Thursday, March 05, 2009

SCORE Helps Women Entrepreneurs with Online Resources at www.score.org

The SCORE Women's Web Site, www.score.org/women, provides interactive tools, mentoring, workshops and articles. Visitors are encouraged to complete a simple registration form to use the sales forecast tool and monthly checklist. Featured content includes:  

• SCORE Celebrates Women's History Month. Check out SCORE's toolkit to help small businesses during the recession at www.score.org/accelerate. Listen to a SCORE podcast. Find a mentor who can help you succeed.
• SCORE Women's Success Blog. SCORE Board Treasurer Barbara Lippard, former investment executive of Time, Inc.'s Venture Capital Group, offers her advice and guidance on financial issues at http://womensblog.score.org.   
• Making the Most of Your Business Day. Get ideas on how to multi-task, organize your day and manage your workload to more effectively run your business.
• Are You Waiting for a Market Turnaround? Don't. Act Now. Learn from a SCORE expert about conserving cash, freeing up your time and using marketing to drive sales.
• Five Sources of Quick Cash. During the recession, many businesses could use a little more cash. Get five tips on getting the cash you need for your business.
• Give Me Five. WIPP and American Express OPEN help women business owners secure funding and government contracts.

Notable SCORE client success stories include:

• Fabiana Rigamonti and Marina Rosin-Levine met at Parsons School of Design and decided to turn their passion for shoes into a business opportunity. New York City SCORE helped them develop their business plan and strategy, set price points and find the best locations to produce the shoes. "Consultants you pay for will often just tell you what you want to know. SCORE also tells us what we need to know. That's made all the difference," Marina says. www.score.org/success_due_farina.html 
• Sofia Motamedi's vision was to provide a worldly, yet friendly environment where people could enjoy a cup of tea and treats. Chicago SCORE stressed the need to create a business plan based on thorough research and helped her test her idea. "SCORE provided me with a path and to-do list to help solidify the business concept. When I see a struggling business, I can't help but wonder if that could have been my case had I not visited SCORE," she says. www.score.org/success_gala_tea.html 
• When Vivian Frankel decided to start a Web site helping moms who have started or owned a home-based business, she turned to SCORE for advice. Los Angeles SCORE served as a sounding board, helping iron out her business plan and offering advice on management issues. "You need to go to someone like a SCORE counselor who's objective and has seen it all before. He or she will spot errors or opportunities you might miss, and help you with them," she says. www.score.org/success_moms_money.html

Since 1964, SCORE "Counselors to America 's Small Business" has helped more than 8 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.

For more information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Visit SCORE on the Web at www.score.org.