score business advice 2015

Table of Contents

ScoreBusinessAdvice.com SCORE Business Advice 1

SCORE Business Advice www.ScoreBusinessAdvice.com

Published 1 time per year.

Advertising inquires: A&E Advertising and Web Design Edison Guzman: (845) 940-5369

Subscription inquires: www.ScoreBusinessAdvice.com

Publisher: A&E Advertising and Web Design

Editor: Edison R. Guzman

Advertising: Edison R. Guzman

Published: September 2015

Copyright© 2015 A&E Advertising and Web Design

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated or converted into machine-readable form or language without the written consent of the publisher. Articles express the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Please note: The information contained within this magazine is for educational purposes only. Every attempt has been made to provide accurate, up to date

and reliable complete information. No warranties of any kind are expressed or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaging in rendering legal, financial or professional advice. By reading this magazine, the reader

agrees that under no circumstances we are responsible for any losses, direct or indirect, that are incurred as a result of use of the information contained within this publication, including - but not limited to errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.

Before Starting Your Business, Ask Yourself: Pg 2

Where to Start, How to Grow, Where to Turn? Pg 3

Do You Have the Right Insurance Coverage? Pg 4

SCORE Client Testimonials Pg 6

Blind Marketing and Phantom Support—Two

Business Killers

Pg 7

3 Steps to Finding a Free Business Mentor to Help Start or Grow Your Business

Pg 8

Meet Your Orange County SCORE Volunteers Pg 9

Crowd Funding for Your Business Pg 10

Align These 3 Areas of Your Life for Business Success

Pg 11

Promoting Your Business On the Internet Pg 12

Local Chambers of Commerce Pg 14

Local SCORE Chapters Pg 14

County Clerk Offices Pg 15

Orange County Libraries Pg 15

Business Resources Pg 16

2 SCORE Business Advice ScoreBusinessAdvice.com

Hello. My name is Edison Guzman, and I am the current Chapter Chair of Orange County SCORE Chapter #465. This publication was created to help you either start your own business, or help grow your existing business. The Orange County NY Chapter is one of over 320 nation-wide chapters. We are all here to help you realize your dream of starting and growing your business. You are welcomed to schedule a one-on-one confidential, no-cost mentoring session, so that we can answer any of your business questions and guide you on your road to business success. I am happy to announce that you can access the online scheduling system on our web site, 24/7 and schedule your appointment at three different locations. Free mentoring is offered in Montgomery, Goshen and Monroe. We also host workshops throughout the year, so ensure to visit our web site, www.ScoreBusinessAdvice.com for the most up-to-date events and to schedule your appointments. Take Care, Edison R. Guzman Chapter Chair SCORE #465

Before Starting Your Business, Ask Yourself: 1) What are you best at?

What is your past experience? Do you have natural talents? What do you like to do? Are you a fast learner?

2) Is your idea a good idea? Check the trends. Google.com/trends, ThinkWithGoogle.com

3) Is there a big enough market? Infousa.com, google.com/publicdata, City-Data.com

4) Is there a need? Does your idea get rid of pain, gives pleasure or none?

5) Who else is doing it? Google.com, Bing.com, YP.com

6) What is the profit potential? How many products must you sell or service hours must you deliver in order to meet expenses and thrive? Is it scalable?

7) How do I fund it? Savings, friends, family, banks, investors, credit cards, etc.

8) Do I need to protect my idea? USPTO.gov

9) Build or buy? Do I build a business from scratch, buy an existing business, or invest in a franchise?

10) Partnership or alone? Do you thrive with others, need their expertise, or their money?

Answering these questions is just the start. In order to really see if your business is truly a good idea, you will need to create a business plan. You can do it yourself, with the help of SCORE counselors, or hire someone to create the plan for you. Once you’ve gone through the business plan process, there are 7 steps to starting your own business:

1) Choose your company name.

2) Research and register the domain name for your company . aeDomain.com, GoDaddy.com, NameCheap.com

3) Choose company legal entity (Sole Proprietor, Partnership, C Corp, S Corp, LLC, LLP, PLLP) and file. dos.state.ny.us/corps/bus_entity_search.html

4) Apply for EIN (TIN) number. IRS.gov

5) Open company bank account.

6) Acquire required permits, licenses, and file retail tax collection forms if necessary. nys-opal.com

7) Implement marketing plan.


Where to Start, How to Grow, Where to Turn? Charlene Maurer Finerty

One person, one class, one connection

can make a difference in your life and the

future success of your business idea.

Think Score, a National volunteer

organization, broken down into districts

and local chapters to assist start-ups and

small businesses. Entrepreneurs may

request a face-to-face meeting, some

chapters do telephone consults, web sites

have dozens and dozens of prerecorded

classes available 24/7, some offer live

stand-alone workshops and Orange

County NY Score offers a strong proven

20-night series.

If you have a business question or nagging problem, Score stands ready to help you in more than one way. One choice is to contact your local chapter and request a face-to-face meeting with a Score counselor. In Orange County, do this at www.OrangeNYscore.com or www.ScoreBusiness Advice.com. In other counties go to their web site, or go to www.Score.org, enter your zip code on the home page, input requested data and a local counselor will contact within a few days. Or, click Mentoring and the next screen will provide two choices: the same local appointment system or a Score Nation-wide email system matching your keywords with suggested counselors. One of the most common

comments Score counselors receive is, “I

don’t know where to start.” Other

comments include, “I’ve been in a

business a long time, but I could do

better, but I’m not sure how.” “I don’t

know what to do next.” “My business is

having a hard time financially.” “I want

to buy (or sell) a business.”

Score Counselors can be a

sounding board. Sometimes

entrepreneurs do not recognize what is

influencing our business. Yet, recapping

it to a counselor may make it perfectly

clear to an outsider. The counselor/s may

make suggestions for you to study. And,

how often in life do we answer our own

questions once we have an opportunity to

say our problem out loud? Often a Score

counselor may not have the magic

answer, but may suggest the Score client

reach out to other persons or entities.

Counselors may ask questions

and send the client off to do some

homework and return for another session.

In fact, repeat sessions are encouraged. A

counselor may recommend writing a

business plan, a multi-step process that

takes time and focus. Score can offer

advice, encouragement and make you

realize you are not alone as you

effectively and efficiently push through a

plan or another process to improve your

business.

Put entries on your calendar to move your goals forward including make a Score appointment, sign-up for the next 20-night series in Orange County Score, take one pre-recorded webinar/class once a month from www.score.org or your local Score chapter.

One initiative can make a difference in any organization. This magazine is example of what one person’s idea can produce. It is designed, coordinated and produced primarily by one person, the Orange County NY Score Chair, with contributors from your local region. This is an example of how one Score volunteer had an idea, set goals, organized priorities and got it done, in addition to weekly face-to-face consults and operating a professional business. If you have questions, untapped potential and need help, a sounding board, knowledge or mentor, contact Score.

By Charlene Maurer Finerty, Owner of Plans and Profits, LLC a business plan writing, teaching, critiquing and finishing service for start-ups and existing small businesses. www.PlansAndProfits.com


Do You Have the Right Insurance Coverage? Gregory M. Hogan, CIC, CLU, RHU

During client interviews, my goal is to understand clients’ risks and needs so I can best help them.

By asking questions and listening, areas that cry out for coverage are discovered. Many times the business owner never knew coverage was available for a need she didn’t know she had. “I’ve never heard about that before”, they’ll say. “Do I really need that coverage?” The answer is usually, ‘it depends’.

It depends on the business type, the business owner’s landlord or lender, even the business owner’s willingness (and ability) to take risks. Some coverages are mandated by law, such as Workers Comp and NY Disability. Some are required by lenders and landlords (property/liability), and all are designed to provide payment should you suffer a covered loss. The paragraphs below highlight some of these coverage types and identifies why they may be necessary.

Workers Compensation (WC) - Do you have employees, on payroll or not, and do you want to cover yourself? Even if you pay your workers on a 1099 basis, you may have to cover them for WC, but too often employers learn this when it’s too late...after someone is injured or the state sends a noncompliance letter

with a fine attached. If you need WC, you most likely also need NY Disability. Did you remember to get it?

Property - Do you have a building or business contents that you’d lose, say, in a fire? Does your lender require it to cover their interest in a loan to you? Think about it, you may have thousands of dollars in equipment and inventory that could be gone in a flash. A few premium dollars today, could prevent thousands lost tomorrow.

Liability - Do you have customers come see you? Do you go see customers? Does your landlord require it? As a business owner, you have a target on your back and people will sue you. Are you prepared? If you are an LLC or corporation you may think you are protected from personal lawsuits. Think again. There are plenty of cases where a business owner was held personally responsible, despite being a corporation or LLC.

Auto - Do you have a vehicle(s) for use in your business? Do your employees use their cars for your business? Just because the car is insured through a personal policy does not mean you are covered. Some of the largest writers of personal auto insurance will deny claims that occur

during business use of a vehicle. Depending on the vehicle, a business auto policy may provide more coverage at a lower premium.

Errors & Omissions - Do you give advice to clients for a fee? Could someone sue you for breach of contract? Lawsuits for bad advice or improper dealings are not covered in standard liability policies.

Business Income - Will your revenue stop if your business is shut down due to a covered loss? Will your employees suffer with no income while the business is not operating? Sure, you may have property coverage to rebuild your building and buy new stock, but will the business survive this downtime? Business income coverage can provide the capital needed to keep a business afloat.

Employment Practices Liability - Do you have employees or customers? If so, then this coverage is almost mandatory in today’s climate. It will cover employee or customer lawsuits for discrimination, among other things.

Gregory M. Hogan, CIC, CLU, RHU is

a broker at Hutchings-Curabba

Insurance Agency in Middletown NY.

Call him at (845) 343-2148 or visit his

web site at HutchingsInsurance.com.


SCORE Client Testimonials “…and Guzman SCOREs!” If small business had a play-by-play announcer, that would have been his exclamation, commenting on the help SCORE’s Edison Guzman has given me. Edison’s seminars and counseling sessions have provided me the most value I’ve received from my membership in the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, and I have gotten a lot from being a member.

Edison got my attention this April with his day-long seminar, “Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Business Owners,” although I had already known, liked, and been impressed by him

during my four years in the Chamber.

Not only did the seminar awaken me to useful Facebook strategies, I found I was eligible and welcome to obtain free business counseling through SCORE at the Chamber. Who knew? Sign me up!

I really needed Edison’s help with advertising, in particular on Social Media, like Facebook, Twitter, and my blog. His first counseling session started with a discussion of my goals: I help people write and publish their books---as a coach, editor, even co-author---and I wanted another half-dozen clients this year.

Next came his exploratory question, “What is your unique value proposition? What sets you apart? Tell me about yourself and your business.” As we talked, Edison grew even more enthusiastic. He quickly nailed it, a theme for me: “Why would a former Harvard professor want to help you write your book for only $25 per week?” That became the basis of the Social Media campaign: on my blog, on Twitter, on Facebook. In subsequent sessions, he then showed me in detail how to use these tools successfully to recruit my next set of would-be authors.

The difference between a lecture and an expert’s hands-on mentoring, which is what our SCORE sessions became, is the difference between learning a bit about something and actually knowing how to do it. I knew I wanted to advertise on Facebook as well as use its free features, but I needed help in negotiating the various set-up pages, in choosing my target market, my message, the optimal mode of delivering it, even the best titles for my ads.

Edison helped me by a combination of “fishing” for me and “teaching me how to fish,” so I could do it myself soon after. So many options existed, and Edison explained each of them to help me make good decisions.

Discouragement can come easily to the small businessman. Actually, I am of medium size, but my business is small, and I don’t always persevere. Without Edison’s guidance, I might have given up on advertising on Facebook, thinking the cost per response my ads were getting to be too expensive, but he reassured me that my Facebook ads were doing very well. We tweaked them, and they did even better.

Edison, drawing on his advertising expertise, taught me some of the factors that help motivate potential buyers to close the deal rather than procrastinate.

We developed a campaign that reached potential clients with attractive messages about becoming authors [they are authoritative] or memoirists [they preserve memories], emphasizing the limited number of candidates to be accepted [six] in the limited two-week enrollment period. All along, we’ve had fun, as I have been learning so many things I had not been taught as a physics major.

I am looking forward to continuing to access Edison’s valuable expertise. The Social Media campaign he helped me with has already brought me half my quota of new clients, and the enrollment period has not yet begun.

I’d say, we SCOREd!

Douglas Winslow Cooper, Ph.D., LLC [email protected]

(845) 778-4204 WriteYourBookWithMe.com

The small business owner in today’s

economy has many extraordinary

challenges to manage. When you are

working hard to succeed and find that your

efforts are not paying off the way you want

them to pay off. That can be very

frustrating.

As an existing business, I was looking to

explore and enhance the business’

marketing methods. Over this last year, I

started looking for support to help me to

find the necessary strategies that could help me to propel my business to a

more successful level. I did the research and I discovered the SCORE

program. This was the best discovery for both my business and me.

I would actually like to take the time to thank both the SCORE program

and most definitely Edison Guzman.

From my first visit, the staff at SCORE met me with nothing but warmth,

openness, and the utmost professionalism. They were friendly and

extremely helpful to me in explaining how the process works. I

immediately knew that I was in good hands.

I had my first meeting with my SCORE mentor Edison Guzman. From the

first meeting and discussion, I was well on my way to developing a solid

marketing plan tailored to my target market. Edison’s skills and expertise

helped me to understand marketing and business strategies in a way that

allowed me to make decisions that support my business growth.

He was able to explain things in terms that I could easily relate to my

business plan. These meetings were invaluable to me.

Through this process of meeting with Mr. Guzman, I have gained many

new ideas and have a renewed sense of a clear direction for my business

plan. I was very pleasantly surprised with the passion and level of detail

that Mr. Guzman has for marketing.

He has a gift of being able to directly, but discreetly, show what works

and what does not work. Again, I thank the SCORE program and Mr.

Edison Guzman for their dedicated help in putting my business on the

right marketing track.

Bruce Johnson, EA

Solid Tax Solutions

(845) 344-1040

www.SolidTaxSolutions.com


Blind marketing is probably an ironic

term to use since most people don’t

think they are blindly marketing, so let

me shed some light on this supposed

oxymoron.

Marketing is something all the

marketing companies tell us we have to

do. They tell us we have to “get our

brand out there,” “be on social media,”

and we have to “be creative.” That is

supposedly the magical formula to reach

your audience. However, while you DO

have to market in someway, shape, or

form… “branding,” social media, or

some wonderfully creative ad campaign

may be the exact WRONG way to do it!

If you have spent umpteen dollars on

marketing over the years and have no

idea if it worked or you KNOW it didn’t

so you kept TRYING new things, you

are the victim of BLIND MARKETING.

What’s the Problem?

There are two problems actually:

Creativity - Everyone knows, and either

likes or dislikes, large companies such

as Pepsi and Ford, so all they have to do

is simply remind people of their

existence. This is where CREATIVITY

comes into play. Wendy’s “Where the

beef?” campaign, the Geico Gecko, Flo

from Progressive Insurance… these are

all creative ads to remind you of

something you already know about and

need/want.

The problem is the majority of small and

medium businesses can’t afford this

creative branding! Everybody doesn’t

know them and trying to win market

share from another behemoth

corporation is nearly impossible when

unknown. They need something that

actually drives business to them. They

need marketing that gives them a return

on their investment.

Research – This should actually be “lack

of research.” Research is the boring,

tedious, antithesis of creativity. Creative

people don’t want to research trends,

competitors, and psychographics. That’s

no fun! They want to be creative! They

want to spit ball ideas, talk things out,

come up with cool stuff. That’s what

they do, they are good at it, and it is

necessary at some point. But figuring

out what specific marketing you should

spend your money on to make MORE

MONEY, takes some homework!

What’s the Answer?

There are many ways to improve your

ROI on marketing.

1) The cheapest, and one of the best, is

to create a tracking system for every

single lead/customer your business gets.

Ask them where they heard about you,

keep track of if they buy, what they buy,

and how much and how often. Cross

reference any marketing activity with

sales to see if that activity actually had

an impact on sales. There are numerous

customer relations management and

sales systems out there, or you can just

set up a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

2) Insist your marketing firm on doing

objective research. The key here is

“objective”! Asking YOU all sorts of

questions about what you like is NOT

objective research. There is a time and

place for what you like… but when it

comes to figuring out what your

addressable market likes, what

competitors are doing well and not so

well, etc., you are almost never the best

source.

3) Hire a third party consulting firm to

do the market research for you AND

your marketing firm. This is obviously

the most professional and objective way

to truly find out what will increase sales

for your company.

Marketing sometimes seems like one of

those carnival games. You keep

spending money trying to win your kid a

stuffed animal, but it’s seemingly

impossible to win. Doing the proper

research is like learning the trick to the

carnival game!

Phantom Support

Phantom support is typically the support

friends and family give to an

entrepreneur regarding their new

product or service, but it can happen to

existing companies as well.

People inherently want to be supportive

and encouraging. They say, “That’s such

a great idea! I would so buy that!” But

when it’s finally for sale, very few

people actually buy. Marketing mirrors

this empty supportive and encouraging

lingo. Everyone spits out creative ideas,

but no one wants to say the creative idea

is horrible.

Any advice or support or “likes” should

be taken with a grain of salt and

replaced with objective research.

Research will blatantly reveal your

weakness and strengths. It is not there to

hold your hand or appease your

business’s ego.

Eric Egeland is CEO of Capacity

Business Consulting, a management

consulting firm that specializes in

strategic marketing plans and research.

Blind Marketing and Phantom Support – Two Business Killers Eric Egeland, CPCU, AU


Answer These Questions and Create the Perfect Marketing Plan

What Why When How How Much Who

Products/

Services

What products do

you need?

What need does it

fill?

When do you

need it?

How will the

product fill the

need?

Product cost,

volume to be

sold, etc.

Who is your

target market?

Price What price will

you sell it for?

Why is that the

right price?

How long will that

price be valid?

How will the price

develop over

time?

How much sales

and margin will be

created?

Different prices

for different

segments?

Place How will products

be distributed?

Why choose

these channels?

When do

customers

choose different

channels?

How will we

create or enter

these channels?

What are the

cost/benefits of

these channels?

How do different

segments use

different

channels?

Promotion What types of

promotion to be

used?

Why choose

these activities?

Timing: Launch,

lifecycle, etc.?

How will the

promotions be

executed?

Costs/benefits of

the promotions.

Target groups

for various

promotions?

Other What is the

market size of

your market?

Why should

someone buy

from you?

When do you test

different

strategies?

S.W.O.T.

analysis?

How much can

you scale/grow

your business?

Who is your

competition?

3 Steps to Finding a Free Business Mentor to Help Start or Grow Your Business In just 3 steps, we’ll show you how to find, develop

and nurture a business mentor that will help you

through the booms and busts of small business

ownership.

Whether you’re just getting started, or are a business

veteran and looking for answers, the following will

help you find the right help for you.

Step 1 - Figure Out What You Need Help With —

and Yes, Everyone Needs Help from Time to Time

Pick out the top three challenges you or your business

faces—and prioritize them in order of having the

biggest impact on your business success.

Step 2 - Carve Out Time in Your Busy Schedule to

Devote to Meeting with a Business Mentor

It’s not easy for entrepreneurs to find time to meet with

a mentor when so much is happening with the business

that appears to be and maybe is, more pressing. But, in

order to get help, you have to commit some of your

time and energy to meeting with your mentor. It’s just

like exercise—you’ll be glad that you did it and will

feel energized when you finished.

Step 3 - Find a Mentor you Click With

There are several local SCORE chapters nationwide.

Choose the most convenient for you for a face-to-face

confidential meeting. If you can’t get to a local chapter,

visit www.Score.org for an online, or “virtual,” mentor.

You must do your research in order to answer some of these questions and create an effective marketing plan.

Volunteer: Peter Artusa Company: All County Window Cleaning Expertise: Business Operations, Business Strategy & Planning, Sales, Marketing & Public Relations

Volunteer: Harvey Horn (Former Chapter Chair) Company: Retired Expertise: Management, Product Development, Plastic

Manufacturing and production

Volunteer: Chris Ashman Company: Retired Expertise: Mental health/developmental disabilities/substance abuse field. Commissioner in the Department of Mental Health

for 21 years.

Volunteer: Lewis Kornish Company: Retired Expertise: Business Operations, Sales, Marketing & Public Relations, Supply Chain Management, Business Strategy &

Planning

Volunteer: Paul Campanella Company: Action Plus Project Management Expertise: Medical Device, Pharmaceutical, Food and Cosmetic Manufacturing and FDA Compliance. Project

Management, ISO9000, HACCP, Global Food Safety

Volunteer: Cynthia Marsh-Croll Company: Orange County Chamber of Commerce Expertise: Business Operations, Public and Professional Organizations, MWBE Certifications

Volunteer: Lynn Allen Cione Company: Orange County Chamber of Commerce Expertise: Government & Regulations, Human Resources &

Internal Communications, Non-Profit

Volunteer: Michael Mazzuca Company: Riverside Bank Expertise: Business Banking, Commercial Lending and General

Banking

Volunteer: Eric Egeland, CPCU, AU Company: Capacity Business Consulting, Inc. Expertise: Feasibility Studies, Funding, Analysis, Business

Improvement

Volunteer: Charles Pakula Company: Retired Expertise: Business Operations, Retail/Franchise operation, Retail

and Wholesale Trade

Volunteer: Charlene Finerty, Chapter Co-Chair Company: Plans and Profits, LLC Expertise: Business Plan Service, Business Operations,

Business Strategy & Planning

Volunteer: Rolland Peacock III Company: TD Bank, N.A. Expertise: Banking, Financial Services and Insurance, Business

Finance & Accounting, Business Strategy & Planning

Volunteer: Valerie Gross Company: Orange County Chamber of Commerce

Expertise: Chapter Support

Volunteer: Mary Rhode Company: Goshen Chamber of Commerce

Expertise: Chapter support

Volunteer: Edison Guzman, Chapter Chair Company: A&E Advertising and Web Design Expertise: Advertising, Marketing, Web Design, Workshops,

Internet Marketing, Graphic Arts, Social Media, SEO

Volunteer: John Rosenberger

Company: GKG Wealth Advisors, LLC Expertise: CPA, Tax Manager

Volunteer: William Herring Company: Retired Expertise: Sales and Marketing, Manufacturer Representative, Mergers & Acquisitions, Wholesale Operations, Business

Services Consulting

Volunteer: Terry Smallin Company: Goshen Chamber of Commerce Expertise: Business growth strategies, Membership growth, Non

profit organizations

Volunteer: Gregory M. Hogan, CIC, CLU, RHU Company: Hutchings Insurance, Inc. Expertise: Property, Casualty, Life, Health and Disability

Insurance Broker

Volunteer: Arlean Veve Company: Orange County Chamber of Commerce

Expertise: Chapter Support


Meet Your Orange County SCORE Volunteers

The volunteers of Orange County SCORE, Chapter #465, have rich and varied business backgrounds. Counselors share their business expertise and knowledge in all aspects of small business. In addition, all counselors have specific areas of expertise, which are listed below. Visit ScoreBusinessAdvice.com to schedule a free, confidential face-to-face counseling session. We will evaluate your needs and match you with the perfect counselor that will help you start or grow your business.

http://gkgcpa.com

http://capacityconsultinginc.com

http://actionplusprojectmanagement.com

http://orangeny.com

http://capacityconsultinginc.com

http://plansandprofits.com

http://orangeny.com

http://aeadvertising.com

http://hutchingsinsurance.com

http://orangeny.com


Crowd Funding for Your Business

You have a business idea and need financing? What if you could connect with a group of like-minded people with funds to spare? You will have a good chance of getting investors, right? That’s exactly what crowd funding is. In simple terms, crowd funding means raising capital for any business venture through a ‘crowd’ of small investors. Is it Legal? Yes, crowdfunding is legal, Congress passed H.R.3606 on 3/23/2012. How does it work? Crowdfunding uses the reach of social media and the Internet to make it easy for entrepreneurs to connect with potential investors. Add to that, the power of microfinance, and you have a capital raising technique with a huge potential. In simple words, you post a pitch online, use tools like social media, blogs, and word

of mouth of publicity to spread the word and catch the attention of potential investors. Crowdfunding sites offer a powerful platform where entrepreneurs can pitch their business ideas, spread the word about their pitch, and connect with interested investors registered on the site. The Crowd Funding Advantage: The hardest part of starting a business is raising capital. Crowd Funding can make the road smoother. Here are the top advantages:

It’s the most cost effective technique to raise funds for your project.

You get feedback on your idea, even before you launch your business and get a feel of what the market response is likely to be.

Crowd Funding can also double-up as a marketing tool! You can create a buzz about your business even before it’s launched.

Crowdfunding websites can help you find a community of small investors to fund your business, without the risks of traditional financing. Some sites focus on funding creative projects. Other sites focus on meeting specific needs in the marketplace or community.

Crowdfunding Websites (SCORE does not recommend or endorse any crowdfunding sites) GoFundMe. Mostly, a personal fundraising website platform.

IndieGoGo. IndieGoGo offers anyone with an idea — creative, cause-related, entrepreneurial — the tools to build a campaign and raise money. Kickstarter. Kickstar ter claims to be the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Kiva. Kiva allows people to lend money via the Internet to people in the U.S. and developing countries. Kiva itself does not collect any interest on the loans it facilitates. It is purely supported by grants, loans, and donations from its users, corporations, and national institutions. MicroVentures. MicroVentures targets companies that are creating technologies, products and services in core areas, such as business products, consumer products, electronics, online technology, and more. PeerBackers. Peerbackers is for business owners to raise capital from their peers — in small increments — in exchange for tangible rewards. ProFounder. ProFounder is a crowdfunding platform for entrepreneurs to raise investment capital from their communities. RocketHub. RocketHub is a community for “Creative and Fuelers” — those with projects and those who contribute. Submit your project to the “Launchpad” for fueling. Do your research and due diligence to see which, if any of these services is right for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developing_country


Whether you’ve started a business, or are in the process of

starting your business, your chances of business success will

increase when you align three areas of your life.

Too often, we overlook the obvious when starting a business.

If you’d ask yourself what you’re passionate about, what

drives you and what are your greatest talents, you would

probably be in a totally different business right now.

That’s why it’s very important to take your time and ask

yourself these questions.

Once you’ve dug deep within you and truly answered these

questions, you will be able to start a business that will be a

natural success for your personality type.

If you feel that you’re not in the right business, or want to

start one with the best chance at success, take a few minutes

and answer the questions within the spheres in the diagram

below. It will deliver the lifestyle you seek and deserve.

Align These Three Areas of Your Life for Business Success...

Edison R. Guzman

When you run a fun business that you can

automate and is scalable, you will be

able to grow it to any size you

wish. Your imagination is

your limitation.

You must always ensure that your mission is

aligned with your vision in life. How

do you see yourself or your

business 5, 10, 15, 20

years from now?


Promoting Your Business On the Internet Edison R. Guzman

The internet is no longer just

about having a web site, it’s about

being found online when someone

needs what you have to offer.

Your prospective customers may

need you today, in a week, a month,

or even a year. This is why when you

create your online presence, you

must keep this in mind and plan for

it.

When creating a web site, you

can do it yourself, or hire an

experienced company to do it for

you.

There are many free web site do-

it-yourself services available on line,

and if that’s where you have to start,

it’s better than not having a web site.

Just keep in mind that your web

site represents you, your product

and/or services and your overall

business. If you design it poorly, it

will reflect badly on you.

These are the basic tools you

need when creating your web site:

Domain name

(aeDomain.com)

Hosting account

(GVOToolKit.com)

Web site (HTML or CMS such

as Wordpress)

Email marketing system

(YourEmailMarketingSystem.com)

Merchant account

(Local bank, PayPal.com,

AcceptCreditCardsNow.biz)

Photo editing software

(Photoshop, GIMP)

Audio recording and editing

software (Audacity –

audacity.sourceforge.net)

Video Camera or Web Cam

Video ripping, editing and

converting software

(AVSMedia.com)

Screen Capturing Software

(Camtasia by Techsmith.com)

Ecommerce capabilities

(AutomaticEcommerce.com)

These tools will allow you to

create an online presence, sell your

products and services, accept credit

card payments, keep your web site

up-to-date, add audio, add video and

make your company look as

professional as possible.

You can learn to use all of these

tools by watching online tutorials

and educational videos.

Once you’ve created your web

site, you need to get people to see it.

You do this by driving traffic with

specific internet marketing strategies.

Here are 20 ways to do this:

1. Pay-Per-Click advertising

2. Search engine optimization

3. Search engine marketing

4. Blogging

5. Online Press releases

6. Social Media Marketing

7. Email marketing

8. Joint ventures

9. Affiliate marketing

10. Video marketing

11. Banner advertising

12. Article marketing

13. Solo ads

14. Co-op ads

15. Blog posting

16. Webinars

17. Teleseminars

18. Local directory listings

19. Product reviews

20. Testimonials

There are dozens of ways to get

traffic to your web site. You simply

need to start a campaign and test

your way to success.

If you don’t have the time, but

you have the budget, then I suggest

you hire someone that can do this for

you, so that you don’t waste too

much time and money.

In business, you’re either

investing time in growing your

business, or investing money. You

choose which gives you the best

ROI.

Edison Guzman is owner of A&E

Advertising and Web Design, and

founder of hvBiz.com. He can be

found at (845) 469-4919. His web

site address is aeAdvertising.com.


Local Chambers of Commerce Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce One Civic Center Plaza Poughkeepsie NY 12601 dcrcoc.org

(845) 454-1700

Goshen Chamber of Commerce 223 Main St. P.O. Box 506 Goshen NY 10924 GoshenNYChamber.com

(845) 294-7741

Greater Monroe Chamber of Commerce 787 Route 17M # 0330 Monroe NY 10949-0330 gmcoc.com

(845)475-8686

New Paltz Chamber of Commerce 257 Main Street New Paltz NY 12561 NewpaltzChamber.org

(845) 255-0243

Orange County Chamber of Commerce 30 Scott's Corners Drive Montgomery NY 12549 OrangeNY.com

(845) 457-9700

Putnam County Chamber of Commerce 953 South Lake Blvd. Mahopac, NY 10541 PutnamChamberNY.org

(845) 228-8595

Rockland Business Association One Blue Hill Plaza, P.O. Box 1567 Pearl River NY 10965 RocklandBusiness.org

(845) 735-2100

Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 405 Mongaup Valley NY 12762 Catskills.com

(845) 791-4200

The Business Council of Westchester 800 Westchester Avenue, Suite S-310 Rye Brook, NY 10573 WestchesterNY.org

(914) 948-2110

Tri-State Chamber of Commerce 5 S. Broome St. P.O. Box 121 Port Jervis NY 12771 TriStateChamber.org

(845) 856-6694

Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce 214 Fair Street Kingston NY 12401 UlsterChamber.org

(845) 338-5100

Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce South Street Caboose, P.O. Box 202 Warwick NY 10990 WarwickCC.org

(845) 986-2720

SCORE

location

SCORE

location

SCORE

location

SCORE

location

Dutchess - Chapter: 59 1 Civic Center Plaza Rm. 400 Poughkeepsie, NY 10261 Phone: (845) 454-1700 x1021 Fax: (845) 454-1702 Web: dutchess.score.org Orange - Chapter: 465 30 Scott's Corner Drive Montgomery, NY 12549 Phone: (845) 457-9700 Fax: (845) 457-8799 Web: www.ScoreBusinessAdvice.com Putnam - Chapter: 678 110 Old Route 6 Room 8, Building 3 Carmel, NY 10512 Phone: (845) 225-6030 Fax: (845) 225-0311 Web: www.PutnamScore.org

Rockland - Chapter: 677 Rockland Community College Rm 6102G Brucker Hall 145 College Road Suffern, NY 10901 Phone: (845) 426-1206 Web: www.RocklandScore.org Sullivan - Chapter: 697 c/o Sullivan County Partnership 198 Bridgeville Road Monticello, NY 12701 Phone: 845.343.1515 www.SullivanCounty.Score.org Ulster - Chapter: 533 1 Development Court, Rm. 101 Kingston, NY 12401 Phone: (845) 339-0468 Fax: (845) 339-0780 Web: ulster.score.org

Westchester - Chapter: 306 120 Bloomingdale Road White Plains, NY 10605 Phone: (914) 948-3907 Fax: (914) 948-4645 Web: www.ScoreWestchester.com

Local SCORE Chapter Main Offices


County Clerk Offices If you’d like to start your own business as a sole proprietor or partnership, you must file with your local county clerk’s office. Below are seven local county clerk’s offices within the Hudson Valley. You must file a Business Certificate for each county you wish to do business within. Visit each county’s web site in order to download a copy of the blank Business Certificate.

Dutchess County Dutchess County Clerk 22 Market Street Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Phone: (845) 486-2120 Fax: (845) 486-2138 Web: www.co.dutchess.ny.us

Sullivan County Sullivan County Clerk 100 North Street Monticello, NY 12701 Phone: (845) 807-0411 Web: www.co.sullivan.ny.us

Orange County Orange County Clerk Parry Building 4 Glenmere Cove Road Goshen, NY 10924 Phone: (845) 291-4000 Web: www.co.orange.ny.us

Ulster County Ulster County Clerk's office. 244 Fair Street Kingston, NY 12402 Phone: (845) 340-3288 Fax: (845) 340-3299 Web: ulstercountyny.gov/countyclerk

Putnam County Putnam County Office Building 40 Gleneida Avenue, Room 100 Carmel, NY 10512 Phone: (845) 808-1142 Web: www.putnamcountyny.com

Westchester County 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 330 White Plains, NY 10601 Phone: (914) 995-3070 Web: www.westchesterclerk.com

Rockland County Rockland County Courthouse 1 South Main Street, Suite 100 New City, NY 10956 Phone: (845) 638-5070 Fax: (845) 638-5647 Web: www.rocklandcountyclerk.com

Orange County Libraries

Central Valley: woodburylibraryocny.org

Chester: rcls.org/chs

Cornwall: cornwallpubliclibrary.org

Florida: floridapubliclibrary.org

Goshen: goshenpubliclibrary.org

Greenwood Lake: gwllibrary.org

Highland Falls: rcls.org/hfl

Highland Mills: woodburylibraryocny.org

Middletown: thrall.org

Monroe: monroelibrary.org

Montgomery: rcls.org/mng

Newburgh: newburghlibrary.org

Pine Bush: pinebushlibrary.com

Port Jervis: portjervislibrary.org

Tuxedo Park: tuxedoparklibrary.org

Walden: waldenlibrary.org

Warwick: albertwisnerlibrary.org

Washingtonville: moffatlibrary.org

Business Resources BBB (Better Business Bureau) www.bbb.org BBB is the resource to turn to for objective, unbiased information on businesses. Their network of BBBs allows them to monitor and take action on thousands of business issues affecting consumers at any given time. Business Resources in NYS business.usa.gov Just about anything you want to know about running a business, including a searchable database of available grants and financial resources for your business. Corporation and Business Entity Database Search www.dos.state.ny.us/corps/bus_entity_search.html See if your company’s name is available before you incorporate. Corporation filing information, fees, and publications www.dos.state.ny.us/corps/dom_busfile.html NYS filing fees when incorporating your business. Federal Business Opportunities www.fbo.gov Federal agencies are mandated to advertise on this site. You can download the solicitations that you are interested in, and receive emails on types of work that you are interested in. Government Loan Programs www.GovLoans.gov A comprehensive list of all Government loan programs, and how they can financially help you start or grow your business. Grant Programs www.Grants.gov Free listing of all available government grant programs.

Internet Tools and Resources www.MyNetMarketingTools.com Tools needed to get your business on the Internet. Hosting, company email accounts, video conferencing, email marketing, video hosting, domain name and more. Build your own website with these tools.

IRS Web Site www.IRS.gov Find all related issues with US Federal taxes. Minority and Women Owned Business Development www.esd.ny.gov/MWBE.html You will find information related to the certification process, resources for technical assistance, access to capital, contract opportunities, MWBE Events, and a vendor registry search tool to help you find New York State certified MWBEs. NYS Department of Labor www.labor.ny.gov Have employee questions? This is the place to answer anything and everything which has to do with labor laws within NYS. NY State Web Site www.dos.ny.gov Everything you need to know about doing business in NYS can be found within this web site including taxation and finance. NYS Online Permit Assistance and Licensing www.nys-opal.com If you want to start a new business or expand your current business, this site will help you find the New York State business permits you may need. Official U.S. Internet Gateway www.usa.gov This is the official home page to all of government.

SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” www.Score.org Main web site which contains many business resources, business templates, examples, and online counseling. Small Business Administration – www.sba.gov The official SBA web site offering programs and services that will help you start, grow and succeed in business. U.S. Disability Programs and Services www.disability.gov The federal government website for comprehensive information about disability-related programs, services, policies, laws and regulations. US Patent and Trademark www.uspto.gov An agency of the department of commerce. Just about everything you need to know about protecting your invention and more, can be found on this site. Veterans www.sba.gov/vets The Office of Veterans Business Development's mission is to maximize the availability, applicability and usability of all administration small business programs for Veterans, Service-Disabled Veterans, Reserve Component Members, and their Dependents or Survivors. Women Business Owners www.WomenBiz.gov Federal contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) .


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