Thanks go to Sharon Pound, APR, Gary McCormick, APR, and Alesa
Rottersman for serving on our February panel to discuss starting your
own agency or public relations consulting business. Their comments and
insights were very interesting. I think it was Sharon or Gary who
mentioned the organization SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives
Association), which is a local group of retired professionals who lend
their counseling services to start-up businesses for free. I have a
contact there who shared with me a useful book, "How To Really Start
Your Own Business," published by Inc. magazine. It's full of helpful
guidelines for getting a business plan in place, managing your
financials and other critical functions. It's available by calling
SCORE in Knoxville, 545-4203.
On another note, be sure to pick up the latest edition of the East
Tennessee Business Journal, which includes our first PRSA column. Our
first submission was graciously provided by Travis Parman, APR, whom
many of you know from his days as a member of this chapter. Travis
wrote a great article about employee communications. Check it out.
Sandra Plant, APR, is writing our second submission for the column this
month. I'll be contacting those of you who responded to me earlier,
expressing interest in also writing a column yourself. If you're
interested in doing this but haven't let me know yet, it's not too
late!
Remember that there will be no regular meeting for the chapter in March,
as we have the awards event coming up March 31 (you'll be receiving your
invitations soon). I look forward to seeing you there. I'd like to
thank Melissa Flynn and her committee (including Cheryl Ball, APR, Becky
Huckaby, Bonnie Riechert and Aaron Gallaher) for the great work they've
done getting this event together. It's going to be terrific. Also,
Susan Barnes, APR -- our past president -- is personally overseeing the
judging of our entries by the Nashville Chapter.
Thanks,
Mary Beth West, APR
President, Volunteer Chapter
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