Simple Steps for Starting Your Business TM

Is Starting a Business Right for You?

Attend this comprehensive workshop series to help you test your new business idea and get started on the right

path. Join us for five three-hour sessions that help you understand the basics of:

The concepts involved with assessing a business idea

Marketing your product or service,

Understanding business financials and how they work

How to fund and finance your business

Free, one-on-one mentoring is also a part of the series process. Sign up now for these workshops:

Session 1: Start-up Basics (Free) This introductory workshop focuses on the basics of testing your business idea and identifying the key factors

that influence start-up success. Start-up Basics provides you with an overview of the skills and tools you need

when deciding to start a business. In this session, you learn about: the advantages and disadvantages of owning

a business, the most profitable form for your business, and the fundamentals of formation, organization,

marketing, cash flow and funding sources.

Session 2: Business Concept The second workshop focuses on your business concept and step-by-step guidance in researching your idea,

your market, and your competition. At the end of the Business Concept workshop, you are able to: identify your

target markets, describe your products and services, and collect key competitive information to support your

feasibility plan.

Session 3: Marketing Plan The third workshop provides you with an introduction to marketing communication methods and tools to

maximize your customer reach. The discussion in the Marketing Plan workshop covers pricing strategies,

positioning, the difference between features and benefits, and different marketing strategies. At the end of this

session, you will know how to: outline your marketing strategy, test your marketing message, choose the right

sales channel, and exercise your marketing strategy.

Session 4: Financial Projections The fourth workshop uses exercises to help you better understand financial concepts. This session reviews sales

and prices, financial risks and rewards, true start-up costs, ongoing operating expenses, setting benchmarks for

tracking progress and the organization of all your financial information. Using a hands-on approach, you learn

how to use our financial model to forecast sales revenue and build solid pro-forma financial forecasts.

Session 5: Funding Sources The final workshop offers information on how to finance your small business. In this session, discussions include

sources of funds, accounting the six C's of credit, banking relations, ratio analysis, and monthly preparation and

review of financial statements. A bank loan officer will give an inside view of how a banker assesses the merits of

business plans and loan application. At the end of the series, you have all of the tools necessary to decide

whether or not to launch your small business.

Simple Steps for Starting Your Business TM

The Simple Steps for Starting Your Business Workshop Series offers many features and benefits that make it an ideal way for aspiring entrepreneurs to make a smart start by working with experts to test the feasibility of their ideas and to make a go/ no-go decision on starting a business.

FEATURE:

Interconnected Series of Workshops Systematic Structured Feasible business planning

BENEFIT:

Increase Your Chances of Success Startups test feasibility for the business concept by defining the business idea, testing it against the market and identifying sources of capital, profit and goals, increasing their odds of success.

FEATURE:

Interactive, Participative Sessions Learn Practice Apply

BENEFIT:

Makes the Most of Your Time You get interactive sessions that help you make key decisions for a new business startup. In-class exercises and interaction with peers makes the most of your session time, so you learn and plan quickly and effectively.

FEATURE:

Blended Learning Process Exercises One-on-one counseling Tools and templates

BENEFIT:

Mentoring Helps You Plan for Success Exercises and personalized business advice help you learn the “how” of planning a business startup. This aids you in thinking through opportunities and identifying the business path that’s right for you.

FEATURE:

Facilitated format Guided discussion Tailored to group needs Informal and conversational

BENEFIT:

You Can Assess the Financial Feasibility of a Startup

An Excel template helps you think through financing needs and how to get to profitability. You arrive at a decision to start a business, based on its profit potential.

Simple Steps for Starting Your Business TM

Locations The first workshop will be held from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Burlington County Library, 5

Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton, NJ 08060

o Download Driving Instructions

The remaining four workshops will be held from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the High Technology Business Incubator, Burlington County College, 100 Technology Way, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054.

o Download Driving Instructions

Workshop Schedule

Thursday, October 2, 2014 Session 1: Start-Up Basics

Thursday, October 9, 2014 Session 2: Business Concept

Thursday, October 16, 2014 Session 3: Marketing Plan

Thursday, October 23, 2014 Session 4: Financial Projections

Wednesday, October 30, 2014 Session 5: Funding Sources and Next Steps

Cost

One-on-one Mentoring - FREE

First Workshop Session - FREE

Remaining Four Workshops - $125 for primary registrant, $50 each for up to two

associates.

Refund Policy

SCORE will provide refunds if cancellations are made within 48 hours prior to the event.

If cancellations are made less than 48 hours in advance, a registrant may attend the next

scheduled session for no additional charge by pre-registering with the SCORE office. Events are

subject to cancellation. Fees are fully refunded if SCORE cancels an event. To request a refund,

contact your local SCORE office during business hours.

Register for the first free workshop session

Register for the remaining 4 workshops

Request a meeting with a SCORE mentor

Information about Southern New Jersey SCORE