CLINTON, N.J. (September 23, 2014) - Middlesex resident Melanie Dare dared to "Dream Big" in the Unity Bank Small Business Dreams BIG Contest and the owner of Salon Dare in Hillsborough has earned the $10,000 grand prize to help expand her business. Four other finalists in the contest received $1,500 each to support their business.
"While I hoped I would win, until I had reached the top five I didn't think it was possible," said Dare, 38, who started her business two years ago. "Knowing that family, friends, clients and even people I had never met were taking time out of their busy lives to support me was amazing. Winning will allow me to expand the salon as we are literally growing out of it. I really can't thank Unity Bank enough for this great contest and their commitment to local businesses."
Unity Bank launched the contest in April. The five finalists, selected through a combination of social media voting and the scoring of essay questions, had free videos created and placed on www.unitybank.com where voting took place for the winner.
"In addition to expanding the salon, I would like to try to implement a retirement plan for my staff," said Dare, a Middlesex High School graduate. "Salons tend not to offer anything like that and I know how important it can be. My girls really have gone above and beyond to make the salon a total success. I hope one day we will grow to the point that I can have a contest like this for another business owner and pay it forward."
The contest was open to anyone that is the majority owner of a for-profit small business with annual gross revenue of $2 million or less and 50 employees or less. The business had to be headquartered in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union or Warren Counties in New Jersey or Northampton County in Pennsylvania, the region comprising Unity Bank's primary service area.
The other finalists were Dana Lane Photography, owned by Dana Lane of Clinton; Occasions by Cindy, LLC, owned by Cindy Cohn of Flemington; NJ Sign Store, owned by Steve Carroll of Lebanon; and 610 Design, owned by David J. Rifendifer of Nazareth, Pa. All of the finalists also received a free copy of their video to help promote their businesses.
"The contest was designed to help small business owners promote and grow their business and it was our privilege to award the $16,000 in prizes to such a fine group of finalists," said Unity Bank President & CEO James A. Hughes. "We are always looking to partner with small businesses who have a vision for their company and the community. I feel confident that all five of the finalists will have great success in the future."
About Unity Bancorp, Inc.
Unity Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: UNTY), the parent company of Unity Bank, its primary and wholly owned subsidiary, is a financial services organization headquartered in Clinton, N.J. Unity Bank provides financial services to retail, corporate and small business customers through its 15 bank branches in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Warren Counties in New Jersey and Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Unity Bank provides traditional and community-oriented commercial banking services, including personal and business checking accounts and time deposits, money market accounts and regular savings accounts. For more information, please visit www.unitybank.com or call 800-618-BANK (800-618-2265).