Tulsa SCORE Helps Small Business
EXPERIENCED ADVICE: Cal Morris, SCORE counselor, is meeting with Gayle McNamara, owner of Air-Crete Enterprises, to work on her marketing plan to promote the company’s specialized air crete heat-treated, coated block construction products. Morris is semi-retired with 37 years marketing and general management experience with Rockwell International and Hilti, among others. He owns a small financial business that manages investments in real estate and volunteers with SCORE small business clients 3 to 5 days a month.
Photo Courtesy Tulsa SCORE
A Tulsa volunteer business counseling service is responding to the challenging economic situation now faced by area small businesses.
The Tulsa chapter of SCORE, Counselors to America’s Small Business, has added a program it calls “Tulsa SCORE Quick Response.” When a business requests assistance, the new program’s coordinator will promptly dispatch a counselor to make an initial assessment of the situation faced by that business. Additional SCORE counselors will then be called on for assistance as needed with their particular expertise and experience. The team will work quickly to provide the business owner with its findings and recommendations.
Chapter Chairman David Mosinski explains the new program. “We’ve had a record year in assisting existing businesses and start ups, and we suspect other businesses need assistance. This program is about thriving as well as surviving. Changes in circumstances often provide new opportunities. SCORE counselors often assist clients identify and develop growth prospects.”
Mosinski also notes, “Our counselors overwhelmingly volunteered for duty on this special team. Virtually all of our counselors at some time in their business careers have dealt with the challenges of surviving in a tough economy.”
Program coordinator Robert Portwood adds, “We have experience. What we will be doing for the small business owner in this new program is what we have done for years, but we will be responding much faster and in greater depth. And, like all SCORE counseling, our work is strictly confidential, and at no charge. For assistance, business owners should simply call our office at (918) 581-7462.”
Tulsa SCORE Chapter 194 was selected this year as one of the top ten chapters in the National SCORE Organization, and was chosen as Partner of the Year for 2008 by the Tulsa Economic Development Corporation. From its main office in downtown Tulsa, Chapter 194 serves businesses throughout eastern Oklahoma, with branch offices in Claremore, and Grove. The chapter has over 30 active members with years of experience in management, marketing, finance, manufacturing and other specialized fields.
SCORE, “Counselors of America’s Small Business Owners,” is a nationwide volunteer association dedicated to advising existing businesses as well as helping individuals intending to start new small businesses. The organization started in 1964 and now has 10,000 members and 389 chapters. SCORE is a Resource Partner with the U. S. Small Business Administration.
SCORE is always looking for skilled professionals who are willing to share their business expertise as counselors. For more information, contact Dave Mosinski at (918) 581-7462.
Updated 01-08-2010
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