Ferguson Small Businesses Should Look to SCORE

Dec. 1, 2014 - PRLog -- Without question, the events in Ferguson have touched our lives. Not only from  a social standpoint, but how it will affect small business in the community. Business owners who have seen a drop in profits, and those who lost businesses totally due to destruction by arson are faced with the decision to continue, and in many cases, rebuild.

One place that business owners in Ferguson should turn to for help with their issues in SCORE. SCORE is a non-profit organization that partners with the Small Business Association. SCORE offers free counseling and resources for the small business owner, especially ones that are facing the complex issues such as the ones in Ferguson. If you're a new business owner, SCORE may be able to help you.

As a new business owner not only in Ferguson, but anywhere in the STL, you're probably following things like your business plan and examining your cash flow projections in order to obtain any type of financial funding. The events in Ferguson have created some unique borrowing opportunities, which SCORE could help you obtain.

Your initiam business plan was a daunting task in itself, and I am sure that not many business owners have a crisis management plan in place that addressed the type of events we have all witnessed in the past few weeks.  If you've never done it before, or want an opportuity to update your previous one, SCORE is your answer. With the help of SCORE, small business owners can turn this task into reality in no time, along with receiving other resources and counseling.

SCORE offers free business advice and services. . A visit to SCORE's website  (www.stlouis.score.org) (http://www.stlouis.score.org) and you'll find helpful areas such as online mentoring advice, in-person meetings, how-to articles and business templates, and online and on-site free and low-cost workshops. In the aftermath of Ferguson, trying to go it alone as a new small business owner could be be overwhelming. SCORE can help you with everything from startup to running, growing, and in some cases, reconstruction of your busines.

SCORE has a couple of workshops coming up which wouls be well worth attending, where you receive further counseling. SCORE Seminar - How to Start and Manage Your Own Business - Meramec Community College on Saturday December 6, 2014 from 8:15 AM to 3:00 PM (CST). The topics covered in this all-inclusive seminar include: * Learn how to write a professional business plan * Learn how to develop a winning marketing strategy * Learn the importance of your company's legal structure * Learn what you need to know about licenses, insurance and taxes * Learn how technology can make your business more profitable. It will be held at Meramec Community College.
There will also be an additional workshop on Driving Visitors to Your Website to Create Sales - St. Charles on Wednesday December 10, 2014 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM (CST). This Workshop will focus on ways to drive customers to your website, and how to convert them to buyers. In this Workshop you will learn the right location for customer to buy, how to entice customers to buy, influencing customers via social networks, getting visitors to buy. It will be held at the Economic Development Center St. Charles County

As a small business grows and in some cases regrows, so too do the complexities of its operation. In the wake of Ferguson, we must be charged with creating economic impact. Economic impact meaning small businesses must continue to thrive, jobs must be created, loans and investment in the community have to progress, and an increase in sales is vital to the region.

SCORE is a fabulous source of information where small business owners will get the nitty-gritty details business research tools, free of charge.

The SCORE Association Chapter 21

1222 Spruce Street, Suite 10.103

St. Louis, MO 63103,

314-539-6602

www.stlouis.score.org

John Parker is a senior public relations and marketing professional, and President of Parker Public Relations in St. Louis, MO. He is well experienced in crisis, situational, and executive communications, and public affairs with over 15 years of diverse experience in media relations, political campaign operations and connecting individuals and corporations with the world through communications.