Sage Awards $20,000 to Winner of Small Business Start-Up Contest

ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwire - October 22, 2009) - Sage North America today announced the winner and runners-up in its $20,000 MyBizCounts.com Start-Up Cash Contest, aimed at helping entrepreneurs turn their business dreams into reality.

Atlanta-based INDIE PEACE, a socially conscious fashion brand, secured top honors and the $20,000 cash prize, along with a suite of software and services: Peachtree by Sage, ACT! by Sage, Timeslips by Sage, and planning software from Palo Alto, to assist in managing the business.

About the contest

Contest participants were tasked with creating a brief video commercial for their business idea or new business (less than two years old), along with their business plan and a brief essay. Based on online votes, the 20 most popular videos advanced to the final judging round. Videos, business plans and essays were then evaluated by a team of small business experts, including Wayne Rivers, co-founder and president, Family Business Institute and Bob Shephard, Director External Affairs-Florida, SCORE.

About INDIE PEACE

INDIE PEACE is a lifestyle brand that weaves premium apparel with an environmental consciousness to create SUSTAINABLE FASHION. The company is committed to environmental responsibility literally from the ground up. This can easily be seen in the product and protection of the resources used to provide high quality fashion to the people who crave it, while leaving the lightest possible footprint on the planet in the process.

Priding itself on attention to detail, INDIE PEACE designs for men and women using the highest quality organic domestic fabrics, with consideration to the social and environmental impact of the design, manufacture, sale and distribution of their product. Their tagline, "make a mark without leaving one," suits, as they use only certified organic cotton, hemp, RPET(recycled poly), or bamboo, and only natural or low impact dyes and water based printing inks.

Four other businesses were recognized by the contest as runners-up, and will receive software and services to assist them in managing their businesses: Peachtree by Sage Premium Accounting 2010 Multi-user Version with one year of Peachtree Freedom Support; ACT! by Sage 2010 with 5 user licenses; Timeslips by Sage 2010 5-user version; Palo Alto Software's Business Plan Pro Standard Edition Version 11; and Palo Alto Software's Marketing Plan Pro. The runners-up are:

-- WebIRB Software: A micro business located in Jackson, TN, providing a customized, Web-based software system to the niche market of Institutional Review Boards (IRB's) Their product allows for Paperless Submission and Review over the Internet, reducing paper waste and contributing to Green Initiatives. http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=550362

-- Catoctin Creek Distilling Company: An artisan distillery producing the finest in organic and kosher distilled spirits, and is the first family-owned microdistillery in Loudoun County, Virginia since before prohibition. Producing high quality organic spirits and liqueurs: rye spirits and whisky from organic sources, brandy from Virginia wines, and seasonal specialty liqueurs. http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=550307

-- SoulRealiS, LLC: GameDevMasters' mission is to help game developers and those who need their services to connect and collaborate on creating video games. GameDevMasters is part of an internet startup company located in NJIT's Enterprise Development Center incubator in Newark, NJ. http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=550360

-- Queen Fuel Components, LLC: A manufacturer of "hands free" onboard additive injection systems for diesel equipment and a distributor of diesel fuel additive blends and related products. QFC is a new-start company with one location in Shelby, NC, and their product is named EZ ADD ("EZ-ADD - So You Don't Have To"). http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=550356

Quotes:

Doug Meyer, Chief Customer Officer, Sage North America:

"Small businesses are the main engine driving the economy, and while the past year has been difficult from an economic perspective, the passion and creativity that drive small business owners to success is as strong as ever. The gifted entrepreneurs who participated in our startup cash contest -- and millions of others like them across North America -- are the reason that Sage employees come to work each day, supporting small businesses' dreams, vision, and goals."

Lawton Ursrey, Founder, INDIE PEACE, and MyBizCounts contest winner:

"I am so honored and humbled to be selected as the winner. These times are extremely challenging for new businesses, and we at INDIE PEACE are grateful to Sage for helping to make a difference in the lives of entrepreneurs. This contest will help accelerate our success and allow us to make even more of a positive impact on the world."

Wayne Rivers, President and Co-Founder, Family Business Institute (Judge):

"The MyBizCounts.com Start Up Cash Contest showcased enterprising businesspeople in diverse industries like fashion, distilling, marketing, IT, and green fuels technology. What they all had in common was a passion to 'build a better mousetrap,' the desire to control their own business destinies, and a wish to make a difference in the world. They represent the qualities that make the family and closely held business sector so resilient and successful -- even in the face of challenging times."

Bob Shephard, Director of External Affairs, SCORE (Judge):

"Indie Peace's vision and potential for success made them the clear winner in my opinion, but all of the finalists appear to have what it takes: creativity, passion, and a strong drive to succeed."

Additional Resource Links:

MyBizCounts.com

Family Business Institute

SCORE

About Sage North America

Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs more than 4,100 people and supports nearly 2.9 million small and medium-size business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 14,500 people and supports 5.8 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.sagenorthamerica.com.

©2009 Sage Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Sage, the Sage logos, Peachtree, Timeslips, ACT!, and the Sage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc. or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact Information: Media Contacts: Aimee Ertley 770-724-4556 aimee.ertley@sage.com Kara McClain 404-995-4531 Kara.mcclain@porternovelli.com