Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • January 15, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 11 FOCUS Quality Construction + Butler Manufacturing = Repeat Customers www.borghesibuilding.com © 2011 BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Butler Manufacturing™ is a division of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. 2155 East Main Street • Torrington, Connecticut 06790 Napoli Retail, Southington, CT | 2016 | 7,300 sq. ft. Napoli Foods Corporate Offices & Refrigerated/Freezer Warehouse/Distribution Center, Cheshire, CT | 2008 | 215,000 sq. ft. Contact us at 860-482-7613 or visit us on the web. and civic engagement. I am a very big be- liever in drawing in the local community. Hartford is a wonderful place where arts and culture really count for something and our arts and cultural sector offers lo- cal residents both quality of life and a lot of exciting choices. The biggest challenge for us, as for most museums, is to compete effectively with all of the other non-experiential leisure time choices, such as TV or the internet. Q. There are many high-quality muse- ums in Greater Hartford and the state overall. Should regional museums work together more closely to promote each other in order to improve the business prospects of all? A. Pardon the waterfront analogy from someone who just moved from the Ocean State, but a rising tide floats all boats. Other museums and cultural institutions are not our competition, they are our colleagues. We live in a frenetic society where there is a lot to draw our atten- tion; I would rather see how we can work together, than compete. I've done collaboration very success- fully in other jobs. It has been a great pleasure to meet various colleagues here, in a few cases, folks who are here are people that I have known for years al- ready. There are already some beneficial collaborations under way. Q. You played a big role in bringing to national prominence the Newport Resto- ration Foundation in Rhode Island. What lessons or tactics did you take away from that job that will help you running the Mark Twain House? A. One of the things that I learned and profited from most in Newport, is that the local community will always be the greatest engine of a museum's suc- cess. The museum here has a fantastic visitation that comes from all 50 states and 63 countries around the world; we truly have a national and international audience, but it is Hartford and all its surroundings that I am most interested in. If we serve the community and the community believes in us, and follows us, we will succeed. pany may have come easily, the logistics of getting her business up and running were more daunting. To help her navi- gate the logistics of launching a startup, Strayer was referred through the state's U.S. Small Business Administration office to SCORE, a statewide volunteer organi- zation designed to provide free mentor- ing to startups and small businesses. The organization, which has 11 branch locations and nearly 50 volunteers across Connecticut, provides a variety of services, including face-to-face and online consultation, workshops and busi- ness planning assistance, said Andrea Tannenbaum, chair of SCORE's Con- necticut Chapter. In 2016, more than 230 businesses turned to SCORE for support from established small businesses to startups. "For existing businesses, the biggest challenge we see is typically around mar- keting," Tannenbaum said. "For startups, business planning is definitely a big need. It's getting the idea onto paper and creat- ing the road map." Kate Bolduc, director of business devel- opment at Goodwin College and a SCORE volunteer since last February, agrees. "Often people have a vision of a startup and a passion for the business, but they don't have the tools at their disposal," Bolduc said. "Figuring out our cash flow projections, securing funding and measur- ing success can be a challenge." That's where the expertise of SCORE's volunteers — who must complete a certi- fication process, including a code of eth- ics — can help. Bolduc currently advises five SCORE clients and has conducted a handful of workshops, which typically draw between 20 to 30 attendees. She estimates she spends about 20 hours a month on SCORE activities, and finds the interaction with clients the most reward- ing part of her volunteer services. "There is such a great entrepreneurial spirit [in Connecticut]," said Bolduc, "and af- ter three decades of [business development] experience, it's important to give back." Charlie Peake of Simsbury agrees. While Peake, who retired in 2015 and was a former consultant at Honeywell, was initially drawn to SCORE to help others given his background in business devel- opment and finance, he said he's gained as much as the clients he's helping. "I have established ongoing relation- ships with my clients and just to share in their successes and [help resolve] any issues their business might have adds a whole new dimension to my life," he said. Peake and two other area SCORE volun- teers who operate out of the Simsbury Pub- lic Library bi-weekly, see on average eight clients a month. And the scope of business ideas he encounters are diverse, rang- ing from aspiring restaurant owners to a dietary consultant to a labeling business. That also requires an ability to lever- age other people's expertise and SCORE resources. The needs of clients are often as diverse as their business ideas, Peake said. "They may have marketing issues, legal questions, funding needs, or business planning needs," Peake said. "You need to be a good listener and, at times, it's like being a traffic di- rector in making sure to connect people with the right expert." That's where SCORE's national network of 300 chapters, 10,000 volunteers and remote mentor- ing — by phone, video or email — comes into play. "We can meet our clients on whatever communications ground they want, as long as they're a resident of the United States," said Tannenbaum, who serves clients in Maine, Florida, California and Washington state. Bolduc said she hopes more people in Connecticut with a passion for business get involved as SCORE volunteers. "It's just a great opportunity to give back and provides great comradery and net- working too," she said. "It's been one of the most rewarding experiences for me." Andrea Tannenbaum, Chair, Connecticut Chapter, SCORE FOR A FULL GUIDE OF WONDERFUL ORGANIZATIONS TO GIVE TO GO TO WWW.HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM & CLICK ON SPECIAL EDITIONS TO VIEW THE 2017 GIVING GUIDE START THE NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT BY GIVING BACK!

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