Workshop: How to Prepare a Business Plan for a Start-up

WITHOUT A BUSINESS PLAN, YOU RISK LOSING YOUR INVESTMENT!

This course is designed for a person who is planning to start a business, but has little business experience. We are here to guide you through the process.  This course will be presented in three classes on April 21, May 4 and June 1 at Webster University.

This workshop gives you all the tools needed to plan your new business including how to demonstrate the need for the product or service, show your chances of success, develop marketing & operating plans, estimate operating expenses and capital purchases, and prepare a realistic cash flow forecast.

What we will cover in these workshops:

Start-up costs – Business Concept – Data Gathering – Marketing – Financial Projections – Preparing a Business Plan – Connecting with a SCORE Counselor and Funding Sources.

A certificate will be awarded upon completion of the course. Students will be provided with a thumb drive with all session slides.

Homework will be required!  Recommendation is to bring a laptop, but not required.

Class 2 of this Business Plan Series will be held May 4 at Webster University.

Class 3 of this Business Plan Series will be held June 1 at Webster University.

Cost:  $80 Prepaid Registration for all 3 classes.  $120 Pending or At-the-Door for all 3 classes.

Prepay with a credit card using PayPal or with Cash or Check at the door.

Speakers:

Gary O'Grady, SCORE Mentor, has over 35 years of executive level experience shaping critical financial operations.  Most recently he spent twelve years developing public and private partnerships in the St. Louis area.  As the Director of Economic Development and the Chamber Executive for the City of Eureka, Gary worked with city government and the business community to build close working relationships.  As the Vice President of Business Development for the St. Louis County Economic Council, he was responsible for the growth and development of County businesses.

As an entrepreneur, Gary started a multi-store, non-franchise ice cream and yogurt business which he later sold.  He spent over twenty years in retail credit management for Rhodes Furniture and J.C. Penney in positions of Vice President of Credit to the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Credit.

For the last 11 years, Gary has been a counselor with SCORE. Gary is a graduate of St. Louis University with a major in Finance and has a MBA from New York University.

Bob Helfrich, SCORE Mentor,  Bob retired from the financial services industry as small business lender and market research consultant for banks and credit unions across the U.S.  As a banker, Bob focused on all aspects of small business lending and asset-based credit programs.  His bank consulting background included advising management teams on strategic growth, loan portfolio management and market research.  Bob has an MBA in Economics from St. Louis University and a BA in Economics from Benedictine College.  He is a certified SCORE mentor and manages the Justine Petersen SCORE office.

Stuart Epstein, SCORE Mentor, is a retired finance executive with a 40-year career in finance and accounting.  He worked with a large multi-national corporation, mostly in its finance company subsidiary, preparing strategic plans and budgets and working on financial analysis and in financial controls.  He spent 5 years at its corporate headquarters in New York monitoring the financial aspects of units in manufacturing and services.  He then worked as the Chief Financial Officer of a small, privately held direct mail advertising company in St. Louis, during which time he helped with buying and selling a company.  He holds both Bachelor and Master's degrees from Washington University in Mathematics.