After several years of financial market upheaval, banks are once again making loans to viable small business proposals. But as Central Maine SCORE mentor Peter Sassano noted, “The banks are determined not to repeat past mistakes. “The fallout from the lax lending decisions of several years ago has led them to focus on the creditworthiness […]
SCORE
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Business workshop offered
NORWAY — Oxford Hills SCORE and the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring a free workshop titled Growing Your Business is not Optional. It will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Norway Town Office, 19 Danforth St. Presenter will be Paul Beaudette, president of Leading Edge Business Strategies, […]
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Are you a manager or a leader?
If you’re going to be successful as an owner of a small business, particularly one with employees, you have to perform both roles well. Management expert Peter Drucker writes, “Management is doing things right, leadership is doing the right things.” SCORE-Central Maine mentor Maurice Dube observes, “If you have already demonstrated leadership qualities by taking the […]
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L-A SCORE, the ‘starting point for entrepreneurs,’ turns 40
LEWISTON — Ron Blake first approached SCORE in the 1980s when he needed help with a business plan for Cote Bros. Sewing Machines. He was back a decade later when the North American Free Trade Agreement drop-kicked his bottom line and he needed advice to stay afloat. It worked, and then some. Blake plans to […]
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Score: How to get repeat business
The erosion of customer loyalty is a hot subject these days, along with how cost-conscious buyers are putting a higher priority on price. Fortunately, the repeat customer is far from becoming an endangered species, but you do need to do everything possible to ensure that relationships with your customers don’t end at the point-of-sale. Central […]
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Tax tips for your business from SCORE
Mention “taxes” to an entrepreneur and the likely response will be a rolling of the eyes, a litany of complaints about the complexities of the rules governing small businesses and a few well-chosen verbal jabs at the Internal Revenue Service. Central Maine SCORE mentor Jack Tetreault admits that, “The IRS may be the agency everyone […]
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Button down some business-plan basics
A good business plan provides the small-business owner with a plan of action that helps build a successful small business. The business plan examines the environment in which a business operates, describes how the business will function and anticipates solutions to problems and responses to opportunities. “If you are about to start a business or […]
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Looking for SCORE volunteers
Every year, SCORE volunteers help thousands of entrepreneurs start small businesses and achieve new levels of success in their existing businesses. Our local SCORE chapters encourage new volunteers to join with us to connect with fellow business owners, and to pass on knowledge and expertise to the next generation of entrepreneurs in Maine while providing […]
Posted inBusiness
Learning more about SCORE
Have you ever wondered what on Earth is SCORE? Even though the Lewiston-Auburn area has been home to a chapter of SCORE for 30-plus years, there are still those in the business community who don’t know what exactly SCORE is and what it can provide. Central Maine SCORE is a part of the SCORE Association, […]