SCORE Eastern Connecticut Presents: “Fundamentals for Starting Your Business” Free 5-Webinar Series, Beginning May 6, 2025

SCORE Eastern Connecticut Presents: “Fundamentals for Starting Your Business” Free 5-Webinar Series, Beginning May 6, 2025

Support for the series provided by Berkshire Bank

DATES: Five Consecutive Tuesdays & Thursdays: May 6, 8, 13, 15, and 20, 2025

TIME: 5:30 – 7:00 PM

LOCATION: Online (Zoom) LEARN MORE & REGISTER: https://www.score.org/easternct/fundamentals-starting-your-business

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with a personal link to join the webinar. Webinar attendees will receive a link to the presentation recording(s) and a copy of the presentation pdf.

SCORE Eastern CT (https://www.score.org/easternct), Mentors to America’s Small Businesses, launches its 2025 free five-session business planning webinar series on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The series, taking place on consecutive Tuesdays and Thursdays through May 20, is for individuals who are considering starting a business. The series will be offered online, via Zoom. Registration is required to receive the link to join the webinar. It is strongly suggested that participants attend all five modules.

In Session One: “What’s the Big Idea?” on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 5:30-7:00 pm, you will review whether you have a good idea and explore the feasibility of your product or service idea and how it can become a viable business. Do you have access to the operational skills (yourself and others) to manage the business to success? Register for Session One here.

The series continues with the following topics (click on each title or registration link to learn more and register, or go to https://www.score.org/easternct/fundamentals-starting-your-business): · Customers and Competition (Session 2, Thurs., May 8, 2025, 5:30-7:00 pm)

In Session Two you will explore who your customer is in more detail. We’ll discuss competition and we’ll use SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats – to help you understand how to position your business and how to compensate for aspects of your business that are being developed. REGISTER FOR SESSION 2

· Marketing and Sales Basics (Session 3, Tues., May 13, 2025, 5:30-7:00 pm)

Session Three will help you understand what your Brand is, how best to reach your target audience with the most compelling messages and how, when and where to ask for the Sale - selling tactics, greater comfort selling, and the right selling process. REGISTER FOR SESSION #3

· Pricing and Managing Money (Session 4, Thurs., May 15, 2025, 5:30-7:00 pm)

In Session Four, we’ll discuss developing pricing, identifying costs, and essential financial management. Topics include selecting a pricing model, setting prices, estimating variable costs, accounting for overhead costs, and how to get a handle on managing small business finances. REGISTER FOR SESSION #4

· Digital Marketing Must-Haves (Final Session 5, Tues., May 20, 2025, 5:30-7:00 pm)

Session Five covers the essential digital requirements to run a business. You’ll walk away understanding that you do not exist without a web presence, but you don’t need to have a full e-commerce enabled site. We'll also discuss digital marketing techniques to help you get noticed by your target customers. REGISTER FOR SESSION #5

Led by Anne Driscoll, Eric Munro and Arlene Saffron, the series gives participants the opportunity to learn from SCORE Mentors and other entrepreneurs. To learn more and register, visit https://www.score.org/easternct/fundamentals-starting-your-business or email Anne Driscoll at anne.driscoll@scorevolunteer.org.

Berkshire Bank is proud to support the SCORE Business Fundamentals Series. Building stronger communities requires a better approach to banking. For 175+ years, Berkshire Bank has been the trusted advisor people depend upon. Headquartered in Boston, Berkshire has approximately $12.3 billion in assets and a community-based footprint of over 80 financial

centers in Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Berkshire helps innovate businesses, create jobs, grow wealth, and improve the overall quality of life for people and their communities. They are a leader in equitable and sustainable banking, reinvesting in their communities at a rate nearly 70% higher than the industry average. To learn more, visit https://www.berkshirebank.com/.

About SCORE: SCORE® is a nonprofit association that offers free and confidential advice on starting your own business or improving and growing your existing small business. Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 17 million entrepreneurs start, grow or successfully exit a business. SCORE’s 10,000 volunteer business experts provide free mentoring, resources, and educational services to clients in all 50 U.S. states and territories. In 2023 alone, SCORE helped launch 31,167 new businesses and create 152,115 new jobs, including 120,948 non-owner jobs. With 50+ webinars and special events each year, and advances in remote mentoring tools, SCORE Eastern CT helps small businesses across Southeastern and Northeastern CT. For more information on upcoming free workshops and how to schedule a free small business mentoring session with our counselors, visit https://www.score.org/easternct.

Would You Like To Become A SCORE Volunteer? Your business knowledge and experience can help others start or grow a small business. Learn more about becoming a SCORE volunteer at: https://www.score.org/page/volunteer-score.

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SCORE Eastern CT: PO Box 283, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 Email: eastern.ct@scorevolunteer.org Website: https://www.score.org/easternct

Caption for attachments: SCORE's free 5-part spring series "Fundamentals for Starting Your Business" kicks off on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 5:30 – 7:00 PM. The series runs on consecutive Tuesdays and Thursdays through May 20. Pre-registration is required. It is strongly suggested that participants attend all five sessions. Support for the series is provided by Berkshire Bank.