SCORE Seminars Aim to Help Local Businesses Thrive This Holiday Season

The upcoming holiday shopping season is a crucial one for businesses affected by this year’s COVID-19 pandemic, and a group of business veterans is offering free tips on to make it a better season.The nonprofit organization SCORE, which operates out of the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub in Haverhill, matches experienced business mentors with entrepreneurs. SCORE volunteer Michael Thompson was a guest this week on WHAV’s morning program, and explained upcoming online seminars offers timely help. One takes place this Thursday, Oct. 22,at 1 p.m.,  providing “Planning Tips to Make Your E-Commerce Business Thrive During Peak Season.”“Helping people develop their plans for Thanksgiving and holiday shopping. It’s usually a big time for anyone in the retail business—and you want to make sure you have something to offer, but also that you get the word out. We were talking earlier how about presenting yourself in a succinct manner, while online is about doing it in as few words—taglines and so on. So, that’s where we can help people,” he said.Earlier this week SCORE offered an online seminar on the benefit of online reviews, gathering positive reviews and using them to improve your product or service. Thompson said 90% of online shoppers say they have been influenced by customer reviews.Scheduled for next Thursday, Oct. 29, at 1 p.m., is an online seminar entitled “Funding Options for Hispanic Businesses in ‘Missing Middle’ gap” where the amount being sought is too small for a traditional bank, yet too large for a microfinance institution, or nonprofit lender. The webinars, and other information, is available at SCORE.org.Support the show