Funding for your business – Think about Family – News Report recorded at SCORE Chicago

We have had a number of news stories produced at SCORE Chicago in the month of November.  This one recorded at our Going Into Business workshop focused on two entrepreneurs who are looking toward family money to help fund their business.

SCORE Chicago has many workshops to help small business.  Click here for more information.

Marketing and Selling Workshop Helped with Starting New Business

Comments from  two attendees of a SCORE Chicago “Marketing and Selling Workshop”  Information about this workshop is at: http://bit.ly/MarketingSelling

Alan,

Last week’s marketing class at SCORE was a great primer for folks like
me looking to launch a new business!

The spirited end-of-class discussion with Lauren put all the pieces
together, helping a classmate put together an action plan to
understand the needs of her targeted high-end salon customers and
employees.

Thanks again!

Paul Stark
B2B Marketing Consultant

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I attended the SCORE “Marketing and Selling” workshop on Friday and enjoyed the presentation and met some very interesting people. I signed up for the entire core series and will be attending the Finance workshops next week. My goal is to complete the entire series of six this month and obtain my SCORE small business certification…….

My head is spinning for I have so much to do, yet I am an excellent planner and plan executor, so all will be well. I also have the assistance of you (sic SCORE Counselor) and SCORE.

Rosalyn Carlton

2 Special SCORE Chicago Workshops in September that can help your business

In September, SCORE Chicago is offering two special programs that can help your business.

On September 14^th, Sharon Aby will be presenting STEPPING UP TO 21^ST CENTURY SELLING:  Creating a Virtual Cycle of Innovation, Markets and Customers for Life.” Revenues are down and profits are sinking,” is becoming a familiar lament coming from many businesses today. Faced with greater competition and a tighter economy, companies are spending more money on sales and marketing with no return on their investment. Chances are they are doing the same things that they’ve always done expecting to have different results. If this sounds familiar, this workshop is for you. The workshop explains the dynamics of the 21st century marketplace and will teach you how to sell and market your company differently in order to be successful today.  To register for the workshop, http://bit.ly/21CenturySelling

Sharon was a guest on our CANTV 21 Hotline Show.  This week her video  “What Behaviors make a Good Sales Person” is most popular video on our channel.  You can see this video below.

On  September 30^th, Becky Davis and Patrick  Elward will be presenting DESIGNING YOUR WEBSITE:  Things Every Business Owner Needs to Know. This website design workshop is geared toward business owners who are either getting started with their first website or have an existing website that they would like to improve.  During this workshop, we will walk participants through the standard graphic design process for a website and show them how to make design decisions themselves or find and work with a graphic design professional to take their website to the next level of quality and customer satisfaction.   To Register for this program,  http://bit.ly/DesignWebsite

How to get your emails opened

Ask Score is a new feature that we are doing in conjuction with Crain’s Chicago Business.  See first blog posting below. ——————————————————————————————————- Ask SCORE: How to get your e-mails opened Posted by Ann D. at 7/22/2009 10:01 AM CDT

We’ve invited SCORE Chicago, the small business counseling and advocacy group, to answer Enterprise City readers’ questions on all aspects of running a small business. Starting this week and continuing every Wednesday, we’ll publish SCORE Chicago’s advice on issues that matter to you.

If you have a question or problem that you’d like to run past SCORE Chicago’s counseling team, send an e-mail to adwyer@crain.com.  Be sure put “Ask SCORE” in the subject line.  We’ll aim to answer readers’ questions every Wednesday.

Since this is our first whack at the “Ask SCORE” feature, allow us to prime the pump with a question that’s of interest to many business owners trying to use e-mail as a marketing tool: “How do I get people to open my e-mails?”

It so happens that SCORE Chicago recently interviewed Steve Robinson of Constant Contact on this very subject. Here’s what they learned:

==========

We frequently get questions about how to market more effectively at lower cost. Increasingly, e-mail has become the medium of choice for small business. One of the questions that was recently asked during one of our workshops was, “How do I get my emails opened more often?“

We posed this question to Steve Robinson of Constant Contact in an interview on our TV show on CANTV 21. 

Steve’s advice: Focus on the subject line.

For example, if you were sending out a newsletter for a travel business, rather than titling that e-mail “March Newsletter,“ you should put a benefit in that title line. A sample benefit could be, “Three Great Spring Vacations.“

As a small business, you should have a regular schedule for your e-mail marketing. Each time you send out an e-mail, try a different subject line. With an e-mail tool, you can see how many people open different e-mails. The open rate can help you understand which subject lines are more effective.

The beauty of e-mail marketing is that you learn with each e-mail sent.

Take a look at this 47-second video clip on SCORE Chicago’s YouTube channel to learn more.

Have a Question for Our Experts?

July Video Programming

Our video programming  starts with a live call in TV show on CANTV.  In addition to live questions, we use selected questions that have been given to us before the show.

July 7th. Brian Fons from Corporate Creations will be discussing legal aspects of using names, pictures, and content in your business. We are going to explore in some detail the trade offs when it comes to business risk in trademarks, copyright etc.

Below is a one of our videos with Brian from the Winter Season

July 14th Jacob Cynamon will be talking about opportunities to improve your website. We are going to look in detail at blogs, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook.  What area they?  What does it take to get started?  How can a small business use them effectively?  What is an integrated content strategy?

Below is one of our videos with Jacob from the Winter Season.

July 21st. Bernadette Shanahan-Hass, President/CEO of the Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce will be discussing the role of the chamber in the community.  How does the chamber help business development?  How can businesses take advantage of their chamber?

Below is an interview with Bernadette from an Economic Roundtable in April.

If you would like to submit a question, please post it in the comments section of this posting.

Highlights from Twitter

I was looking over the Twitter postings that have been done at our scorechicago Twitter site over the last couple of months. Here are a some highlights.

Great Video. How to get you emails opened by pro from Constant Contact http://tinyurl.com/cysgws1:07 PM Apr 16th from web

@gaeblerdotcom For small business, a web site is like a yellow pages listing. To start, the company name should route to the domain9:13 AM Apr 25th from web in reply to gaeblerdotcom

Here’s a thought. It used to be a small business needed a brochure. Now with all of the new media, a business needs a content strategy7:49 PM May 5th from web

@StartupPro When it comes to VC funding. Timing is very important. Need to show you have something, and money will rocket you to success7:04 AM May 7th from web in reply to StartupPro

@jeffdurso Most of the time you learn more from “NO” than you learn from “They loved it” Especially if you probe the “NO”8:35 AM May 8th from web in reply to jeffdurso

Have you checked out SBTV. An great source of small business information. www.sbtv.com10:42 AM May 11th from web

Ever thought about thanking the president for using your product? The National Restaurant Assoc. did: http://tinyurl.com/okssj93:16 PM May 11th from web

@blfarris True, but maybe we, as a community, need to do a better job of explaining how all of Web 2.0 works together.9:54 AM May 12th from web in reply to blfarris

@MarketingYP there is personal social media and business social media. When representing a business, users should behave appropriately.2:00 PM May 14th from web in reply to MarketingYP

SBA rolls out new program. 100% guarantee on up to $35,000. Check out video excerpt on YouTube. http://tinyurl.com/pgljuy7:11 AM May 15th from web

@smallbiztrends Telling a story is good, but think about crafting your content as a series of interactive episodes11:58 AM May 15th from web in reply to smallbiztrends

@SurePayroll There is a role for a VC. Not at start up, but when it is time to take to scale. VC folks can supply $$, knowledge & contacts4:44 PM May 15th from web in reply to SurePayroll

@StartupPro Check out our short video on Legal Help when starting a business. http://tinyurl.com/quomu49:56 AM May 16th from web in reply to StartupPro

Need to remember, when it comes to Web 2.0, it’s not what we do (lots of tips on that) but it’s the content.. and how we manage the dialogue9:24 AM May 18th from web

It used to be that we lacked the software tools to get our work done. Now we work to fullly utilize the software tools that are available6:55 PM May 18th from web

@ChiOfficeLinks Often start up people are encouraged to write a business plan. For many, the best thing to do is to “plan their business”.2:41 PM May 19th from web in reply to ChiOfficeLinks

Ever wonder what a Chamber of Commerce does. Check out this series of interviews on our YouTube site. http://tinyurl.com/q3ptwl2:51 PM May 19th from web

@RoseWollfBiz Is it winning or losing… or how you play the game??12:12 PM May 20th from web in reply to RoseWollfBiz

@ChrisKnight Long Tail original content is good. But content strategy needs to be continual and reusable across various media4:30 PM May 21st from web in reply to ChrisKnight

We have embedded YouTube segments on our website. Check out this page on Business Plans. http://tinyurl.com/ofh5rw6:12 AM May 23rd from web

@ChicagoDesign Re: Ebay. The challenge of growth is to keep your eye on where you are going, not where you are. Easier said than done2:50 PM May 23rd from web in reply to ChicagoDesign

@danschawbel Social Media vs website. The key is developing a content strategy that makes leverages both and adds to it email marketing4:57 PM May 25th from web in reply to danschawbel

@danschawbel The original golden rule of “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” holds true in social media2:12 PM May 26th from web in reply to danschawbel

@SCOREMentors A short video from a director at the SBA about how to take advantage of the stimulus plan. http://tinyurl.com/dko5aj7:47 AM May 27th from web

@keaadvertising The challenge today is being available when the buyer is ready to buy. Making your content available when the wallet opens8:23 PM Jun 1st from web in reply to keaadvertising

@ChrisKnight Re: landing page review. Good point. PPC can be ineffective if the buyer does not know what to do when he gets there8:01 AM Jun 4th from web in reply to ChrisKnight

@SCOREMentors A short video on working with your community in today’s economic situation. http://bit.ly/DrJtN4:18 PM Jun 4th from web in reply to SCOREMentors

@danschawbel Twitter is what people make of it. Better 10% of the people engaged, then a mad dash for numbers2:11 PM Jun 5th from web in reply to danschawbel

@danschawbel With People, you need to ask the same question as we do w/SMB. What is the problem, how do you solve it, value of solving it?7:02 AM Jun 8th from web in reply to danschawbel

@SocialNetworkTV To hit your social media goals you need to think about a content strategy, that is ultimately tied to your business goals7:36 AM Jun 8th from web in reply to SocialNetworkTV

@weedygiraffe A view of what’s needed in a business plan from the perspective a banker from Harris Bank http://tinyurl.com/r7wudn12:08 PM Jun 8th from web in reply to weedygiraffe

@SocialNetworkTV Re:corporate Twitter. Think about your conversation, as an #e-conversation. Content must have value either in person or “e”9:27 AM Jun 9th from web in reply to SocialNetworkTV

Time Mag 5/25: Failure is not so much a physical state as a state of mind; success is falling down-and getting up one more time -without end about 22 hours ago from web

@thescottbishop Twitter corporate strategy . Be genuine, people are with you. If not, people see through it. No place to hide on Twitter about 17 hours ago from web

Lethell “Mr Lee” Morris, Remembered

SCORE Chicago pays tribute to the memory of Lethell “Mr. Lee” Morris, who passed away on April 12, 2009.  Lee counseled at the  Chicago State branch for over 15 years.

South vice chair Jack Donohue remembers:  “I counseled with Lee for three years.  At the time he was the only African American counselor in the Chicago District.  His experience on the corporate side, his having owned and operated a retail businesses in the community, and his skills relating to clients — all this was a perfect combination for SCORE.”

Isabelle Conda, director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Chicago State says:  “We were privileged to have Lee Morris at our Center — first, because he was the only African-American SCORE counselor we knew and second, because as the quintessential entrepreneur, he made a difference in the community.”

Ex chair Don Crossett recalls: “Lee was a leader and the first unofficial Chapter Vice Chair of the Southside. Without being asked, he took it upon himself to encourage otherwise detached south area branches to work together on behalf of the Chapter and its clients. For the first time in my SCORE experience, he brought together counselors from each branch to discuss and resolve common issues and help each other where needed.  He strongly believed in the mission of SCORE and ‘walked the walk’.”

SCORE Chicago and Chicago’s small business community will miss him.

SCORE Women’s Success Blog Wins National Honor

SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” won the prestigious 2009 Interactive Media Award (IMA) for Outstanding Achievement for the SCORE Women’s Success Blog. SCORE received high marks for design, content, functionality and usability. The blog excelled in all areas of the judging criteria and represents a high standard of planning, execution and overall professionalism.

This popular blog is ranked in the top one percent of blogs worldwide, according to Technorati. The SCORE Women’s Success Blog features: Julie Brander, chapter chair with New Haven SCORE; Peg Corwin, marketing chair with Chicago SCORE; Peggy Duncan, volunteer and productivity expert with Atlanta SCORE; Betty Otte, district director and franchise expert with Orange County SCORE in Calif.; and Christine Banning, vice president of marketing and communications with the SCORE Association in Washington, D.C.

Blog posts cover a range of topics from business planning and marketing to access to cash. Recent posts on social media, high tech tools and spring contests for entrepreneurs bring new and current info to entrepreneurs. Bloggers share advice and wisdom on business success and how mentoring can help entrepreneurs build on their strengths.

Last year, SCORE launched the SCORE Women’s Success Blog by women for women as a resource to offer insights, advice and fresh takes on issues facing women entrepreneurs across America. This is the first blog from SCORE at the national level.

Since 1964, SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” has helped more than 8.3 million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners through counseling and business workshops. More than 11,200 volunteer business counselors in 370 chapters serve their communities through entrepreneur education dedicated to the formation, growth and success of small businesses.

Visit SCORE Chicago if you’re in the area, or the national SCORE website if not, to learn how SCORE can help you.  And please follow SCORE Chicago on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/scorechicago.

Latest Talking Points for the SBA Recovery Act

At a meeting for counselors of SCORE Chicago, the SBA’s District Information Officer, Mark Ferguson, passed out a handout he had just received entitled “Recovery Act Overview.” The reverse side of the document is about “Understanding the SBA Programs in the Recovery Act.”

Here’s the link to the SBA’s Recovery Act Overview.

The consensus was that small business owners should look for loans at community banks and through the SBA’s Microloan program, at ACCION Chicago (and online ACCION nationally).  Regulations to implement some of these programs, including the micro lending program, are still being written.

SCORE counselors can counsel you in person in Chicago or counsel by email to help you obtain a loan for your business.

- Peg Corwin

Elywn Winston, Remembered

Elwyn Winston

Elywn Winston, a SCORE counselor for 20 years, passed away last month.  Elwyn was an active counselor at SCORE’s free counseling locations at Governors State University and Prairie State University.

One of his clients, Shelia Edwards, sent us this email:

“…my SCORE Counselor was Elwyn Winston. He counseled me out of the Matteson, Illinois location. I just wanted to take the time to express my gratitude for his expertise and genuine appreciation for my business idea. Mr. Winston really went beyond the call of duty on my behalf and I will be forever grateful to him for doing so. SCORE is such a valuable asset to those looking to start a new business or expand an existing one.”

South vice chair Jack Donohue speaks for all of the volunteers and staff at SCORE Chicago when he says:

“Elwyn was instrumental in establishing the SCORE counseling site at Governors State. He recruited the counselors, was always there for SCORE…and did it with a smile…while playing piano and writing songs on the side. He will be missed.”