SCORE Fairfield County presents its new program, Start Your Business Here, a five-session workshop designed to guide aspiring business owners.
— an announcement from Darien Library
Through hands-on activities, workshop participants will actively evaluate their ideas and shape them into a real business through critical thinking and planning exercises covered in the series.
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Define your goals and start shaping your business plan.
This program is tailored to those with a business idea who are seeking guidance and coaching on how to launch their business with the most solid foundation possible.
Who should attend?
- Anyone with a business idea ready to take the next step
- First-time entrepreneurs seeking guidance and confidence
- Creatives, side-hustlers, and career changers
- Retirees and professionals exploring new ventures
Session 1, September 8
These are the topics for the five sessions:
Spark Your Idea. (Sept. 8) Define your goals and start shaping your business plan. This opening session helps participants connect their personal goals with their business vision and begin outlining a concrete action plan.
Know Your Numbers. (Sept. 15) Learn how to budget, forecast, and build a sustainable financial plan. Participants will explore startup costs, pricing, revenue forecasting, and how to manage risk with smart financial planning.
Form & Function. (Sept. 22) Decide how to structure your business and the tools required to operate effectively. Covers legal formation (LLC, sole proprietorship, etc.), startup options, key technologies, and common pitfalls in the first year.
Test Before You Launch. (Sept. 29) Validate your idea and hear directly from real entrepreneurs. Includes tools to reduce risk, customer discovery techniques, and a live panel of successful founders sharing their personal launch experiences.
Fund It; Launch It. (Oct. 6) Explore how to access capital and take your next step. Covers small business loans, what investors and lenders look for, and concludes with a networking and action-planning session.
About the Presenters
Joe Ziskin is a strategy & business development advisor helping small and start up business create profitable and growing businesses. Joe is an entrepreneur in residence at the University of Bridgeport’s Innovation Center. He was a vice president at IBM driving strategy and new business development. Joe has also worked as chief revenue officer for a cybersecurity start up and as chief operating officer for a private equity portfolio company.
Joe McCaffrey is a business advisor with Community Investment Corporation, a not-for-profit, economic development lender, licensed by the Small Business Administration to administer their lending programs. Joe is also a certified business mentor and subject matter expert in commercial real estate, small business strategic planning, financial management, and capital sources with Fairfield County SCORE.
If You’re Going …
The course consists of five 2 1/2-hour sessions (from 6:30 to 9 p.m.) on Monday nights from Sept. 8 to Oct. 6, held in the Heron Room at Darien Library.
You can register for the event here.