SCORE
Miami-Dade, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping small
businesses grow, has created a new program called, “Special Forces,” to help companies reach
higher levels of performance, sales and profitability. “Special Forces” provides
businesses with a dedicated team of certified SCORE counselors who have
expertise in the specific challenges faced by the business.
“Whether a company needs help with marketing, sales, operations, distribution, financing, or staff, SCORE Miami-Dade’s Special Forces has certified counselors with expertise in all of these areas,” says Phil Harris, Special Forces director.
Already, businesses in a Special Forces pilot program have seen excellent growth and improvement.
“I’m a small business person without access to business consultants,” says Tania Garza, president of Advak Technologies in Hialeah. “SCORE changed that with Special Forces, giving us access to a team of experienced business professionals. Together, we analyzed my business and developed a plan to target my greatest challenges and have since had improvement in sales, financial reporting and operations.”
Special Forces first captures data about the business from a company evaluation survey, personal interviews and visits with the management team. Together, SCORE Special Forces consultants and the management team determine the greatest business challenges. Other SCORE counselors provide focused advice to best help the business with its specific needs.
“From financing to marketing, my mentors provided useful insights. Counting on them throughout my start-up phase was like having a seasoned partner in the business,” says Juan Brandt, who opened Sky Zone, Miami's first indoor trampoline park last October.
To be selected for the program, a business needs to have a minimum of $1 million in sales and at least five employees. When the business is pleased with the recommendations and results, SCORE requests a small donation to help support Special Forces with efforts to expand to other businesses.
For more information, or to schedule a Special Forces onsite workshop series, contact Phil Harris at pharris@scoremiami.org. More information about SCORE Miami-Dade: http://miamidade.score.org