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My successes.

Together with her mentors, Jackson developed a market entry plan for retail gift shops, to include specialty packaging, pricing, profit evaluation, logistics, and of course, a winning sales pitch. Jackson also discussed website development and social media alignment with her mentors in order to boost her online presence. 

“I now have a clear and solid growth plan which will allow me to focus on the implementation of this new sales model to grow my revenue,” she says.

How SCORE helped.

Jackson attended workshops at her local Microsoft Store and library. At local SCORE business roundtable events, she was able to meet various SCORE mentors and local business owners and develop relationships in her community. 

Mentors Gus Ferracane and Bruce Marino worked with Jackson to help her develop a growth strategy to scale her business wisely. “The perspective of having more than one mentor has been an added value as each offers their own expertise and knowledge,” she says. 

How Did Your Business Get Started?

When Ginny Jackson had her first baby, she loved receiving personalized gifts. “Seeing my baby’s name on something reminded me how special and unique this precious new baby was!” she remembers. She decided to start creating personalized items for friends and family, but her project soon turned into a business. Jackson’s company, My Story Blankets, creates personalized, meaningful baby gifts that well-wishers can order online.

But after more than 15 years, Jackson says she wanted to “reinvigorate a business that had been on auto-pilot for many years.” She started to attend SCORE workshops and sought one-on-one mentoring.