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Twin Cities Success Stories
See how we have helped small businesses in our community
Twin Cities SCORE has produced numerous Success Stories. These are businesses that have been tracked over time and have succeeded due largely to SCORE mentor involvement. Let’s develop a mentoring relationship for you and your business and create another Success Story.
One mentor helped us with traction stuff in a time where we were having some major growth problem. Lack of space, lack of people, lack of enough time to get everything out -- not a bad problem to have, but I was going crazy working so many hours.
“Both of us knew how to run QuickBooks, but man did we probably avoid some sharp curves because we had our SCORE mentor in our pocket to be able to say, 'Hey. We've done all of this. Can you double check it? Cool.
I have worked with my mentor to develop my business plan from scratch and I am in the stage of securing the financing to make it happen.
The value that SCORE offers is immeasurable. Not only in finding the resources you need, but having the support from people who have been in the business.
I can honestly say that I have learned as much from mentoring my SCORE clients as I have through owning my own business.
Problem: Clean water is the fuel that supports industry around the globe and fresh water is available in only very limited supplies. In fact, only about 2.5% of all the water on earth is fresh water. Still, it’s all we have to support humans, other animals, plants and industry around the world.Challenge: To conserve our fresh water resources. Solution: One way to meet the challenge is to reduce the volume of contaminated water that enters public lakes and streams as well as treatment systems. That’s a win-win for utilities, the public in general and the environment. That’s the solution AD
Problem: Homeowners in Minnesota face the never-ending possibility of damage caused by weather conditions such as hail, heavy snow, tornadoes, high winds and torrential rains. The potential for weather-related damage is always present regardless of the season. Challenge: Finding a reliable contractor to work with when damage occurs is difficult and can result in a frustrating and costly experience for the homeowner. Solution: Provide home repair and renovation services based on the guiding principal of integrity. That’s what Blake Rothnem decided to do in 2005. The concept is simple but
We knew fashion and retailing, but little about business. We got car loans to finance our initial inventory. We also spent a lot of time finding and learning to trust our employees. With help, we became better at buying merchandise our customers want, and managing our inventory.
My wife Quixia (Choo-sha) and I are professional French horn players. I’m also a passionate home brewer, who discovered the wonderful complexity of Belgian beers and saw an opportunity to bring those unique flavors to Minnesota. That led to our second careers of starting a craft brewery in the authentic Belgian tradition.
How I Got Started After several decades in the corporate printing business, I knew a great deal about the operational side of the business: the printing equipment, the processes, project management and marketing and selling. When it came time to start my own business, I realized that I didn’t know enough to be confident in actually running a business. I had become dependent on corporate resources. I needed a crash course in setting up and running my own busines
Briva Health assists more than 20,000 Minnesotans a year with obtaining health insurance and navigating the healthcare system. CEO Hodan Guled consulted with SCORE mentor Rick Barkley on pivotal business decisions, including which client management system to use.
25 years ago, Ed Kaeding started Norhart, a unique company that builds and then leases high-quality, affordable homes. SCORE helped Ed with marketing and public relations.
Read about Kay Frasden's decision to become her own boss, and how SCORE provided free advice for her consignment furniture store.
After earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Drake University, Jill joined a consulting firm in her native Twin Cities in 1984 and—in another unusual move for someone only 24 years old—became active with Minneapolis SCORE. “The chapter encouraged younger people to get involved and complement the expertise of the veteran counselors,” Jill explains. “I started attending the small business workshops and got to know the volunteers very well. I knew that someday I’d want to start my own firm, but figured that was several years in the future.” The future arrived sooner than Jill expected
