 small to medium business clients in 50 countries and continues to grow. Recently, the company was named as one of the fastest growing top software companies in the United States by Inc. Magazine. MINDBODY, Inc. corporate headquarters are located in San Luis Obispo, California and offices are located in Long Island, London, Singapore, Dubai and China.

Anita Robinson, Mission Community Bank CEO said, "MINDBODY shows how innovation and success can be achieved locally, while modeling strong social responsibility and respect for the environment at the same time."

Small Business Person of the Year nominations are judged on seven basic criteria: staying power, growth in number of employees, increase in sales and/or unit volume, current and past financial reports, innovativeness of product or service, response to adversity and evidence of contributions to community-oriented projects.

Release Date: May 8, 2009
Contact: Melende Ward
Release Number: 09-08
(559) 487-5791