SCORE - Mike Cunningham
SCORE
Terry Sweeney, Programs Director introduced our speaker as follows: "Mike Cunningham is a management and technology consultant with vast business experience.
As vice president of quality assurance at Metricom he created and led testing groups that directly led to the company’s rollout of the first billion dollar wireless mobile data network.
From 2004 to 2014 he owned and operated “Woodcraft of Dublin”, a retail store providing woodworking tools, exotic lumber and classes. He developed technology resulting in a company gross of 1.7 million dollars annually with 11 full and part time employees.
Mike currently is a small business counselor and mentor and a volunteer counselor with Sacramento SCORE."
As vice president of quality assurance at Metricom he created and led testing groups that directly led to the company’s rollout of the first billion dollar wireless mobile data network.
From 2004 to 2014 he owned and operated “Woodcraft of Dublin”, a retail store providing woodworking tools, exotic lumber and classes. He developed technology resulting in a company gross of 1.7 million dollars annually with 11 full and part time employees.
Mike currently is a small business counselor and mentor and a volunteer counselor with Sacramento SCORE."
So Mike said that he is a successful business person who benefited from the SCORE program when he began to start a new business some years ago. Now he is "giving back" by publicizing the program.
SCORE started in 1964, sponsored by the Small Business Association (SBA). The program helps people who are thinking about opening a small business, by pre-mentoring them. It is important to start a business with a realistic business plan and people who have had the experience of being in business can help. It is through a process of self realization, a series of steps, to check out their dream by having experienced people helping them.
There are 300 Chapters in the U.S. and uses 11,000 volunteers. Mike says he would not have been successful in business without the help SCORE gave him.
In 2014, SCORE created 56,000 new businesses, creating 47,000 jobs and women were predominately helped. 39% of those helped were minorities and 13% were veterans.
Mentoring means working with the client and giving expert advice.
SCORE gives work shops to would be small business owners with topics covered like "How to write a business plan" (important for getting a loan from a bank), the correct use of Quick Books, and "How to win using the internet".
Mike passed around a sign-up sheet so that he could send a copy of his presentation to the attendees and perhaps garner some volunteers to help with the SCORE program by mentoring people with small business aspirations.
To augment his presentation, Mike, gave an informative slide show.
At the conclusion of the talk, many interesting questions were posed and answered and then President pro tem Stan Roe mentioned that "in honor" of Mike's presentation, a book will be donated "in his name" to the Carmichael Library.
More information is available at: http://score.org
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President pro tem Stan Roe and
speaker Mike Cunningham
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A rapt audience! |