Entrepreneurs: ‘Do You Have What It Takes?’

DANBURY — Recently lost your job? Perhaps you’ve thought about starting your own business?

The Danbury Library will host a free presentation, “Do You Have What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur?: 10 Questions To Ask Yourself” on Monday, June 8, from noon to 1 pm. A light lunch will be provided.

The presentation, conducted by counselors from the Western Connecticut Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), will help individuals know whether they have what it takes to start their own business.

“Before quitting your day job or risking hard-earned savings, you need to know if you are suited for self-employment,” cautions Jeff Apton, counselor at Western Connecticut SCORE. “Experts have identified a set of ten personality traits that increase the odds that a person will be successful in business. You may have the best business idea in the world, but without the right set of personal traits, you can be doomed at the start.”

For those who may find themselves needing improvement in certain traits, SCORE counselors can help create business plans to help improve those areas. Attendees will also learn about the free services provided by SCORE’s business experts to would-be entrepreneurs and established small business owners, such as the fundamentals of a business start-up, writing business plans, projecting cash flow, and planning sales and marketing.

The presentation will be conducted by SCORE counselors Jeff Apton and Tom Longmire. Mr Apton was in sales and marketing for several Fortune 500 companies and started two successful health care advertising agencies. His work has been featured in several publications and on television.

Tom Longmire, chairman of the SCORE branch in Danbury, held positions in sales, marketing, and upper management with major chemical companies, and later a successful consulting business, serving clients including IBM and Xerox.

SCORE is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the US Small Business Administration. Nationwide, there are more than 11,000 volunteer business counselors who provide free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small business owners.

Counselors are experienced business people who have been successful entrepreneurs, business owners and senior executives. The local SCORE office is located in Danbury City Hall at 155 Deer Hill Avenue.

Seating is limited; to reserve a space, call the library at 797-4527.

For more information about the presentation or local SCORE services, view www.westernscore.com or contact Jeff Apton at japton@metis1.com.