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Savvy Communications Pro
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Michelle Howe always knew she wanted to start her own business. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. As a child, my friends and I made pin-cushions that looked like miniature hats and sold them door to door, so we could go to camp,” says Michelle. But, as a busy mother of three and full-time writing instructor, the time wasn’t right. That changed when her youngest child was a senior in high school. Excited by the possibility of turning her skills in business communications into a business, Michelle began making plans to launch “Howe Write You Are” Business Communications—a consulting firm specializing in Web and business writing, coaching, workshop writing and public speaking. Six months before taking the leap, she began laying the groundwork for her business and saving money by living off of her husband’s income. As a professor with many years of experience teaching business communications, Michelle recognized the value of clear, well-written business writing. She says, “I saw how difficult it was for my college students to learn proper business writing skills. I knew there was a workforce out there that needed business writing skills and no one was available to help companies with this problem.”
In July 2002, Michelle was ready to start her business. Around that time, she emailed the local Santa Ana, CA SCORE Chapter to ask a marketing question, and was invited to meet face-to-face with a SCORE counselor. On her first visit to the chapter, she met Counselor Bill Morland, who was very enthusiastic about her business idea. Bill encouraged Michelle to talk further with Counselor Robin Noah, who, as a former human resources vice president, has an extensive training background. Michelle and Robin met several times to discuss marketing materials and ideas for promoting “Howe Right You Are.” Michelle says, “Both counselors were very enthusiastic about what I wanted to do and gave me the confidence to go forward. When you first start out, you think you have a good idea, but you aren’t sure. Those self-doubts can really eat you up.” Today, Michelle and Robin continue their mentoring relationship by corresponding weekly through email. “She is always sending me great articles or Web site links and I’m always updating her on what’s the latest with my business.” In her second year of business, Michelle continues to search for new ways to reinvent herself and increase her marketability by offering diversified services. In addition to her core business services, Michelle writes a column for the Riverside Business Journal and is gearing up to sell her writing workshops in CD-ROM format on her Web site. Her best advice to someone starting out as a small business owner, is to “Get advice from SCORE counselors. If you are lucky enough to establish a mentoring relationship like I have with Robin, you are set for life. There is no way you can fail if you’ve got SCORE on your side.” For more success stories, visit the SCORE Archives.
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