Success Stories

Read how SCORE helps clients succeed

The Dress by Nicole—A Dream Fulfilled

Nicole Kurz’s dream was to start her own bridal and special occasions gown business in Wheaton, Illinois, but she needed sound advice and planning in order to realize her dream. Read More...

Babies and Business Plans: Precious Images Ultrasound

Adolphina Goodwin, a diagnostic sonographer of 12 years, has always had the entrepreneurial spirit. Read More...

“the modupe art gallery”—An artist’s dream realized

When Modupe Sodamade came to SCORE for advice, her desire was to plan a marketing strategy to sell her artwork. Read More...

Kicking Up the Kick-Off Transition Program

Kyle Lonzo, the 26 year old owner of The Kick-Off Transition Program, came to SCORE in 2004 to develop a growth strategy. Read More...

Quick Snippers—The Cutting Edge of Business

One of the more unique examples of innovative enterprise can be found in the product developed by Lisa Avery and Miriam Smith. Read More...

Bessie & Loie—A Fashionista’s Dream Come True

“Fashionista” Allyson Holleb had been a woman’s clothing buyer in New York. Read More...

Vianne Korhorn Art

Nancy Green is an accomplished artist who exhibits her Paintings in the on-line Vianne Korhorn Art Gallery and her Fine Art Prints on-line at Fine Art America.

Gate Systems Corporation—Opening the Gates to Greater Profits

Since 1993, John Hennessey’s company, Gate Systems Corporation, has been engaged in the business of installing automatic driveway gates in the north and northwest Chicagoland suburbs and southern Wisconsin resort areas. Read More...

SCORE Helps Entrepreneur Pick Up The Pace

Graham Henshaw has been a runner most of his life. But the founder and CEO of Adhesion LLC had the idea for his newest product—PaceTat ™-- while he has watching a race. Read More...

Essential E-Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork

Blessed with a compassionate heart and a strong desire for helping others, Michelle Johnson founded Essential-E Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. Michelle specializes in a variety of therapies, including clinical, prenatal and infant massage instruction. Read More...

THE INFIELD

Don Plantz had a dream of establishing a business to provide young baseball and softball players the training necessary to excel on the diamond. Don subsequently teamed up with Dusty Gilbreth, a former catcher at Barrington High School and North Central College, and a certified personal trainer. Their plan is to work with youth to maximize their potential by helping them to set personal goals and to meet those goals through participation in camps and lessons. One of their principal objectives is to work with aspiring pitchers so as to develop their skill and, equally important, to prevent injury to their pitching arm. Read More...

Xenos Media Group

In 2010 Antony Adolf founded Xenos Media Group, a one-stop media shop that provides “fit-to-budget”
targeted media production, marketing and social/new media services.

The Perfect Baby Shower Gift Is Born

Belly Vita is a unique woman-owned business, founded from a passion “to inspire moms- to-be to embrace their beauty, feel beautiful and celebrate the journey of motherhood.” Read More...

Cheshire Cat Confectionary

Lori Byars is the owner and “mad baker” of Cheshire Cat Confectionary, a manufacturer and distributor of uniquely designed cookies. Read More...

Starting Small as Key to American Data Cable’s Success

For many years, Tony Lewis, an expert at cable assembly and engineering, had intended to start his own business. Read More...

Kookaburra Play Café

Joanna and Andrea Dayco opened Kookaburra Play Café in Chicago as a place where children can play, create, explore, listen to stories and have a play date.

New-Age Preparatory Academy

Tanya and Chris Furlow had a passion to create a quality day-care center in their community. Read More...

Terry Hefter Associates - Licensed Psychotherapsits - A Professional Success

After ten years in business, Terry Hefter was concerned that her group psychotherapy practice was not generating enough profit for gross revenue earned. Read More...

The Kenilworth Dailey Method

The Dailey Method is a unique combination of ballet barre work, core conditioning, stretching and orthopedic exercises which, when practiced regularly, strengthens and tones women’s bodies like no other workout.

ChillinJoy—From a chilling idea to a hot business

Turning an ordinary problem into a profitable business is nearly everyone’s dream. Read More...

Patisserie 46—The Sweet Taste of Success

In France, the term “patisserie” may be legally used only by a bakery that employs a licensed maître patissier(master bakery chef). Read More...

Lake Mountain LTD—Helping to Develop Techniques for Success

Lake Mountain is a unique organization which specializes in working with professional and large membership associations. Read More...

Sick Gear - Creating a successful business out of a novel vision

Jim Glasgow had a vision to create a business selling specially-designed apparel to athletes engaged in the martial arts and other strenuous sports. Read More...

CLEAR ARMOR

Dave Trudeau was in the construction business and saw the need to provide superior building products. He discovered a laminate film, manufactured by a Canadian company, that makes existing windows smash, burglar, bomb, explosion and hurricane resistant, as well as providing measurable energy efficiency—a product in which Dave saw tremendous potential. Read More...

BABIES ONLY CHICAGO

Laura Bangart’s dream was to deliver top quality nursing help for mothers of newborns. She founded Babies Only Chicago which provides overnight, in-home care for newborn infants by experienced registered nurses. It also assists with lactation and establishment of a sleep schedule, and provides teaching to parents about basic infant care. Read More...

Tucan Clothing

Jason Johnson wanted to create a clothing line that communicates a positive lifestyle and encourages people “to pursue their dreams without hesitation.” Read More...

PING WU

Ping Wu moved to Chicago from China in 2004. Although she began her career as a physical therapist, her real ambition was to become a fashion designer. She designed a unique transformable fashion accessory, which she calls WrapPing. Its unusual design allows the wearer to configure it as a scarf, a hoodie, a shawl, an arm warmer, a decorative necktie, or whatever else the user might imagine. Read More...

EAGLE METALS & STEEL SERVICES

Eagle Metals & Steel Services was formed in 2009 by business entrepreneur Mark Kawczynski and experienced machinist and steel salesman Henry Enders. Henry (who lost his position in outside sales when his employer went out of business) and Mark (the owner of Melrose Mold and one of Henry’s former customers) recognized a demand by customers who were desperate for material to build their molds and dies. They decided to combine their talents in a new business which they incorporated under the name of Eagle Metals & Steel Services, Inc. After Mark Kawczynski passed away three years later, his daughter Kathryn continued working with Henry to grow the company. Read More...

STEVEN R. CULVER (HARNEW AND EDGEBROOK PUBLISHING, LLC)

Steven Culver has been a student of military history. Of particular interest to him is the seventeenth century Thirty Years War in Europe. Read More...

A Unique Idea Made Successful: Complete Home Inventory

Robyn Howard had a novel concept for a business. Read More...

FLAHERTY, INC.—Helping to Save a Business

After the sudden death of her husband three years ago, Catherine Flaherty and her daughter took on the responsibility of carrying on his business of manufacturing mustard and other condiments in Skokie, Illinois. Read More...

Saigon Sisters—A Great American Success Story

Mary Nguyen Aregoni and Theresa Nguyen are sisters who were born in Laos, lived in Vietnam and Thailand, and came to the United States as young children with their family in 1976. Read More...

Ticche & Bea—Turning a hobby into a successful business

Turning her skill with a sewing machine into a new business concept, Mary Mertens conceived the idea of making quilts out of fragments of a child’s baby clothes so as to preserve the childhood memory in the form of a beautiful and useful item of comfort. Read More...

Brown Eyed Suzan’s Cookies—From Hobby to Successful Business

For years Suzan Jardine baked brownies, cookies, scones and other “tasty treasures” which she would bring to her office to be enjoyed by fellow employees. Read More...

Compass Eye Care—A Vision for Success

After separating from active duty in the Navy, Dr. Albert Licup decided to move forward with his ambition to establish a state-ofthe-art optometry clinic in his hometown of Oak Park, Illinois. Read More...

Koru Street—Importing a Successful Business

During a visit to India in 2007, Amy Stretmater purchased some items that utilized environmentally hazardous waste materials (i.e. plastic bags and discarded innertubes) to create “clean, funky and fashionable” accessories such as handbags and wallets. Read More...

Hospital Companions--Turning A Sad Experience Into Business Success

This is the story of two young women who turned a sad experience into a rewarding business opportunity. Read More...

Organic Garden—A Successful Business Taking Root

Suzanne Nicksic had an ambition to build a successful business on her deep interest in gardening and organic products. Read More...

Fraiche Kitchen—A Fresh Idea That Paid Off

Taking advantage of the public’s growing desire for healthy foods, Dennis Ryan and Megan Munitz created Fraiche Kitchen to educate their clients, through innovative seminars and other educational offerings, about healthy eating and living. Read More...

Medusa's Stones—Medusa Was Never So Desirable

Sheila Papaionnou and her husband, Demetrios, capitalized on Sheila’s talent for creating lampwork (handmade) glass beads. Read More...

Going Green Made Easy

Maria Onesto Moran had an ambition to combine entrepreneurship with environmental responsibility. Read More...

Growing a Business With Email Advice—East-Terra

SCORE counselor Dave Lebowitz and Jian Chu, founder and owner of East-Terra Hardware Supply LLC have never met in person. Read More...

Urban Source Dramatically Increases Sales

Two women, Jennifer Rossignuolo and Rose Tejeda-Navarre, had started a business, called “Urban Source”, Read More...

Cleaning Service Owner with Disability Gets a Boost with Score's Help

Business advice, marketing help, and encouragement – Gene Davis, a disabled African American, found this and more when he began working with Elliot Shear, a SCORE counselor. Read More...

SCORE's Marketing Advice Helps IT Biz's Sales

Tom Brett and Tomasz Dzido had been running 12GA, an IT and web services business, for 18 months when they turned to SCORE for help— Read More...

Webbeams - Nationwide WIFI Leader

When Brian Van Lieshout and Chris Olson started WEBbeams, a WiFi hotspot service provider, they struggled to determine a good target market. Read More...

Pleasant House Bakery

Art and Chelsea Jackson are both trained chefs who had a dream of opening their own restaurant. Read More...

Loaf Serves Up a Big Success

Last year, Michael and Kama Rannells went to see family friend Al Grossman, a SCORE counselor, with their bright idea for a gourmet deli and grocery, Read More...

International Grain Markets History Expert Turns to SCORE's Experts

Hugh Ulrich, president of Commodity Center LLC, is one of the world’s experts on the history of international grain markets. Read More...

SCORE Helps a Newcomer to the U.S.

When Angelica Taylor-Cortes and her two sisters opened a successful language school in Mexico City, Angelica never dreamed she would one day open a similar business in Chicago. Read More...

Zanda Panda Specialty Bakeware

Sandra Lira is a sculptor who for many years used silicone in the process of creating bronze and resin sculpture. Read More...

Corrado Cutlery—The Cutting Edge of Success

Corrado Cutlery ran as a successful “brick and mortar” store in Chicago from 1905 until 2004. Read More...

Lounge Pac—Inventing to Success

Daniel Pedemonte is one of those inventors who has been able to bring his invention, which he calls Lounge Pac, to fruition. Read More...

Just Us Lawn Care—Bringing Needed Help to a Growing Business

Jimmie and Tiffany Williams started a snow removal business in December 2007. From that beginning, they expanded their business to include other services such as lawn care, landscaping and full building maintenance. Read More...

General Financial—A Business on the Move

Sabetay Palatchi had worked for a firm selling financial products to government employees and saw the need for better processing with improved client service. Read More...

Haven Art Group—The Art of Starting a Successful Business

Drawing on her experience as a paintings specialist at Sotheby’s of London, a supervisor of appraisers at Chubb Insurance and director of the art services division of American International Group, Read More...

The Legal Balance: Helping Women Attorneys Have Both Work and a Life

After watching women attorneys struggle to manage work and life, Erica Zalokar, a former corporate litigator, wanted to help them succeed in both dimensions. Read More...

Fitness Assets—A Business Fit for Growth

Bruce Gehrig founded Fitness Assets to provide asset management and MRO software to the fitness industry. Read More...

SITU BioSciences—Meeting the Test in the Marketplace

Seeing a need in the market for laboratory services with expertise in manufacturing and product development for microbial and biodegradable applications, Donald Satchell founded a testing laboratory under the name of Situ Biosciences LLC. Read More...

Elite Soccer—Growing a business with help from SCORE

Michael Steele and Brendan Eitz started their company, Elite Soccer, twelve years ago for the purpose of operating youth soccer camps and clinics in the Arlington Heights, Illinois community. Read More...

Linda Boardman—Artist and Entrepreneur

After retiring from psychiatric nursing in March 2009, Linda Boardman decidedto pursue her creative talent as an artist. Read More...

CheekyChicago.com—Turning a novel idea into a successful business

Jessica Zweig and Erica Bethe Levin saw a need in the Chicago marketplace for an online female-oriented resource which highlights restaurants, nightlife, music, theatre, health and fitness, fashion and a myriad other topics of interest to women. Read More...

Purses Plus--A Successful Business In The Bag

After several years of selling purses and accessories at various events, Kimberly Boozer decided it was time to move her business into a store-front boutique. Read More...

Shadow Executive Services—In the shadow of success

Shadow Executive Services—In the shadow of success Sandra Roos sought to capitalize on her experience as project director for the American Bar Association to start her own business offering administrative assistance to small-size not-forprofit associations. Read More...

Bella Café—Hopes and Dreams Fulfilled

Beginning in October 2008, Shawne and Andy Schillaci came to SCORE with their plan to acquire a restaurant business. Read More...

Chicago School Supply—A Story of Growth

In September 2006, Michael Ockrim began selling school and office supplies, as well as furniture and equipment, to schools in the City of Chicago. Read More...

Martha’s Jerk Chicken & Turkey Legs—A Tasty Way To Success

Charlene Tracey, together with her mother, Mirriam Murphy and brother, Donnavan Balfour, sought the advice of a SCORE counselor to fulfill their desire to open a Jerk Chicken restaurant on the south side of Chicago. Read More...

Premier Construction Solutions—Constructing a Thriving Business

Susan Macomber came to SCORE in January 2008 with a partial business plan to start her own business as a construction management consultant. Read More...

@WorkDesign—A Design for Success

Graphic Designer Julia Archer was decorating her own workspace when she realized that it was way too difficult to find accoutrements, such as desks, seating, lighting, shelving, paper goods and other office products, that both looked good and functioned the way she needed them to. Read More...