SCORE Mentors

WHAT A NIGHT is right!

What an amazing event in celebration of our 60th Anniversary!

Who will be next to ? 😎

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SCORE North Texas District Director Bob Siffermann was a guest on The Jeff Crilley Show to talk about how SCORE helps small business owners. Bob pointed out that SCORE mentors prioritize keeping an open mind when advising entrepreneurs.

Watch the show here: https://youtu.be/MxushUz3uA4?si=wAugg-rjvfp7D0A9

Since 1964, 17 million entrepreneurs have achieved their dreams with help from SCORE.

Join us as we officially launch our 60th anniversary celebration, and discover how we've evolved to meet the unique and changing needs of America's small business owners, in today's press release: https://bit.ly/4efLVbJ

SCORE Celebrates 60 Years of Serving America’s Small Businesses Visit SCORE.org SCORE Celebrates 60 Years of Serving America’s Small Businesses 17 million entrepreneurs achieve their dreams with help from SCORE. WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2024 – SCORE is proud...

After nearly 30 years in the travel industry, the pandemic prompted a significant career shift for Michele Delgado. Transitioning from corporate life, she launched Hartmetrics, a business consultancy focusing on leadership development, career growth and talent optimization.

With guidance from SCORE, Michele refined her business strategy, identified cost-effective marketing opportunities and expanded her reach through speaking engagements. The mentorship provided fresh perspectives and actionable advice, proving invaluable in navigating her new journey.

📷: SCORE client Michele Delgado, founder of Hartmetrics

Women are leaving the workplace and starting businesses at an exponential rate due to life changes, out-of-date workplace policies and passion projects among other reasons.

While dozens of headlines discuss the alarming rate Hispanic women are leaving the workforce, SCORE sees this as a rising opportunity for startups. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3TDP8K3

Challenges that Hispanic Women Face When Starting Up, and How to Overcome Them Women, especially Hispanic women, face a certain set of challenges when it comes to opening a small business.

What motivates you to keep going when things get challenging in your business?

With SCORE, small businesses achieve big success.

Starting and growing a small business can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. SCORE is here to help. In fact, small businesses who receive three or more hours of mentoring report higher revenues and increased business growth.

Learn more about SCORE: https://www.score.org/about

Burgundar, a unique venue for live-action role-play (LARP) enthusiasts, was founded on principles of inclusiveness, respect and empowerment. It has become a central hub for the LARP community, fostering a strong bond that has led to incredible growth.

However, it’s the support from SCORE mentors that has truly set them apart. With help from SCORE, Burgundar’s Board of Directors secured a 10-year property lease, enhanced safety measures and evolved into a cohesive, effective team. These achievements culminated in Burgundar receiving the Successful Innovative Business award at SCORE Maine’s 2024 Success Awards.

📸: SCORE client, Douglas Andrews, Founding Board Member of Burgundar

Interested in small business grants, loans and other funding options for Latino and Hispanic entrepreneurs?

Today's article, sponsored by Global Atlantic Financial Group, is for you!

11 Funding Resources for Hispanic and Latino Small Business Owners Interested in small business grants, loans and other funding options for Latino and Hispanic Entrepreneurs? See this list.

What's on your TBR (to be read) list? 🤓📚

Friends don't let friends have 13 years of bad business! Tag your business bestie to tell them they can match with an expert mentor for 👻FREE👻.

We recognize that there are times your firm needs assistance. So USBC partners with SCORE to get answers to your questions quickly. Research tells us that small business owners who receive three or more hours of mentoring report higher revenues and increased growth. SCORE mentoring is a free service offered to businesses served by USBC. SCORE mentors meet with you one-on-one to support your success by providing experienced advice, consulting on best practices, and educating you on small business topics.

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SCORE Charleston chapter chair Roy Anderson joined the host of the South Carolina Business Review for a radio interview about SCORE and our upcoming 60th anniversary. Roy discussed SCORE's evolution over these 60 years-- from a network of retired executives to an organization that has grown to include many mentors who are still in business today.

SCORE celebrates 60 years helping entrepreneurs A national, all-volunteer small business assistance organization is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. They stay busy in our state with free mentoring services and workshops and today we have one of their volunteers on the phone. Mike Switzer interviews Roy Anderson, chair of the Charleston...

Emmi’s Closet is a shining example of turning passion into profit. What began as a hobby for sustainable fashion evolved into a thriving online boutique. However, the journey wasn’t without its challenges. When the pandemic hit, Michelle Nguyen had to pivot quickly, transforming her closet cleanout into a full-fledged business. Yet, a year in, growth stalled, and she realized she needed help. That’s when she turned to SCORE.

Matched with a local mentor, Michelle received guidance on everything from business planning to SEO and financial management. Her mentors encouraged her to think strategically, take calculated risks and believe in her vision. With their support, Michelle doubled her revenue, launched a successful website, won a $10K grant and completed an entrepreneurship program.

“I’ve become a completely different entrepreneur,” Michelle says. “My SCORE mentors gave me the confidence and the tools I needed to succeed.”

📸: SCORE client Michelle Nguyen, founder of Emmi’s Closet

More than 2.9 million Americans are employed by Hispanic-owned businesses, according to the SBA. As Hispanic Heritage Month quickly approaches, SCORE encourages Hispanic entrepreneurs to work with a mentor to grow their small business.

Learn more in today's press release.

SCORE Supports Hispanic Entrepreneurs With Free Mentoring Services /PRNewswire/ -- More than 2.9 million Americans are employed by Hispanic-owned businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). SCORE, a...

🗓️ Register Now Before It’s Too Late! Free Workshop.
It’s a tale as old as time: How can businesses scale and grow successfully while protecting their revenue and brand from fraud? Businesses can leverage technology and third-party partners to implement smart payment solutions, but what indicators should they look for before fraud and chargebacks become a problem? No business wants to lose hard-earned revenue to fraudsters, and our webinar aims to help merchants learn how to protect their businesses.

Our payment, fraud and dispute experts from Authorize.net and Verifi will be sharing how businesses can improve their payment experience, expand payment methods, protect their business against fraud and minimize post-purchase risk.

Protecting and Growing Your Small to Medium-Sized Business
Date & Time: July 30, 2024, 1:00pm EDT
Cost: $0.00
Duration: 60 minutes
Language: English
Register now ↓https://bit.ly/3XBPALz

Protecting and Growing Your Small to Medium-Sized Business How businesses can improve their payment experience, expand payment methods, protect their business against fraud and minimize post-purchase risk.

Give younger you some advice on being a small business owner in the comments down below!

🎉 Ready to showcase your business idea? Apply to compete in BizPitch Savannah™ 2024! Don't miss out!

Today’ we feature Becca Goosen of Goodfortune Market, SCORE Savannah’s BizPitch winner of 2023. A lifelong hospitality worker, her BizPitch winning venture is Goodfortune Market on Waters Avenue just down the street from her home. Becca’s core philosophy and mission statement are simple: “Make access to fresher foods easy. Goodfortune Market is a food store where quality meets convenience.” Becca also serves on the board for the Savannah Chatham Food Policy Council. She says “Serving my community gives me an incredible amount of joy and satisfaction. I have a range of experience from a team leader in small cafes, all the way to inventory and product purchasing control for multifaceted hotel and hospitality groups.” This determined small business owner believes that it takes “an equal amount of blind, dumb faith and gritty, reckless, determination, sprinkled with a little, ‘no matter what happens, I’ll keep going!’ attitude.” She states, “I think the thing I’ve learned about myself as an entrepreneur, is that my patience can be my greatest asset.” In fact, her ability to create the vision so that others can see and understand it, helped her to win the 2023 BizPitch award. Congratulations Becca. Goodfortune Market | 2413 Waters Ave. Savannah GA | 7:00am - 7:00 pm Daily

“When you’re farming, which is a 24-7 job, there’s a lot to keep track of, and we needed someone to help us with the numbers," says Jim Mansfield, owner of Four Hills Farm.

Jim began his farming business by raising sheep and selling lamb in two stores. When he and his employees faced challenges with business growth, he turned to SCORE for assistance. They consistently met with their SCORE mentor to tackle their most pressing business challenges. Their SCORE mentor emphasized the importance of detailed record-keeping and focusing on profitability. Today, they sell lamb in 14 stores and continue to expand.

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? SCORE offers a wealth of valuable resources to help you succeed, and our experienced mentors are here to guide you every step of the way. ➡ https://score.org/savannah

📷: SCORE client Jim Mansfield, owner of Four Hills Farm

Meet Garrett Stigall of Pool Protection Technologies, BizPitch Savannah 2023 winner.
Pool Protection Technologies focuses on innovation, and bringing peace to every pool owner's mind by offering a sustainable, chemical-free approach to swimming pool maintenance and utilizing ultrasonic technology to eliminate and prevent algae growth at the cellular level. Dedicated to providing innovative, cost-effective solutions, Garrett Stigall says the company’s ultrasonic technology saves customers up to 70% in chlorine costs while helping maintain proper pH balance and keep pool water clear.
POOL PROTECTION TECHNOLOGIES
Cleantech Campus at SeaPoint | 100 SeaPoint Blvd. | Savannah, Ga., | (912) 940-9010 | poolprotectiontechnologies.com

SCORE BizPitch Savannah 2024 Entrepreneurial Competition Application deadline extended to 12:01 am, Thursday August 15, 2024

SCORE BizPitch Savannah 2024 Entrepreneurial Competition This Shark Tank-style entrepreneurial competition offers 8 local entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges that includes experienced entrepreneurs, industry experts, and investors. All participants must deliver convincing pitches showcasing the strength of thei...

Do you have a great business idea?
Meet Maria Vaughan and Michael Wedum of COR Compost, SCORE’s 2018 “BizPitch Savannah” Entrepreneurial Competition winners. Michael and Maria made a decision to find new approaches for problems created by current agricultural practices and discovered composting is a solution to many of these problems and a target of creating a closed loop community was born. They are working hard to make this idea a sustainable reality. Phone: (912) 660-4729 www.corcompost.com

Hurry, Savannah entrepreneurs! The application deadline for SCORE’s 60th Anniversary Pitch Competition is July 31.

Pitch your business to a panel of industry experts for a chance to win up to $20,000 in funding and receive invaluable mentorship and exposure along the way. Take advantage of this opportunity to showcase your innovation and secure the support you need to succeed!

Don’t delay—apply today at https://bit.ly/4c0c9NC

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Meet Lizz Smoak new Coordinator for BizPitch Savannah 2024!
This incredible event, brought to you by SCORE Mentors of Savannah, is dedicated to empowering start-ups, entrepreneurs and small business owners to bring their innovative ideas to life.
Pitch your Start-Up in Savannah, Ga! If you have a business or are thinking of starting one, SCORE is a phenomenal organization that provides free, confidential mentoring and educational workshops to help individuals start, grow, and succeed in their businesses.
Lizz first came in contact with SCORE when she was 20 and had the bold idea to convert an old UPS truck into a mobile school store to serve underprivileged neighborhoods. It was a daunting task, and she didn't know where to start. That's when she turned to SCORE for free business advice, strategy, and planning.
Now, as the Coordinator for BizPitch Savannah, she's excited to pay it forward and help aspiring entrepreneurs realize their dreams.
Applications are now open, 3 winners will be selected to receive $10,000 in cash and business services and products. https://www.score.org/savannah/local-programs/bizpitch-savannah
Apply today!

Have you entered the competition yet?
BizPitch Savannah 2024 Call for Applications!
This Shark Tank-style entrepreneurial competition offers eight local entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges that includes experienced entrepreneurs, industry experts, and investors. All participants must deliver convincing pitches showcasing the strength of their idea and business plan, and three of the eight contestants will win a prize package valued at $10,000 to launch their new business.
Call for Applications: https://bit.ly/3z5lg1D https://bit.ly/4c8MaUT
Application Registration: https://bit.ly/4c8MaUT

SCORE BizPitch Savannah 2024 Entrepreneurial Competition This Shark Tank-style entrepreneurial competition offers 8 local entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges that includes experienced entrepreneurs, industry experts, and investors. All participants must deliver convincing pitches showcasing the strength of thei...

🆓 Instant Access: On-Demand Webinar Available Now!
If you’re a small business owner, chances are you’ve heard about QuickBooks. That’s because QuickBooks is the most popular accounting software on the market.

In this webinar, our expert presenter will walk you through the basic features of QuickBooks and explain how to use it to streamline your financial management. Whether you're new to QuickBooks or looking to enhance your existing skills, this webinar provided practical strategies to manage your business finances with QuickBooks effectively.

A Basic QuickBooks Guide for Small Business Owners
Cost: $0.00
Duration: 60 minutes
Language: English
Register now ↓

A Basic QuickBooks Guide for Small Business Owners Learn how you can use QuickBooks to streamline your financial management, track cash flow, build reports and create invoices.

Story Time: Tell us one lesson you learned at your FIRST job that you still apply to your small business today.

BizPitch Savannah 2024 Call for Applications!
This Shark Tank-style entrepreneurial competition offers eight local entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges that includes experienced entrepreneurs, industry experts, and investors. All participants must deliver convincing pitches showcasing the strength of their idea and business plan, and three of the eight contestants will win a prize package valued at $10,000 to launch their new business.
Call for Applications: https://bit.ly/3z5lg1D https://bit.ly/4c8MaUT
Application Registration: https://bit.ly/4c8MaUT

SCORE BizPitch Savannah 2024 Entrepreneurial Competition This Shark Tank-style entrepreneurial competition offers 8 local entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges that includes experienced entrepreneurs, industry experts, and investors. All participants must deliver convincing pitches showcasing the strength of thei...

Angela Weadon never expected to become a musical therapist let alone become a business owner. But she discovered she loved working with kids with autism! Thanks to her SCORE mentor, Bill Bruner, she is now growing a successful career in musical therapy.
Angela's hands-on, interactive approach encourages clients to get involved in sessions through a blend of movement, listening, musical improvisation, and play. The company model is based on four learning tracks: music-based training; language development; adaptive lessons; and special recording sessions in her very own recording studio. All of which allows her students to prepare for career readiness.

Her students have a YouTube channel where they host Virtual recitals and parties () as well as two student- produced yearly concerts for the local community. She believes their “community jam sessions” empowers them and gives them a sense of belonging. The Fall session is called “Cranberry Jam” and the spring session is simply called “Spring Jam.”– All are invited to join in the music.
Thanks to Bill Bruner and her SCORE mentors, she says there are nights she can’t sleep because she is so excited about work the next day. She truly can’t say enough about how fabulous her mentor Bill Bruner is.
Music Therapy Services for Individuals with Autism | 308 Clairemont Ave. | Decatur, GA | (678) 664-4992

Jason Brower turned his entrepreneurial vision into a reality and founded OceanSide Software Corporation, a leader in comprehensive point-of-sale solutions for restaurants. Inspired by a chance conversation, he developed OceanSide POS®, which offers efficient order placement and payment processing tailored for quick-service and table-service restaurants.

In 2012, Jason announced the transition of OceanSide POS® into an open-source project, marking his commitment to supporting fellow entrepreneurs and enabling innovation in restaurant POS systems. That's when Jason turned to SCORE for guidance regarding equity and acquisitions. With insights from a SCORE counselor with IBM experience, Jason navigated new territories, including securing a spot in Capital One's ‘Getting Down to Business’ program that same year.

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? SCORE offers a wealth of resources and experienced mentors to guide you. ➡ https://score.org/savannah

📸: SCORE client, Jason Brower, Founder of OceanSide Software Corporation

Meet Charlene Dimond, owner of Integra Nurse, winners of SCORE’s 2019 “BizPitch Savannah” Entrepreneurial Competition and Savannah SCORE client! Charlene has over 20 years experience in the nursing industry, and she believes there is a path to health and healing that is often overlooked in the healthcare arena. Her business, .ingegranutrix is an integrative concierge nursing service that provides professional, patient-centered, empathetic, and loving care to enhance the patient experience through aromatherapy, energy therapy, guided imagery and acupressure. Integrative treatments are becoming more popular as healthcare providers understand that many common health issues in men, including cardiovascular, cancer, sexual dysfunction, and more can be treated with an integrative approach. Integra Nurse can be reached at (912) 232-7876. Thanks for being a Savannah SCORE client, Charlene!

⏰ Hurry! Free Workshop Registration Closing Soon!
Starting a business can be exciting, but it's easy to make mistakes that can hinder your success. Join our upcoming webinar to learn how to avoid common pitfalls and gain valuable insights to help you navigate the difficulties of starting a business.
In this webinar, you will learn how to avoid common mistakes and practical strategies for a successful startup. Whether you're just starting your business or looking to improve, this session will provide you with valuable guidance to keep you on track.

Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business
Date & Time: July 16, 2024, 1:00pm EDT
Cost: $0.00
Duration: 60 minutes
Language: English
Register now ↓

Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business Join our upcoming webinar to learn how to avoid common business pitfalls when starting a new business.

Let's talk about habits. What’s one thing you do daily that helps move your business forward?

After overcoming her own CPR crisis, Felicia Jackson invented CPR Wrap—a template with step-by-step instructions for lay responders. Jackson developed her idea into a prototype by seeking guidance from SCORE and participating in LAUNCH CHA and The Company Lab's programs. She initially hired two employees and has plans to add two more. With patents pending on two inventions, Jackson has delivered two TEDx talks and pitched to AOL Founder Steve Case during his Rise of the Rest Tour.

Today, Jackson partners with school systems, hospitals and airlines, where CPR Wrap saves lives. "Everything started with my first mentor session at SCORE," she says, reflecting on her journey.

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? SCORE offers valuable resources and experienced mentors to guide you every step of the way. ➡ https://score.org/savannah

📸: SCORE client Felicia Jackson, Founder of CPR Wrap