Dreams Come True as SCORE Helps Turn a Home Handbag Hobby into a Thriving Business
There were no guarantees of success when Yolanda Chavez became an entrepreneur 15 years ago. But the Albuquerque, NM wife and mother of two was certain of one thing; she did not want to fail. “I was 40 years old at the time,” she recalls, “and had too many assets at stake. I really could not afford to gamble my family’s future on something that would not work out.”
But what started out as a hobby of designing and sewing handbags has blossomed in ways that even the industrious Yolanda never thought possible. Her company, Carmen Handbags, is now a full-scale manufacturing operation headquartered in a building she purchased last year. Carmen Handbags produces nearly 70,000 purses and handbags a year for clients around the world and maintains a popular retail shop in Albuquerque's Old Town district.
It all began on a Sunday afternoon in 1986, when Yolanda took some of her hand-sewn purses door-to-door to some Old Town merchants. She managed to convince one store to sell the products, then went home to see what would happen. Within a few days, the handbags had been sold and the store was pleading for more. Yolanda had to work around the clock to fill the order; and once again the handbags sold quickly.
In the months that followed, Yolanda stepped up her sewing work in response to the growing number of requests. She named her products in honor of her mother, who had passed away recently, and began organizing a supply and production schedule. In 1988, Yolanda realized that she all the makings for a full-time business, one that would help finance college educations for her son and daughter.
Because she had no experience with payroll and business taxes, Yolanda called the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which in turn, referred her to SCORE's Albuquerque Chapter. That turned out to be one of the best calls she ever made.
"I discovered a valuable resource of experienced business professionals," Yolanda says. "They not only provide valuable expertise for free, but also the kind of advice and wisdom that usually requires a lifetime to learn."
SCORE's first assignment was to tailor an accounting system for the needs of a manufacturing business. The system helped Yolanda monitor and project the company’s cash flow, and provided for a smooth transition when she was ready to hire an accountant. As the business grew, Yolanda worked with several volunteer mentors at SCORE's Albuquerque chapter, addressing issues ranging from evaluating potential manufacturing facilities to adding new products to the company's inventory. “SCORE counselors are very, very patient and willing to take as much time as necessary to help you,” Yolanda says. “It's great to have that kind of one-on-one interaction.”
Among the most important benefits of SCORE's counseling has been helping Yolanda avoid the pitfalls that lead to failure. “One of most valuable lessons has been to concentrate on the fundamentals, be frugal, and be disciplined in business habits,” she says, adding that accessing such experience at no cost is invaluable to small business. “With SCORE, you get all that knowledge in the counseling sessions, plus great seminars, all for free.”
Carmen Handbags has also proven to be a fitting memorial to Yolanda’s mother, a widow who raised seven children alone. "Making this business succeed is the result of hard work, drive and determination—traits I inherited from my mother," Yolanda says proudly. “When I needed advice starting out, SCORE was one of the best sources available. Today, even though I only work with them two or three times a year, I still rely on SCORE. They are wonderful people.”
SCORE Uses Team Mentoring Approach to Give Learning Consultant Lessons in Start-up Success
Betty Bodenweiser was eager to start her own business providing tutoring and other educational counseling services to school-age children in northern New Jersey. An experienced teacher, Betty had spent 17 years working with elementary and secondary school students in classroom, group and one-on-one environments. But Betty was a novice when it came to starting and running a business. In order for her dream to succeed, she would have to switch roles and become the pupil.
Betty knew exactly where to find the best instructors to school her in the science of business management. In December 2000, she contacted the Northwest New Jersey Chapter of SCORE and met with volunteer counselors Bill Baldwin, Joe Brockman, and Bill Daly—three business professionals with vast experience in human resources, organizational development, marketing and finance. There was little time to lose, however; Betty wanted to have her business ready by July, so that she could market her services to teachers preparing for the new school year.
To help meet that target, Betty's counselors established a timeline of detailed project milestones that would help her focus on the steps necessary to put her business together. “Those milestones really helped keep me on track," she says. "The best thing was that I was accountable for seeing that they got done.”
During their monthly meetings, Betty worked with her counselors to develop and refine her business and marketing plans, and covered other issues such as securing equipment, budgeting, and cash flow analysis. Betty also attended the chapter's monthly seminar on money, marketing and management, and frequently exchanged emails with her counselors. “Their advice is good because it’s concrete," Betty says. “I always knew what to do or who to call each week.”
Betty recalls that one of the most difficult decisions was choosing a location for her business. “I considered starting out at home, as I had the space and the cost would be much less,” she says. “The downside was that I lacked enough room to expand my staff.”
Betty's team of SCORE counselors helped her narrow her search to a small office building near her home in Randolph, NJ. “They were familiar with the building, which was good for getting input about improvements,” Betty says. “There is more space than I need right now, and the rent is reasonable. But the key is that now, I have space for a speech therapist and learning consultant in the future.”
Marketing and advertising was another focus of Betty's milestone plan. “I created the concept for an informational brochure, and SCORE recommended an artist who made it look more professional,” she says. “We also debated whether I should purchase a mailing list. I decided to research it myself; though it involved a lot of time, the resulting list is more customized to the people I wanted to reach.”
Less than a year since Betty first called SCORE, Foundation for Learning, Inc., is meeting its milestones. “I planned for just over 40 students in November,” she says. “I already had 50 by Thanksgiving, which came early this year.”
So far, Betty is satisfied with the direction her business is taking. “I have seen many good businesses fail just because the owner didn't know how to handle problems,” she says. “I feel that anyone can do it if they stay focused and stick with it.”
To keep her teaching skills sharp, Betty recently began working part-time at a local school. Her new schedule means giving up her regular meeting time at SCORE. “We'll probably do more discussions by email, which is fine with my husband,” she says with a laugh. “He has his own business too, and has already asked SCORE if he can have my old monthly time slot.”
Home-based Business Prospers With Help From SCORE Mentor
Scarves and inventory pepper Margaret Thomson’s Detroit home. That’s because her business, Scarves by Margaret, is in its busy season and her home is filled with three employees sewing to complete the business’s growing number of gift orders.
Thomson, whose scarves are available in local stores and online, has been in the accessories business for several years, but doesn’t take full credit for its success. While she was developing her idea to market knotless scarves, most recently with patriotic themes, Thomson turned to Emily Olivero, a SCORE volunteer business counselor. Olivero, formerly co-manager of a grinding products firm, has counseled Thomson—and many others—with the knowledge she gained during those years running a family operation.
“Satisfaction is the name of the game for me,” says Olivero. “It’s wonderful to watch people develop management skills and build their opportunities.” Olivero considers herself a teacher when she’s meeting one-to-one with entrepreneurs. “I joined SCORE because someone recruited me,” she says. “In the past two years, I’ve been pleased at the growing number of women starting their own businesses.”
