On Saturday, May 4th, 2013, the Princeton SCORE chapter and Princeton Public Library are joining forces to host the 5th Annual Small Business Fair in downtown Princeton. The fair will be held at the Princeton Public Library from 11am to 3pm, and attendance is FREE.
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Not many entrepreneurs start planning their business almost a decade before doing it. But Rachel O’Leary, SCORE client and owner of Caffe Espresso in Green Bay, dreamed of business ownership long before pursuing it. “There wasn’t a single, defining moment,” she said. “The desire built over the years and I always felt like it was something I wanted to do.”
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Information and links on franchises/licenses, and out-of-state, import/export, web-based, veteran-owned, minority-owned, disadvantaged, and home-based businesses.
SCORE Denver's listing of business information sources including sources of funding, business start-up, business plans, protecting your business, professional services, non-profits, and points of contact for government agencies.
Key steps for starting a business and links to business plan templates.
Different types of funding available for your business and links to sources.
The variou
Published Aug. 11, 2012
A Quick Reference Guide for Start-up and Existing Small Businesses in Austin and San Antonio
Published Aug. 10, 2012
Following a number of years in the insurance industry, five years ago I left my job to have a child and be a stay-at-home mom. Now that my son is beginning school, rather than returning to work, I’m thinking about starting a business. What advice can you offer? Read more...
QFI was incorporated in 1981 as a manufacturer of a “new” (at the time) HVAC air filter called pleated filters.
Prior to purchasing Quality Filters, Inc. (QFI) my Dad (Horace Spottswood) had retired as President of National Butane Company / Theodore, Al. and I was a Sales Rep. in Chicago followed by Milwaukee for Stockham Valves and Fittings. Dad and I had talked for several months of going into business together and when Dad located QFI and we made the plunge together in 1984 when we purchased QFI.
When we purchased QFI … it employed approximately 8 employees and operated in an 8,000 sq. ft facility in Gulf Shores, Al.
My father handled administration and I handled plant operations and sales. Dad was a great businessman whose experience was invaluable. Working together was a wonderful experience for both of us. We rarely disagreed, worked hard with a razor focus on succeeding. He was… in my eyes… the ultimate mentor / business-partner.
The first couple of years after purchasing this “insolvent” business was to put it mildly … a struggle. We were both faced with learning a new business in a new industry with new products in a struggling start-up business with very large and aggressive competitors.
1985 was a tipping point when we created ODOR-BAN … the 1st carbon impregnated pleated filters for use with HVAC fume control. The product caught on quickly and helped finance the “re-boot” of the business. Later successes built upon this early foundation.
23351 Grissom Drive
Robertsdale
AL
36567
United States
My Successes
Biggest success has been in the arena of hiring, growing and keeping great talent! Past awards, recognition, etc… are all due to this success.
Another success I’m also proud of … the offshoot businesses that have been “spun-off” of QFI ‘mother ship” creating new entrepreneurial opportunities for many.
What's Great About My Mentor?
Through the years extremely skilled and enormously experienced SCORE representatives assisted us with very important projects such as…
a) Totaling revising our manufactured product costing model (Dick Kwapil)
b) Many hours of extremely insightful 1 on 1 corporate fiscal council w/ me (John Carden)
c) Several day Business Entrepreneurial training to group of QFI Mgrs.
SCORE’s Eastern Shore talent pool is incredible!
How SCORE Helped
Fairhope, Alabama. ---George Kirchoff, President of Baldwin County SCORE Chapter 630 announced that Quality Filters, Inc. (QFI) of Robertsdale has been named SCORE Client of Year in connection with the national Small Business Week –May21 to May 26.
Kirchoff noted that QFI is an Alabama and American success story. QFI incorporated in 1981 and was purchased in 1983 with a dream and the ingenuity of the Spottswood father and son team. With a dedicated team of 100 QFI has grown to be a major Baldwin County employer and a respected, award-winning international innovator and manufacturer of HVAC air filtering systems. The company recently completed a 20,000 square foot facility expansion and announced a four-year agreement with Reckitt Benckiser, parent company of Lysol®, to be the exclusive manufacturer and distributor for air conditioner and furnace filters carrying the well-recognized and highly-respected Lysol® brand in the U.S. and Canada.
Kirchoff indicated the pride of the SCORE organization’s association with this growth.
Steve Strauss, founder of www.theselfemployed.com, shares tips for changing or establishing a name for your product or business.
Q: I just bought the family business from my father. It has been in our family for three generations and I think the business and the brand desperately need some updating. My dad hates the idea of me changing anything, let alone the name of the business, which is something I am contemplating. Just because a name has been around a long time, that doesn’t mean its untouchable, does it?
During a business start-up’s early stages, it’s really the last thing on your mind that something could happen to one of the partners (or even yourself). But if that came to be, it could put a share of the business up for grabs and everyone’s dreams at risk. Investing a little time and energy into what’s known as a buy-sell agreement can create rock-solid protections for your business in the face of life’s many changes.
During a business start-up’s early stages, it’s really the last thing on your mind that something could happen to one of the partners (or even yourself). But if that came to be, it could put a share of the business up for grabs and everyone’s dreams at risk. Investing a little time and energy into what’s known as a buy-sell agreement can create rock-solid protections for your business in the face of life’s many changes.
Broward SCORE participated today in Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Annual Small Business Workshop. SCORE Volunteers Eric Thompson, Michael Bush, Tapan Chakrabarty, and George Gremse led business workshops and met individually with entrepreneurs and business owners.
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