Published December 11, 2017
Los Angeles, CA, (December 4, 2017) – Small business in this country is big and getting bigger. Greater Los Angeles is home to over 244,000 small businesses (store-front, online, B2B and B2C office) with more minority- and women–owned businesses than any other county in the nation. Los Angeles SCORE (SCORE LA) nurtures a percent of the total small businesses by helping them start and grow through free expert business mentoring, providing free business resource information and low-to-no-cost educational business workshops. Twelve mentoring clients of SCORE LA were selected this year as standouts in new small business at SCORE’s November Success Luncheon.
Los Angeles SCORE is part of a nationwide nonprofit organization (320 chapters and 11,000 volunteer mentors) that is a resource partner of the SBA. Award winners at the annual luncheon were Global Research Institute of International trade (GRIIT), Cocobella Creamery, Federal Fingerprinting, Inc., Portable Pipeline Systems, and Bridge to Success, Glazed Donut Bar, LLC, Transitions Digital Graphics, LLC, Amba, Templework LA, Nitropod, Yoga-urt and AvocaToast by Lizzy. These young companies range from hi-tech to great fabric design to just plain delicious. They may not be household names yet, some may soon be.
Sample winners include GRIIT standing for the Global Research Institute of International Trade which is a Los Angeles-based think tank/consulting firm that analyzes trade agreements with two goals: 1) to assist U.S. firms with leveraging their trade deals to compete in international markets and 2) to shape trade policy for the benefit of the business community. SCORE LA helped founder Sarita D. Jackson, PhD with her company to clearly differ from its competitors. The mentoring also helped her company put together a sound financial projections sheet to better analyze its profit strategy and results.
Another winner, Templeworks LA, provides clients with an energy-based procedure that triggers positive results in the nervous system, technically called Integrated Craniosacral Unwinding. The company founder, Anna Marie Wood, started the boutique body work studio providing sessions to help others after her own positive experience with her healing recovery from a traumatic neck injury. She received public relations help (knowledge to do it herself) and a suggested logo change from SCORE LA. Using press, blogging and lifestyle media channels, she has brought her studio to a highly-functioning profitable business.
Then there is Lizzy Cooper who is happy when her friends say she’s toast. With a cooking passion, Lizzy decided to make avocado toast and just that. Her company, AvocaToast by Lizzy, started at farmers markets including a stand on Miracle Mile. She was invited to pop-ups at coffee shops and catering private events. Her hard work is paying off. SCORE LA helped her with information on licenses, permits, finances and knowing the tax responsibilities as a small business.
ABOUT SCORE
For over 50 years SCORE has been the premier national small business mentoring service in the U.S. The nonprofit association has working and retired business expert mentors who volunteer their time, talents and expertise to help small business entrepreneurs succeed in starting and growing their businesses. SCORE operates as a resource partner of the Small Business Administration (SBA) providing entrepreneurs and small businesses with ongoing free mentoring and information. In Southern California there are 470 mentors. SCORE’s mentoring services are free of charge and are led by seasoned business leaders, in more than 25 locations across Los Angeles County. Currently, SCORE LA reaches about 2,000 clients annually, through mentoring and business workshops. The chapter’s low-cost and free workshops cover a broad array of business practices, such as business plans, loan opportunities and social media. For more information about SCORE LA, visit losangeles.score.org
David Berkus (818) 430-2809
david.berkus@scorevolunteer.org
