bergen.score.org

Counselors to America’s Small BusinessServing Northeast, New Jersey

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bergen.score.org

SCORE - A Small Business Resource

Providing Guidance and Support to America’s Small Businesses and Potential Entrepreneurs

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bergen.score.org

Goals

• Prepare Clients For Success As They Start a New Business

• Help Clients Expand an Existing Business• Help Clients Solve Business Problems

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SCORE - Key Services

• Free, Confidential & Unlimited Counseling for New & Existing Small Businesses

• Low cost Workshops

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Who Are Our Clients?

• They come from every sector of the business community

• Professional, Retailers, Manufacturers, Educators, Tradesmen

• They have existing businesses• They want to start new businesses

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SCORE Helps Underserved Groups

Of SCORE’s 2012 Clients,

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53% were women

32% were minorities

13% were veterans

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We Help Our Clients To:

• Create Business Plans• Set up a Business• Buy or Sell a Business• Get Into a Franchise• Resolve Partnership

Problems• Market More Effectively• Build Client/Customer

Base

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• Boost Sales• Deal With Personnel

Issues• Plan for Expansion• Understand Finances• Secure Financing• Minimize Debt• Improve Profitability• And Much More …..

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For New Businesses

• Help Evaluate the Opportunity• Help Prepare the Business & Marketing Plans• Troubleshoot Launch Plans• General Advice & Counsel

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Established Business Support

• Budgeting• Resolving Problems• Expanding or Downsizing• Sales & Marketing• Personnel Issues• Valuing the Business for Sale

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Advisory Board

We can serve as an We can serve as an advisoryadvisory board board for businesses that for businesses that require long-term strategic, operational or turn-around require long-term strategic, operational or turn-around counseling. counseling.

– One or two SCORE counselors will serve as principal advisorsOne or two SCORE counselors will serve as principal advisors– If the company needs specialized assistance, other counselors If the company needs specialized assistance, other counselors will be brought inwill be brought in– Meetings can be regularly scheduled or arranged on an as-Meetings can be regularly scheduled or arranged on an as-needed basisneeded basis

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How We Counsel

1. Establish Rapport - Listen to Our Clients

2. Conduct a Needs Assessment

3. Identify the Business Goal, Challenge or Opportunity

4. Advise on Preparing and Implementing a Realistic, Fact-Based, Achievable Business Plan

5. Obtain Feedback and Set a Roadmap for Measuring Success and Further Mentoring

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bergen.score.org

SCORE Counselors to America’s Small Business

• National Non-Profit (501-c-3)• Resource partner of the SBA• Started in 1964 (49 years)• Mission statement: Provide FREE and

Confidential Business Counseling Services and Training to America’s Small Business Owners

• We focus on the American Dream of Small Business Ownership

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Scope

• National Network of 340 Chapters• 11,000 Volunteer Counselors • Over 380,000 Clients Last Year• Providing 1.2 Million Volunteer Hours

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Impact

We Have a Proven Track Record of Helping to Create:– 37,054 new businesses started in 2012– 82,206 jobs created in 2012

Our National Goal is to Help Create 1 Million New Small Businesses, One Business at a Time by 2017

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The Dollars

SCORE’s Cost to Help Create One Business

SCORE’s Cost to Help Create One Job

Amount SCORE Clients Return to the Federal

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Treasury for Every Dollar Appropriated to SCORE

$188

$85

$59

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About SCOREBergen

• Located in Hackensack, NJ• Started 8/31/1965• 41 Volunteer Counselors• 1,100 clients in 2012• Volunteers are:

– Corporate Leaders Who Have Achieved Top-level Positions in Major Firms

– Active, Semi-retired, and Retired Executives

– Entrepreneurs and Owners of Small to Mid-Size Businesses With a Broad Array of Skills

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Counselors Experience

• Marketing & Sales • Construction • Legal and Insurance

Issues • IT• Finance & Accounting• Wholesale/Retail

Operations• Technical Services

• Education • Government Contracting• Manufacturing/

Engineering/ Production• Human Resources• Import/Export • Business Management

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Low-Cost Workshops on a Variety of Subjects

• How to Really Start Your Own Business• How to Prepare a Business Plan• Marketing for a Small Company• How to Use Your Website as a Business Tool• Cloud Computing• Quickbooks• Franchise Opportunities for New Entrepreneurs• How to Buy or Sell a Business• How To Make Sense Of Your Financial Information• E-mail Marketing• Critical Selling Skills For Small Businesses

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SCORE Websites

• National Website - National Website - score.orgscore.org– Award Winning Web Site With a Wealth of Information, Award Winning Web Site With a Wealth of Information,

Research and On-line WorkshopsResearch and On-line Workshops– On-line Counseling. This Offers Clients the Online Option of On-line Counseling. This Offers Clients the Online Option of

Presenting Questions and/or Problems to Counselors OnlinePresenting Questions and/or Problems to Counselors Online

• SCOREBergen Website - SCOREBergen Website - bergen.score.orgbergen.score.org– Schedule Face to Face Counseling SessionsSchedule Face to Face Counseling Sessions– Sign Up for Workshops on Small Business IssuesSign Up for Workshops on Small Business Issues

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We Will Meet With You

Friday Mornings & Tuesday Evenings in Our Hackensack Office at One Bergen County Plaza

• By Appointment

• Request an Appointment Online at bergen.score.org

• Or, Call us at 201.336.6090

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Join Us

• Become a SCORE Volunteer and Make Dreams Come True– Share Your Success and Expertise Through

Mentoring– Enjoy the Satisfaction of Contributing to the Success

of Others

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Summary

Contact Us:

Let’s Discuss How SCORE Can Help You

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