John Rutty, 80, of Hanover has a long history of back problems. In 2002, he built the first prototype of the Backjack, a lightweight, portable device that helps alleviate back pain and discomfort. The device can be strapped to a car seat or office chair and looks similar to a padded chair back with arm rests and an adjustable lumbar support made from memory foam.
Related Topics
Owners Pat Balderas and Geri Messer created Off Broadway by purchasing the Manhattan Dance Company in 2011, and they have been growing steadily ever since. They maintain their studio in the Common Space in order to keep costs down and fees low. Many of their students are working women, who attend class on evenings and Saturdays.
Owner/Founder
Geri Messer & Pat Balderas
Common Space 1700 N Reynolds Rd Rm 207
Toledo
OH
43615
United States
How SCORE Helped
The adults taking tap dance lessons at this studio located in the Common Space are often also the stars in performances given throughout the community. Their big event is the Annual Showcase staged each year at the Maumee High School Performing Art Center.
These folks are serious about tap dancing; most of them attend two or three lessons each week, and progress from “beginner” to “advanced” under the guidance of the area’s finest teachers. This makes Off Broadway unique in the Toledo area.
Pat and Geri had the help of SCORE mentors Dennis Snell and Alan Messer, who have guided them in their growth and in planning for the future. Space will soon become an issue; there were two classes each week when they started (with 30 students), and the walls are now bulging with eight classes (and 55 students).
Adults range in age from 22 to 72, and most look forward to participating in the Company’s performances. They have an extensive community outreach program, going to nursing homes and the like. But they also are becoming well known as performers at various functions in the area. And that Annual Showcase attracted 700 paid attendees last year!
Pat and Geri emphasize that we are “all adults taught by adults; this is not an exercise class; we don’t dumb it down; this is really a professional operation.” But they are quick to say that not everyone wants to be a performer, and others who are interested in learning the skills of tap dancing are certainly welcome!
Go to their excellent web site: www.offbroadwaydancecompany.com for more information.
SCORE is supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and may be reached at 419.259.7598 and www.nwoscore.org
Marilyn Moats Kennedy, a former journalist and Glamour columnist as well a DePaul professor, had a successful and profitable business giving keynote speeches and workshops on changing workforce demographics. Towards the end of 2008, business slowed and by 2009 it was at a standstill. At the advice of a friend, she sought assistance from a SCORE mentor who helped her launch the business into the digital age.
www.MoatsKennedy.com
My Successes
Marilyn began blogging to showcase her expertise. “Blogging has been tremendously helpful, because unlike traditional journalism, people give immediate feedback,” she says.
In the past, Marilyn had only gotten work from those who had heard her speak. Now the blogging campaign “extended my reach beyond those whom I had already worked for. Speaking and workshop leads come from the website and blog as well.”
How SCORE Helped
Marilyn had spent $3,000 on a website to revive her business, but the developer was unresponsive and the project unsatisfactory. Then Erica Levin, a SCORE client, referred her to SCORE mentor Peg Corwin for help with online marketing. Together she and her mentor revised the moatskennedy.com website, which she can now access and edit herself. Peg advised on appropriate copy, search engine optimization, and blogging. She helped her find a developer by providing names of three from whom to get quotes.
Peg also advised Marilyn on her social media presence, helping her fill in her LinkedIn profile and organize and network with target clients through it.
Marilyn concludes, “Peg Corwin has helped me with the social media, my website, SEO, and marketing more than I even knew I needed. I am 200% ahead of where I was before she worked with me.”
Ask SCORE
My partner and I have been running our laser engraving business ourselves for the past two years. We’ve reached the point now where we’re both completely maxed out, so we’re considering hiring at least one employee. Where do we start Read more.....
Ask SCORE
Over the past 15 years, nearly two-thirds of new jobs have been generated by small businesses. Yours may be one of them. That’s good news for your local economy, for your customers whose expectations for quality service are higher than ever, and for you, as you can focus your energies on other priorities.
Nancy Strojny, chairwoman of the Portland, Maine, chapter of SCORE, shares tips for achieving success as an entrepreneur starting out later in life.
Find people who can act as advisers. “Someone who will tell you the truth—not what you want to hear,” said Strojny. People are “so in love with their idea” that they’re often blind to the facts, she said. An advisory team can offer a sense of perspective and reality.
Related Topics
While many 72-year-olds are either in retirement or beginning to think about wrapping up their life's work, Middleboro resident and recent small business grant recipient Joe Gulino is starting a new chapter of his. With a new cookbook "Let's Eat with Joe Gulino" for sale and a second book waiting to be published, the former hairdresser continues to keep his plate full.
Related Topics
It’s a situation that every family business owner will eventually face: What will I do when I no longer own and run my business?
Becoming a mentor, angel investor, SCORE volunteer, board member, or advisor to another business can provide new meaning to a person whose life was previously defined by their business accomplishments.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Related Topics
This holiday season ABC World News has been encouraging viewers to have a Made in America Christmas. That if all of us spent even just a small portion of our gift budget on American-made, we could create thousands of jobs across the country. That goes for here at home too.
Related Topics
About 10 Percent of Older Adults are Self-employed "The number of older, unincorporated self-employed workers in nonagricultural industries increased from fewer than 2,6 million in December 2007 to almost 2.9 million. In March 2012." While the number has increased, the percent of older workers who are self-employed has remained about the same: 9.7percent in March 2012, compared to 10 percent in December 2007, according to a 2012 analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Related Topics
When was the last time you had fun learning about the US Constitution? A study in 2011 revealed that fewer than half of Americans could answer basic questions about the Constitution, a document critical to our country’s history and present. Two teachers from California, David and Pamela Barret, identified this need in the market and used their years of experience in the education field to create an engaging and effective way of filling that need.
www.constitutionquest.com
Temecula
CA
United States
My Successes
David and Pamela spent many months brainstorming, researching and outlining questions on Post-it notes that lined their bedroom wall before the board game became a reality. They chose to manufacture the game within the U.S. despite the higher production costs. It was an important marketing decision that has paid off. In just 3 months of production, they sold 600 games. Pamela commented, “We are just thrilled. I would love to get it in as many hands as possible. Our goal is constitutional literacy.”
The Barrets originally identified their target market as homeschool families looking to incorporate civics into their lessons. But they’ve also noticed demand coming from other groups including classrooms, grandparents, chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and individuals preparing to take their citizenship exam.
What's Great About My Mentor?
The couple spoke of their SCORE mentor saying, “Bob Godlasky has connected with other experts at SCORE to ensure that we are on track toward success. We know that we can shoot an email to Bob to get advice on answering those burning questions that keep us up at night.”
How SCORE Helped
The Barrets say, “We have built our small business with tons of blood, sweat and tears! It’s been nice to have listening ears and a guiding hand along the way. SCORE of Orange County has encouraged us and suggested trainings that have proven to be very helpful in terms of advertising, social media, financing and writing a business plan.”
Print
