experiences with SCORE Chicago?

[clueless]

I did a quick search and didn't see much. Have you used them or know anyone who has? I've seen their site, but am curious about personal experiences and what to expect if I ask them for help.

[vangogh]

Welcome to the forum clueless. Sorry you haven't received any help yet. I'm not familiar SCORE in general and definitely not specifically with them in Chicago. What kind of help are you hoping to receive? Most of us probably don't know SCORE Chicago, but we can probably offer some general thoughts if we know what kind of help you'd like.

When I started my business I did spend some time with an SBA office near me. I asked a lot of questions, mostly in regards to taxes, which I wasn't sure how to go about doing. I also sat in on some talks about general business to further my education. While I can't say the help I got turned me into an expert, it certainly helped remove some confusion and pointed me in the right direction. Years later I'm still happy I spent some time seeking help there.

[clueless]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

I have a normal 9-5. As a hobby, I like to collect stuff. Mostly antiques, art, stuff that looks unique. I go to auctions, estate sales, etc. I do a little bit on ebay, but not enough to qualify as a business. I've had some opportunities to buy large quantity of items at once, but wouldn't want to keep most of it. I store everything in a 5k sqft warehouse. (A friend of mine sold his business and I've been renting it the last couple of months while throwing this idea around.)

If I bought these large lots, I would need to hold sales, maybe once or twice a month. I would need to hire at least 2 people to run it. The people interested like the idea of getting a % of the sale, instead of an hourly wage. Basically, I have the space, interested workers, and can get my hands on merchandise.

I'm curious about what I would need in order to have everything legit. Permits, taxes, etc. And starting cost.

[vangogh]

Since you mention Chicago, I'll assume you live in Illinois. For most states you can find a lot of information on the website for the Secretary of State (http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/). The link will take you to the site for Illinois. You can see a link for Business on the left. Check the link that appears in the main window for Trademark/Servicemark. That's where you'll be able to register a name for your business.

Here's a link to the Illinois Department of Reveue (http://www.revenue.state.il.us/Businesses/). The link should go directly to information for businesses including how to register a business and tax information. Between the two sites you should be able to find everything you need to cover the legal and tax information you're looking for.

As far as starting costs I can't really help you with specifics. The costs to set up a business with the state shouldn't be a lot. Here in Colorado I was up and running for less than $20, however that's Colorado and that's my business. You might decide you want to set up a limited liability corporation (LLC) or some other type of corporation, which would cost more. I'm not sure what if any are the costs of getting the paperwork filed with the state.

It sounds like you major costs are the lots and any merchandise you decide to acquire. You'll do better figuring out those costs. Be conservative in your estimate and assume your costs will be higher than you think. Hopefully that covers you for anything unexpected. Also think about how much you can reasonably get back in return. In all likelihood you aren't going to know all these numbers absolutely. Some guesswork is going to be involved and then it's up to you to decide if it's worth giving the business a try. That's why it's better not to be overly optimistic or pessimistic in your estimates.

By the way I think these are all things CORE could probably help with. It certainly won't hurt to get in touch with them and ask some questions. You should be talking to people in your area who have been through starting a business and can offer more specific information.

[Michael]

If you want free, confidential and lifetime business advice, turn to SCORE. As a volunteer for SCORE Chicago I can tell you SCORE mentors are exceptional and offer a wealth of information for you to tap. The 120 or so volunteers in the area are either existing or retired business owners and executives with years of successful experience. We volunteer to help small business owners and start ups aspire, grow and succeed. There are over two dozen mentoring locations in the area. And if someone cannot be of assistance locally, we can call upon the remaining 13,000 nationwide volunteers for email or possible Skype mentoring.

SCORE also offers educational materials online and through workshops and library (and other location) presentations. We are a resource arm of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

And please remember, we were all clueless at one time! Only by asking questions and seeking assistance did we learn and grow! Good luck in your endeavors.

[Harold Mansfield]

To answer the original question, years back I went the local SCORE office inside the old main post office in Downtown Las Vegas. They gentlemen there were extremely helpful and gave me a lot of good advice.

I didn't end up starting that particular business, but just a one hour meeting with them changed my way of thinking from romanticizing starting a business based on a dime a dozen idea, to rolling up my sleeves and learning something.

I walked away with a very positive feeling about the program and, it's actually pretty hard to believe that it exists. I highly recommend going to see them. It's a great resource for Small Businesses.