SCORE Workshops, A Powerful Way to Help Your Business Grow!

If you are considering going into business or you are in the early stages of starting up a business we would encourage you to attend one of our business workshops. These workshops, which cost $35 per person, generally last about three hours, and are held several times a month. All SCORE workshops are co-taught by two or three seasoned business executives who have had senior corporate experience or who have owned successful small businesses, or both. Learn from knowledgeable individuals with actual long term successful business experience. Workshop Descriptions are below:

Going Into Business Workshop

A three hour workshop covering in depth the following important topics on starting up a new business:

• Why do you want to go into business?
• General information on small businesses: successes/failures
• How to organize and why: Sole Proprietor, Subchaper S Corp, Limited Liability Company
• What is an EIN and a Fictitious Name?
• Costs to organize
• Zoning and licenses
• Insurance: General Liability, Automobile, Workers Compensation
• Sources of funds
• SBA Guaranteed loans
• Grants
• Typical accounting statements used by businesses
• Marketing plan
• Competition
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Advertising and promotion
• Sales
• Business plan basics

Preparing Your Business Plan

A three hour workshop for new and existing businesses covering in depth the following key elements of a written business plan:

• The importance of the planning process
• Executive Summary
• Business description and organization
• Management team
• Business risk and insurance
• Company objectives and service area
• Products and services offered
• Marketing Plan
• Customers and Competition
• Strengths and weakness analysis
• Financial Plan
• Use of the plan for start up funding or expansion
• Income statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet
• Identifying costs of running the business
• Typical financial and personal attachments to the business plan

"Failure to plan is a plan to fail"

Sales and Marketing Workshop

A three hour workshop devoted to improving both your traditional and internet sales and marketing skills to help grow your business:

• Marketing
• Customers
• Competitors
• Advertising
• Sales
• The introductory sales statement
• How to deal with a customer who says "no"
• Sales and marketing plan
• Customer relationship management
• Web based sales and marketing
• Essentials of a website
• Cost to build and maintain a website
• Business technology needs to support sales, website and office needs

Internet Marketing Basics

A 1-1/2 hour, evening workshop geared towards those looking to start a web presence or leverage and existing on.

• Why Should you Market on the Internet?
• Basic Website Design (including free and low cost resources)
• Basic Search Engine Marketing (Getting people to your site)
• Basic Email Marketing (Do's and Don'ts)
• Social Networking Basics for promoting your business