Purrsnickitty Design

The Emerging Business Program is about more than plans — it’s about people.

Cathy Hutlzer (above right) of Purrsnickitty Design works with clients such as the Michael Johnson Performance Center

If you’ve already read the feature story on the Emerging Business Program (“Spreading the Word”), then you know many of the nuts-and-bolts of the initiative. What that story doesn’t detail, though — and what Emerging Business is really about — is success stories. This program is full of inspiring tales of small business owners whose companies continue to grow and develop while doing business with the Super Bowl.

A great example of this is Cathy Hutzler, owner of Purrsnickitty Design, a woman-owned graphic design company.

For Hutzler, one of the first steps to becoming a Host Committee vendor via the Emerging Business Program was getting certified as a woman-owned business.

Although the process is rigorous, Hutzler says the benefits far exceed the hassle.“I went through the North Central Texas Regional Certification Agency,” she said. “The certification is free but ample paper work needs to be completed with supporting documents. I needed a copy of my birth certificate, résumé, last three years of taxes and a detailed explanation of services offered. Three references were also required. Once I’d gathered all that, I had an affidavit filled out and notarized. A copy of a bank signature card and an assumed name certificate also had to be provided. The overall application process was easy, but a tad time consuming.

“The opportunity of working with the Host Committee and on Super Bowl-related events is just amazing and worth any amount of paper work that needs to be gathered,” she added. “This job provides great exposure on a national level for my business. To take part in a first-ever event of this caliber in this region is both exciting and inspiring. There are many organizations throughout the nation that are contributing to the success of Super Bowl XLV, and I am proud to be a part of making it happen. It’s easy to be creatively inspired when you are surrounded by a whole region’s excitement.”

So there you have it from someone who’s gone through the process. Should you have any questions regarding next steps or questions about Emerging Business in general, feel free to contact me at (214) 252-5100 or shoot me an email at emergingbusiness@northtexassuperbowl.com.

We’re proud of the program that we will implement with the NFL and want you to feel empowered by it, too.