Table of Contents Chapter Chair’s Message
Pg 2
What To Do After That “Light Bulb” Moment
Pg 3
Do You Have the Right Insurance Coverage?
Pg 4
SCORE Client Testimonials
Pg 6
Before Starting Your Business, Ask Yourself...
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
20 Ways to Promote Your Business Online
Pg 12
Local Chambers of Commerce
Pg 14
Local SCORE Chapters Main Offices
Pg 14
County Clerk Offices
Pg 15
Orange County Libraries
Pg 15
Business Resources
Pg 16
SCORE Business Advice www.ScoreBusinessAdvice.com Published 1 time per year.
Copyright© 2016 A&E Advertising and Web Design All rights reserved.
Advertising inquires: A&E Advertising and Web Design Edison Guzman: (845) 469-4919
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.
Subscription inquires: www.ScoreBusinessAdvice.com Publisher: A&E Advertising and Web Design Editor: Edison R. Guzman Advertising: Edison R. Guzman Published: May 2016 ScoreBusinessAdvice.com
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.
SCORE Business Advice 1
Hello. My name is Edison Guzman, and I am the outgoing Chapter Chair of Orange County SCORE Chapter #465. As of October 1, 2016 the new Chapter Chair is Terry Smallin, Executive Director of the Goshen Chamber of Commerce. Terry has been a SCORE volunteer for the past year, and I know that this Chapter will be in great hands with Terry at the helm. One of the many projects I started over the years, was this publication. This publication, now in its fourth year, was created to help you either start your own business, or help grow your existing business.
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The Orange County NY Chapter is one of over 320 nation-wide chapters. Our SCORE counselors 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. You can access the automatic online scheduling system on our web site, 24/7 in order to schedule your appointment at different locations throughout Orange County. Ensure to visit our local chapter’s web site, www.ScoreBusinessAdvice.com for the most upto-date events, workshops, class schedules and many business resources. Take Care, Edison R. Guzman Chapter Chair SCORE #465 Owner: A&E Advertising and Web Design
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What To Do After Your “Light-Bulb” Moment... Charlene Maurer Finerty
A light-bulb moment occurs. “I want to start a business.” Reality sets in. “How do I do that? Where do I start?” Assistance, additional ideas, strength, sometimes negativity and will come from family, friends, local business owners, business groups, professional bankers, lawyers and accountants. Planning-stage businesses and existing businesses frequently become stuck in some way. Seek help. Sometimes we find our own answer by merely discussing an issue aloud.
and occasional live webinars about Developing a Funds Needed List, business and business planning plus Sales Forecasts, Cash Receipts useful forms are buried in the national Forecasts, and Cash Flows force web site, www.Score.org. entrepreneurs through a major Planning or moving a business learning curve before spending large sums of family money or borrowed forward takes work and time. What funds. are you trying to do? Do you have
adequate experience to make it happen? What are the main reasons you want to have your own business? What do you want to accomplish? Is the product or service a need or a want? Are there adequate qualified customers in the geographic reach of your business willing to pay for the Established entrepreneurs may service or product? And, how many need a trusted sounding board to competitors share that same audience? improve profitability, want Questions never stop and that is a information about a particular issue, good thing because people who leap the need for an outsider to ask, “Why forward without thinking are most apt are you doing or not doing XYZ? to fail. Have you thought about, explored this or that?” It is better to spend time and sometimes money to practice a Consider contacting SCORE, business on paper than forge ahead an under-utilized small business with ideas swirling, “It’s in my head.” support service. Score is a Nationally Enthusiasm and energy are great. anchored network of local Chapters Running out of money because you offering free consultations and lowcost area workshops. Additionally, didn’t write everything down, is not. over 150 free pre-recorded webinars
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Individuals who say, “I don’t need a business plan because it’s so much trouble and I’m using my own money” are a danger to their personal financial future. Popular comments SCORE counselors hear include, “The bank says I need a business plan”. It is interesting for entrepreneurs to say they need to create a plan to satisfy a lender’s request, yet not necessary when risking their own savings and all too commonly retirement funds. Don’t feel alone - learning, networking, asking for help can be a useful business habit. By Charlene Maurer Finerty, Owner of Plans and Profits, LLC a business plan writing, teaching, critiquing and finishing service for start-ups, existing small businesses and buyouts. Learn more at www.PlansAndProfits.com.
SCORE Business Advice 3
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’.
with a fine attached. If you need WC, you most likely also need NY Disability. Did you remember to get it?
during business use of a vehicle. Depending on the vehicle, a business auto policy may provide more coverage at a lower premium.
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.
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 It depends on the business type, down due to a covered loss? Will the business owner’s landlord or your employees suffer with no income lender, even the business owner’s Liability - Do you have customers while the business is not operating? willingness (and ability) to take risks. come see you? Do you go see Sure, you may have property coverage Some coverages are mandated by law, customers? Does your landlord require to rebuild your building and buy new such as Workers Comp and NY it? As a business owner, you have a stock, but will the business survive Disability. Some are required by target on your back and people will this downtime? Business income lenders and landlords (property/ sue you. Are you prepared? If you are coverage can provide the capital liability), and all are designed to an LLC or corporation you may think needed to keep a business afloat. provide payment should you suffer a you are protected from personal Employment Practices Liability covered loss. The paragraphs below lawsuits. Think again. There are Do you have employees or highlight some of these coverage plenty of cases where a business customers? If so, then this coverage is types and identifies why they may be owner was held personally almost mandatory in today’s climate. necessary. responsible, despite being a It will cover employee or customer corporation or LLC. lawsuits for discrimination, among Workers Compensation (WC) Do you have employees, on payroll or Auto - Do you have a vehicle(s) other things. not, and do you want to cover for use in your business? Do your Gregory M. Hogan, CIC, CLU, RHU is yourself? Even if you pay your employees use their cars for your a broker at Hutchings-Curabba workers on a 1099 basis, you may business? Just because the car is insured through a personal policy does Insurance Agency in Middletown NY. have to cover them for WC, but too often employers learn this when it’s not mean you are covered. Some of Call him at (845) 343-2148 or visit his too late...after someone is injured or the largest writers of personal auto the state sends a noncompliance letter insurance will deny claims that occur web site at HutchingsInsurance.com.
4 SCORE Business Advice
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SCORE Business Advice 5
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.
during my four years in the Chamber.
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
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!
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 r esponse my ads wer e 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 I really needed Edison’s help with advertising, in particular on Social Media, like Facebook, Twitter, and my blog. His first counseling session to be accepted [six] in the limited two-week enrollment period. All along, started with a discussion of my goals: I help people write and publish their we’ve had fun, as I have been learning so many things I had not been taught as a physics major. books---as a coach, editor, even co-author---and I wanted another half-dozen clients this year. I am looking forward to continuing to access Edison’s valuable expertise. The Social Media campaign he helped me with has already brought Next came his exploratory question, “What is your unique value me half my quota of new clients, and the enrollment period has not proposition? What sets you apart? Tell me about yourself and your business.” As we talked, Edison grew even more enthusiastic. He quickly yet begun. nailed it, a theme for me: “Why would a former Harvard professor I’d say, we SCOREd! want to help you write your book for only $25 per week?” That Douglas Winslow Cooper, Ph.D., LLC became the basis of the Social Media campaign: on my blog, on Twitter, douglas@tingandi.com on Facebook. In subsequent sessions, he then showed me in detail how to (845) 778-4204 use these tools successfully to recruit my next set of would-be authors. 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.
6 SCORE Business Advice
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
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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.
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SCORE Business Advice 7
3 Steps to Finding a Free Business Mentor to Help Start or Grow Your Business 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.
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 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.
Answer These Questions and Create the Perfect Marketing Plan You must do your research in order to answer some of these questions and create an effective marketing plan.
What Products/ Services Price
Place
Why
What products do What need does it you need? fill?
What price will you sell it for?
Why is that the right price?
How will products Why choose be distributed? these channels?
When
How
How Much
Who
When do you need it?
How will the product fill the need?
Product cost, volume to be sold, etc.
Who is your target market?
How long will that How will the price How much sales price be valid? develop over and margin will be time? created?
Different prices for different segments?
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?
8 SCORE Business Advice
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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. V isit 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. 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: Charles Pakula Company: Retired Expertise: Business Operations, Retail/Franchise operation, Retail and Wholesale Trade
Volunteer: Eric Egeland, CPCU, AU Company: Capacity Business Consulting, Inc. Expertise: Feasibility Studies, Funding, Analysis, Business Improvement
Volunteer: Rolland Peacock III Company: Wallkill Valley Federal Savings and Loan Association Expertise: Banking, Financial Services and Insurance, Business Finance & Accounting, Business Strategy & Planning
Volunteer: Charlene Finerty, Chapter Co-Chair Company: Plans and Profits, LLC Expertise: Business Plan Service, Business Operations, Business Strategy & Planning
Volunteer: Mary Rhode Company: Goshen Chamber of Commerce Expertise: Chapter support
Volunteer: Edison Guzman, Outgoing 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, Incoming Chapter Chair Company: Goshen Chamber of Commerce Expertise: Business growth strategies, Membership growth, Non profit organizations
Volunteer: Gregory M. Hogan, CIC, CLU, RHU Company: Hutchings-Curabba Insurance Agency, Inc. Expertise: Property, Casualty, Life, Health and Disability Insurance Broker
Volunteer: William Cochran Company: SEDORE & Company Expertise: Auditing and Consulting Services for Corporations, Municipalities and Not for Profit; Tax Preparation .
Want to volunteer? If you have vast experience in owning or running a business, visit our web site, ScoreBusinessAdvice.com and contact us today. This is a gr eat way to give back, by helping individuals get into business, and existing business owners thrive. ScoreBusinessAdvice.com
SCORE Business Advice 9
Crowd Funding for Your Business 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: 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?
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.
IndieGoGo. IndieGoGo offer s 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. Micr oVentur es tar gets companies that are creating technologies, products and services in core areas, such as business products, consumer products, electronics, online technology, and more.
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.
Crowd Funding can also double-up as a marketing tool! You can create a buzz about your business even before it’s launched.
PeerBackers. Peer backer s is for business owners to raise capital from their peers — in small increments — in exchange for tangible rewards.
Is it Legal? Yes, crowdfunding is legal, Congress passed H.R.3606 on 3/23/2012.
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.
ProFounder. Pr oFounder is a crowdfunding platform for entrepreneurs to raise investment capital from their communities.
How does it work? Crowdfunding uses the reach of social media and the Internet to make it easy for entrepreneurs to connect with potential Crowdfunding Websites investors. Add to that, the power of (SCORE does not recommend or endorse microfinance, and you have a capital raising any crowdfunding sites) technique with a huge potential. In simple words, you post a pitch online, use tools like social media, blogs, and word
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GoFundMe. Mostly, a per sonal fundraising website platform.
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.
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Align These Three Areas of Your Life for Business Success... Edison R. Guzman 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.
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 Too often, we overlook the obvious when starting a business. natural success for your personality type. If you’d ask yourself what you’re passionate about, what If you feel that you’re not in the right business, or want to drives you and what are your greatest talents, you would start one with the best chance at success, take a few minutes probably be in a totally different business right now. and answer the questions within the spheres in the diagram That’s why it’s very important to take your time and ask below. It will deliver the lifestyle you seek and deserve.
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.
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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?
SCORE Business Advice 11
20 Ways to Promote Your Business Online 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.
Photo editing software (Photoshop, GIMP)
7. Email marketing
Audio recording and editing software (Audacity – audacity.sourceforge.net)
9. Affiliate marketing
Video Camera or Web Cam
11. Banner advertising
Video ripping, editing and converting software (AVSMedia.com)
12. Content marketing
Screen Capturing Software (Camtasia by Techsmith.com)
Ecommerce capabilities (AutomaticEcommerce.com)
8. Joint ventures 10. Video marketing
13. Solo ads 14. Co-op ads 15. Funnel hacking 16. Webinars 17. Teleseminars
There are many free web site do18. Local directory listings These tools will allow you to it-yourself services available on line, create an online presence, sell your 19. Product reviews and if that’s where you have to start, products and services, accept credit it’s better than not having a web site. card payments, keep your web site 20. Testimonials Just keep in mind that your web up-to-date, add audio, add video and There are dozens of ways to get make your company look as site represents you, your product traffic to your web site. You simply professional as possible. and/or services and your overall need to start a campaign and test business. If you design it poorly, it You can learn to use all of these your way to success. will reflect badly on you. tools by watching online tutorials If you don’t have the time, but and educational videos. These are the basic tools you you have the budget, then I suggest need when creating your web site: you hire someone that can do this for Once you’ve created your web site, you need to get people to see it. you, so that you don’t waste too Domain name much time and money. You do this by driving traffic with (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, Stripe.com)
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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
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.
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SCORE Business Advice 13
Local Chambers of Commerce Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce One Civic Center Plaza Poughkeepsie NY 12601 dcrcoc.org (845) 454-1700
SCORE location
Goshen Chamber of Commerce 223 Main St. P.O. Box 506 Goshen NY 10924 SCORE GoshenNYChamber.com location (845) 294-7741 Greater Monroe Chamber of Commerce 787 Route 17M # 0330 Monroe NY 10949-0330 SCORE gmcoc.com location (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
The Business Council of Westchester 800 Westchester Avenue, Suite S-310 Rye Brook, NY 10573 WestchesterNY.org (914) 948-2110
Putnam County Chamber of Commerce 953 South Lake Blvd. Mahopac, NY 10541 PutnamChamberNY.org (845) 228-8595
Tri-State Chamber of Commerce 5 S. Broome St. P.O. Box 121 Port Jervis NY 12771 TriStateChamber.org (845) 856-6694
Rockland Business Association One Blue Hill Plaza, P.O. Box 1567 Pearl River NY 10965 RocklandBusiness.org (845) 735-2100
Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce 214 Fair Street Kingston NY 12401 UlsterChamber.org (845) 338-5100
Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 405 Mongaup Valley NY 12762 Catskills.com (845) 791-4200
Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce South Street Caboose, P.O. Box 202 Warwick NY 10990 WarwickCC.org (845) 986-2720
Local SCORE Chapter Main Offices 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: 465 223 Main St. Goshen, NY 10924 Phone: (845) 237-2476 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
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Rockland - Chapter: 677 Rockland Community College Rm 6102G Brucker Hall 145 College Road Suffern, NY 10901 Phone: (845) 426-1206 Web: www.RocklandScore.org
Westchester - Chapter: 306 120 Bloomingdale Road White Plains, NY 10605 Phone: (914) 948-3907 Fax: (914) 948-4645 Web: www.ScoreWestchester.com
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 ScoreBusinessAdvice.com
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 ScoreBusinessAdvice.com
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 SCORE Business Advice 15
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. 16 SCORE Business Advice
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, ServiceDisabled 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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