Hi, I’m Jim Dehler, and I’ll be conducting a workshop this Saturday, June 7, from 9a.m. until 12 noon on all aspects of Writing a Business Plan at the Rock Valley College, Woodward Technology Center, Room 141. The cost is $40 if paid in advance and $50 at the door. You can register on our website, www.northernillinoisscore.org and pay using Pay Pal. You can also call our office at the EIGERlab, 605 Fulton Ave., Rockford, at 815-962-0122.

At this workshop we will use a workbook that covers the critical elements in creating a business plan. These elements will help you focus on: your business, the industry you will be in, who your competitors are and what you can do to be competitive with them, financial needs and cash flow anaylsis, resources available to you, and different funding approaches. We also encourage interaction among workshop participants.

The business plan is an absolute necessity if you will need financing and is also a major aid in keeping you focused on the important aspects of your business. As Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you might end up someplace else.” I hope to see you Saturday.

SCORE, which offers free confidential counseling to new and existing business, also offers low-cost workshops which are also designed for people thinking about starting their business. The next one is from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at the Woodward Technology Center of Rock Valley College, 3301 N. Mulford Road, Rockford.

Fundamentals to be described include the steps you need to take in forming your small business, some of the costs involved, how to define your business, tips on managing your venture and marketing your service or product.

A workshop handbook for quick reference after the workshop and SCORE information about future counseling and workshop opportunities are included in the cost, which is $50 at the door or $40 if paid in advance.

It’s easy to make a reservation. Call the SCORE office at (815) 962-0122 or log on to the website at www.NorthernIllinoisScore.org where easy to follow directions assist you in paying online through PayPal. To send an email, write to info@northernillinoisscore.org

Five counselors from SCORE have helped non-profit organizations win monetary prizes for their business plans in a contest sponsored by Rockford College’s Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence. The businesses were expanding their outreach in the community.

The counselors are Duncan Brown, Al Keegan, Art Pulford, Ross Rolander and Bob Schmitt, and the organizations they assisted with developing a business plan were WomanSpace, Harlem Community Center Day Care and Chip Alumni.

Among the business start-up needs addressed were start-up cost, product or services cost and pricing, distribution, forecasting, purchasing procedures, marketing, accounting, organizational structure, management experience and financing.

Congratulations to the winners. Your business can be a winner, too, with free, confidential counseling offered by SCORE. Either log on to the web site – www.NorthernIllinoisScore.org - or call (815) 962-0122 to set up an appointment.

The session, to be conducted by Robert Christianson of SCORE, will be held at the Woodward Technology Center of Rock Valley College, 3301 N. Mulford Road.

This comprehensive three and one-half hour course is designed to help your business prosper.

Among the topics are management, financial planning, credit control, staffing, mentoring, delegation, marketing, promotions, pricing, profit and distribution. And Bob is always willing to answer other questions, too, so come prepared.

Registration will reserve your seat. To do so, log on to the SCORE web site – www.NorthernIllinoisScore.org - and use the easy PayPal system to put the charge on your credit card.

The cost includes a Workshop Handbook and SCORE information for free, one-on-one confidential counseling.

· More time. There never are enough hours in the day to see to all the necessities, from sending invoices to drumming up more customers to keeping up with current trends.
· More money. If you need to expand physical space or increase staff, an initial influx of cash would help until the start-up expenses are met by increased productivity and income.
· More energy. Working extra long hours, worrying about cash flow or finding just the right way of dealing with your payroll taxes can sap your strength – especially when it seems like the problems never end.
· More help. Take the time to talk with your lawyer, accountant and insurance agent when questions come up. Correct advice will prevent a disaster in the future.

What are some of the problems you are facing? SCORE counselors are ready and willing to help you with some fresh insights and different perspectives.

It’s easy to find SCORE:
· By phone, call (815) 962-0122 in Rockford or (815) 544-7110 in Belvidere.
· By internet, log on to www.northernillinoisscore.org
· By email, write to info@northernillinoisscore.org

Solutions are just a click away!

For a start-up business there is seed money to be used for inventory, perhaps, for machinery or for office equipment. And don’t forget tax help, legal retainers and insurance to protect your fledgling venture.

For an established business, there are needs to provide space for expansion, hire on extra salespeople or acquire that new machine which will augment your product line. There are many ways an existing business can be expanded – and most of the time it takes money.

There is a free workshop being offered Thursday, April 17, which can help you resolve some of these issues. Sponsored by SCORE, counselors to America’s small businesses, and US Bank, the workshop will be conducted from 3 to 5:50 p.m. at the Woodward Tech Center on the Rock Valley College Campus on N. Mulford Road.

Topics for How to Finance Your Business include financial life cycles, sources of capital, approaching a lender and what that lender expects from you.

Because seating is limited, it is necessary to register in advance either by calling the SCORE office at (815) 962-0122 or by logging in to the SCORE web site at www.northernillinoisscore.org, clicking on Workshops and then clicking on the online registration button to the right. You’ll be guided through the registration process. Try it – it’s easy!