SCORE's Work With Franchise Learning Center Owners Is A Lesson In Start-Up Success

Taking early retirement after more than three decades of working in the Lawton, OK, public school system didn't mean that Howard and Jo Jean Johnson were ready to slow down. They dreamed of starting a business that would fill a need in the community and provide them with a successful career change. SCORE counselor provided advice on banking, legal issues and zoning. As with most of new enterprises, though, the big issue was money, put us in touch with a bank and helped us prepare the business plan for the loan application. That led to an SBA-backed loan that we used to pay the franchise fee, lease a building, do the build-out, purchase equipment, meet city zoning requirements and meet our other start-up costs.