Ask SCORE Articles
Richard contributes articles to the Hagerstown Herald Mail as part of his role as a SCORE mentor and leader. The following is a sampling of these contributions.
Exploring the Business and Personal Model Canvas
Question: What is the best way that I can learn about both the business and personal elements of an entrepreneurial start-up venture? Answer: A good way to do this is to explore the business and personal model canvas for each model simultaneously. I have prepared a...
Project Management in Small Business: A Tool to Achieve Success in Complex Tasks
Question: What is Project Management and can I use it in my small business? Answer: YES you can! Project Management is a tool that has been widely used for many years in large businesses to help them manage large complex undertaking, such as bridge construction,...
Organizational Culture and Small Business
Question: What Is Organizational Culture and How Can It Affect My Business? Response: Organizational Culture can be described as ‘The way we do things around here’. It might be represented by celebrating by winning a competitive contest, earning an award for ‘best in...
“Lean Process” and “Continuous Improvement”: New Tools to Develop Competitive Advantage for Small Business
Should you allow a competitor to visit your office or factory? This is a question often asked by small business managers. One answer is ‘No. They may get ideas about better ways to do things and use this information to gain an advantage over us in the market’. But one...
Reflections on the Startup of You
Question: It’s well known that a business startup, an entrepreneurial venture requires expertise business expertise in Marketing, Finance, Administration, among a number of other areas as well. But what I don’t hear is what a new business requires in terms of personal...
The Right Business and Personal Culture is Everything
Question: I hear a lot these days about the importance of culture in a business organization. I can’t afford costly fringe benefits in my small business like larger firms can. Why is culture so important and how can I create it in my business? Answer: Culture is...
Continuous Improvement Through an Open Ended Questioning Process: Applying The Why-What If-How Scenario
Question: I hear a lot these days about the necessity for continuous improvement but I don’t know how to do it. We have problems, such as missed delivery schedules, variable quality and employee turnover, but when I try to find out what happened and who is to blame I...
Action Plans for Improving Business and Personal Lives in the New Year
Question: What tools are available to the business manager to assess performance and make plans for improvements in the coming year? Answer: The best suggestion is to assess your business situation and determine what can be done to improve operations in the future. To...
Three Powerful Tools of Financial Management
Question: What are the best tools for a manager to use in projecting, monitoring and controlling costs and revenue for improving financial outcomes? Answer: The subject of Financial Management in the Small Business is usually focused around the means of getting funded...