SCORE Chicago WorkshopsOn the chapter’s annual meeting on September 18, chair Larry Lakin announced the following awards for outstanding counselors in the past fiscal year:
Outstanding Contribution Award – Bill Broderick “For his leadership in expanding territories and opening new branches, for recruiting and training new counselors, for developing community outreach programs, and for counseling excellence.”
What are the most common mistakes in a business plan? I rounded up counselors from SCORE Chicago and took an informal survey. Here are mistakes that they see again and again …
1. Length. “Writing way too much. No one will every read a 70 page document,” says Mitch Morris. “Narrative sections are always much too long and not appropriately focused,” comments Marge Schneider. “Too long (and repetitive)” emails Al Grossman.
What won’t a SCORE counselor do for a client? Sometimes an entrepreneur who comes to SCORE Chicago hits the jackpot. Take Twanda Mobley, who has patented and wanted to market an outside garbage can receptacle. She never expected her counselor Al Grossman would get so involved with her business launch.
Al Grossman, Charles S. Cordovano,, Twanda Mobley and Ron Kirshbaum
Hosted Focus Group
Mobley never imagined that Grossman would host her focus group. While Mobley paid for the focus group to be conducted, and for participants to attend, Grossman both sat in and coordinated the venue, using the SCORE office, running the video camera to record the event and offering coffee.
Big Box Rep Connection
And what was the likelihood that Mobley’s counselor would get her a meeting with a rep to explain how she could approach “big box” retailers? Grossman did just that. He invited Charles S. Cordovano, President, National Distribution Sytems of West Columbia, SC to meet Mobley. Cordovano sells to Lowes and other major retailers. The meeting lasted two hours, and Mobley got invaluable advice on how volume selling to large stores works, how they view new products and how to pitch such retailers.
So when you see Mobleys Garden Gate Garbage Can for sale at a “big box” store, you’ll know that she has a secret weapon in a SCORE counselor.
Get your own secret weapon to help your business succeed. Set up an appointment with a SCORE counselor today.
