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Seminars Help Business Owners

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By MEGAN HUSSEY, Tribune correspondent

Published: January 12, 2008

From writing a business plan to marketing a product or service, a series of workshops at Pasco County libraries aims to take the guesswork out of opening a small business.

"A series of workshops will be presented at the Pasco County libraries, the New Port Richey library and Hernando County libraries this winter. SCORE Service Corps of Retired Executives, Chapter 439 is presenting these informative programs," Ann Coppola, public services librarian at Hudson Regional Library, said in a statement. "There will be a seminar at almost every branch of the Pasco County Library System."

These free seminars are put on by the Pasco/Hernando chapter of SCORE, which an organizational Web site describes as "a nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the success of small businesses nationwide."

SCORE boasts more than 389 chapters in the United States, and helps more than 100,000 small businesses each year - more than 4.5 million businesses since 1964.

"The purpose of these seminars is primarily to give startup advice to people starting, or thinking of starting small businesses," said Robert Moore, public relations representative with the Pasco/Hernando chapter of SCORE.

This marks the first time that SCORE has offered free seminars in local libraries.

"We feel the libraries will open new avenues for us, as they're much more convenient for people," he said.

Aside from the Pasco libraries, the workshops also will be offered at the New Port Richey Main Library, Hyundai of Wesley Chapel and Marchman Technical Education Center.

The workshops cover virtually every aspect and phase of small business ownership. These include record keeping, business financing, setup, marketing and sales, financial tools and corporate uses for the Internet.

The workshops also will cover the ins and outs of franchise businesses, and "how to survive once you're in business."

These seminars are taught by seasoned experts in the business field, according to the SCORE Web site, www.score439.org/Seminars .asp.

Jim Waters, who taught "How to Really Start Your Own Business" on Wednesday at South Holiday Branch Library, has more than 40 years' human resource experience with manufacturing corporations.

He has a bachelor's degree in labor economics from Kansas State University, and lectured at Rockhurst College in Kansas City for five years, specializing in industrial relations and labor law. For 13 years, he was vice president of a furniture manufacturing company.

Dick Hall, who will deliver "Smart Start Your Business" on Tuesday at the Land O' Lakes Branch Library, is the author of two business planning books; he also developed courses based on those books.

A longtime SCORE counselor, he was previously a director at a major telecommunications corporation, a senior business consultant with a large technology consulting firm, and owner of a consulting firm working with small-business startups.

The seminars offer in-depth information about various dimensions of their topics.

Waters' "How to Really Start Your Own Business" teaches participants how to cultivate, test and protect ideas. It addresses the "key issues" of starting a business, including "finding good people, structuring the business, understanding cash flow, finding the money, the business plan and starting out on the right foot."

It also covers the legal aspects of business startup, including workers' compensation, liability insurance, information sources and adhering to state and federal laws.

Aside from being a potential asset to the business community, Coppola said these small-business workshops are a welcome addition to a well-rounded schedule of library educational programs.

"By providing these business seminars to the public, the Pasco County Library System is able to add to its already diverse programming schedule which includes literary, historical and cultural programs," she said in the statement.

BUSINESS SEMINARS

In the coming months, SCORE will partner with Pasco libraries and other institutions to offer free business seminars in this area. For information, call the Pasco/Hernando chapter of SCORE at (727) 842-4638. The SCORE chapter office is at the Bank of America building, 6014 U.S. 19 N., Suite 302, New Port Richey.

Seminars include:

Tuesday: "Smart Start Your Business" will be presented from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Land O' Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway in Land O' Lakes.

Jan. 19: "Partnerships and Family Businesses" will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the New Port Richey Library, 5939 Main St. in New Port Richey.

Jan. 22: "So You've Started a Business ... Now What?" will be presented from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Regency Park Branch Library, 9701 Little Road in New Port Richey.

Jan. 30: "Record Keeping and QuickBooks" will be offered from 8:30-10 a.m. at Marchman Technical Center, 7825 Campus Drive in New Port Richey. This session is courtesy of the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

Jan. 30: "An MRI for a Business with Growing Pains" will be offered from 10:15-11:45 a.m. at Marchman Technical, sponsored by the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

Jan. 30: "The ABCs of Business Financing: Application, Business Plan and Credit Scores" will be offered from 1:45-3:15 p.m. at Marchman Technical Education Center, sponsored by the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

Jan. 30: "How to Start or Buy the Right Franchise Business" will take place from 3:30-5 p.m. at Marchman Technical Education Center, sponsored by the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

Feb. 1: "How to Really Start Your Own Business" will be offered from 8-9:15 a.m. at Hyundai of Wesley Chapel, 27000 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (County Road 54), conference room, sponsored by the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

Feb. 1: "Grow Your Business: Develop a Strong Marketing and Sales Plan" will run from 10:45 a.m. to noon at Hyundai of Wesley Chapel, sponsored by the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

Feb. 4: "The ABCs of Business Financing: Application, Business Plan, and Credit Scores" will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road in Hudson.

Feb. 5: "How to Write a Business Plan" will be presented from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Land O' Lakes Branch Library.

Feb. 16: "An MRI for a Business with Growing Pains" will be offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at New Port Richey Library.

Feb. 19: "Record Keeping and QuickBooks" will be offered from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Land O' Lakes Branch Library.

Feb. 26: "Taking the Mystery out of Marketing" will be offered 6:30-8:30 p.m. at New River Branch Library, 34043 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel.

March 10: "Marketing Your Business for Success" will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Hudson Regional Library.

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