bergen.score.org Counselors to America’s Small Business S erving Northeast, New Jersey 0

bergen.score.org SCORE - A Small Business Resource Providing Guidance and Support to America’s Small Businesses and Potential Entrepreneurs 1

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 2

bergen.score.org SCORE - Key Services Free, Confidential & Unlimited Counseling for New & Existing Small Businesses Low cost Workshops 3

bergen.score.org 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 4

bergen.score.org SCORE Helps Underserved Groups Of SCORE’s 2012 Clients, 5 53% were women 32% were minorities 13% were veterans

bergen.score.org 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 6 Boost Sales Deal With Personnel Issues Plan for Expansion Understand Finances Secure Financing Minimize Debt Improve Profitability And Much More …..

bergen.score.org For New Businesses Help Evaluate the Opportunity Help Prepare the Business & Marketing Plans Troubleshoot Launch Plans General Advice & Counsel 7

bergen.score.org Established Business Support Budgeting Resolving Problems Expanding or Downsizing Sales & Marketing Personnel Issues Valuing the Business for Sale 8

bergen.score.org Advisory Board We can serve as an advisory board for businesses that require long-term strategic, operational or turn-around counseling. – One or two SCORE counselors will serve as principal advisors – If the company needs specialized assistance, other counselors will be brought in – Meetings can be regularly scheduled or arranged on an as- needed basis 9

bergen.score.org 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 10

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 11

bergen.score.org Scope National Network of 340 Chapters 11,000 Volunteer Counselors Over 380,000 Clients Last Year Providing 1.2 Million Volunteer Hours 12

bergen.score.org 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

bergen.score.org 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 14 Treasury for Every Dollar Appropriated to SCORE $188 $85 $59

bergen.score.org About SCOREBergen Located in Hackensack, NJ Started 8/31/ 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 15

bergen.score.org 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 16

bergen.score.org 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 Marketing Critical Selling Skills For Small Businesses 17

bergen.score.org SCORE Websites National Website - score.orgNational Website - score.org –Award Winning Web Site With a Wealth of Information, Research and On-line Workshops –On-line Counseling. This Offers Clients the Online Option of Presenting Questions and/or Problems to Counselors Online SCOREBergen Website - bergen.score.orgSCOREBergen Website - bergen.score.org –Schedule Face to Face Counseling Sessions –Sign Up for Workshops on Small Business Issues 18

bergen.score.org 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

bergen.score.org 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 20

bergen.score.org Summary Contact Us: Let’s Discuss How SCORE Can Help You 21