Month One -Smoffice Report with Shannon

Shannon Frunza, The Paperwork Agency

Smoffice Report for Blog

Month One- June 11- July 12, 2018

The Paperwork Agency was at the skeletal stages of planning when I first embarked on my journey as one of the winners of Smoffice 2018. On a whim, I approached Chad Ballantyne, who gave me insight into the contest and encouraged me to apply. I submitted my application not fully understanding how life changing this opportunity could be for me. In one short month, I have not only received a chance to be as productive as I can be in such a wonderful space that The Creative Space offers, but I have also received an enormous amount of support as I wade through the uncertain waters of being a young Entrepreneur. 

I personally believe that mentorship in this process is detrimental. No one knows their own ideas better than themselves. So, I sat down confidently and shared my grand visions with Marc Castel, CEO of Fixx Software and serial entrepreneur. Marc followed along and then provided some careful instructions. Know your business inside out fully, so much so you can navigate questions and inquiries with ease and confidence. I wasn’t quite there yet. I had this big idea but couldn’t fully provide a list of services with a price tag for what I was providing. I took to filling in the answers to some important questions surrounding my small business. Working on the exercises he suggested strengthened my core ideas and plans. I left our meeting with a new sense of direction that I have since been applying to my work and as I move ahead.  Next, I met with Barb Stuhlemmer from BLITZ Business Success. While I felt more confident with my product there was still much to learn. She took to answering the lingering questions I had, and we settled on solving some of my issues with the implementation of an effective pricing model. She urged me to continue my research on the industry, to learn the language, and to settle on a pricing model that would really work for me. From these interactions, I was really beginning to grasp what was needed to develop a strong business plan. 

As important as the mentorship component is to Smoffice we can’t forget about the amazing offerings from the sponsors. Chad and Sandra from the Creative Space and Rhubarb Media really understand and support the challenges that new business owners face. The Paperwork Agency seemed to communicate my services effectively to myself, but the name of my business was sparking confusion and questions to new people I was networking with. What was I needing to cement my brand and communicate exactly what it was I could do for people? Chad, and his brilliantly creative mind offered a simple solution, why not consider a name change? I am excited to report that this process is underway along with the necessary marketing components that go along with it.

On top of those exciting changes, I have also put to use of the family membership generously offered by the YMCA, which comes in handy when enjoying the free pizzas offered by Topper’s Pizza. It’s amazing to realize that as I move forward, there are still plenty of services to access from all who have sponsored this great competition. 

Wrapping up this first month with Smoffice has proved that through tons of support, hard work, motivation, and serious dedication, those dreams that we reach for can really happen. Thank you so much, everyone and I can’t wait to share the exciting new details that the second month will bring. 

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