The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
SCORE recognizes small business winners
CONCORD» Five area entrepreneurs were recognized Thursday as the Chester and Delaware County SCORE chapter presented its Small Business Achievement Awards.
This was the eighth year the organization has recognized small business owners that reached out to SCORE for mentoring and assistance in starting or growing their businesses.
Recognized for excellence in small business this year were:
• Delightful Detail of Concordville owner Anton Dell’Orefice, who left a commercial real estate career, installed an embroidery machine in his basement, and launched Delightful Detail. The company provides custom embroidery promotional items and screen printing. In 2017 he doubled his income from clothing sales. Delightful Detail uses environmentally friendly techniques.
• Dynamic Home Therapy in Wayne founder Dr. Jennifer Brown, who in 2012 was the company’s only employee, providing in-home rehabilitation assistance to people suffering from neurological conditions ranging from dementia to Parkinson’s disease. The company now has 18 employees servicing Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.
• Grandma Zook’s Bakery and Produce in West Vincent founder Angie Frame, who with her husband Kenny, purchased the Frame family property 16 years ago. After leasing out the property’s produce stand for 10 years, Angie Frame took over operations in 2016. Since then, she has met every business goal and the business carries no debt.
• SoulScapes Reiki Laser Skin Center in West Chester founder Tracie Ullman, a registered nurse who is also trained in Reiki, Healing Touch, is a licensed cosmetologist and medical esthetician and a graduate of the Institute of Laser Medicine. SoulScapes was founded in 2010 and began offering aesthetics in 2014.
• Two Gander Farm in Downingtown founders Deirdre and Trey Flemming, who began farming a 10-acre tract owned and managed by the Brandywine Conservancy in 2009. In 2014 the farm became USDA certified organic. As a community supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, Two Gander Farm offers memberships to its customers. With 106 members in 2017, the goal for 2018 is 150 members.
Each winner had an opportunity at the luncheon to talk briefly about their journey.
Dr. Jennifer Brown, founder
of Dynamic Home Therapy in Wayne said she has been working with SCORE for about two years. At the beginning of the relationship she was seeing 30 patients every month — working out of her car — while trying to grow the business. The mentoring she received from SCORE has allowed her to focus and grow the business.
“SCORE has been wonderful, I recommend it to every small business owner I meet,” she said.
In the past two months, Brown has become certified in a national boxing program for Parkinson’s patients called Rock Steady Boxing.
“It was the day before registration, and I said if I didn’t do it I would regret it. Two months later we’re at full capacity and outgrowing the space,” she said.
John Nelson was one of the SCORE mentors that began working with Angie Frame of Grandma Zook’s Bakery and Produce about 2½ years ago when she was getting ready to open the business in West Vincent.
“It was a pleasure to work with her. She would express concerns, we’d give feedback and the next week she would be back with her solution,” Nelson said.
The business sells baked goods, produce, seasonal flowers and plants, sandwiches, smoothies and juices.
Frame said she had never seen a business plan before she started working with SCORE, but found it “took a lot of the mystique out of what I do.” This summer marks Frame’s third season with the business, which now has about 10 full- and part-time employees.
SCORE mentor Wilson Chu told the group that like most entrepreneurs, Tracie Ullman of SoulScapes Reiki Laser Skin Center on West Chester started her business in her own home, but has since moved to her own facility.
Ullman said she always knew she would own her own business.
She acknowledged that when she decided that to open SoulScapes, a holistic medical spa, she did not know how to write a business plan. She contacted SCORE, which guided her on writing a business plan and how to market the business.
“She has a knack for promoting her expertise and her business. She has hosted a radio show on WCHE, she is also teacher in the Chester County adult night school, she has a TED Talk on YouTube and she has appeared on the Dr. Oz show,” Chu said.
Since 2014, Ullman said she has quadrupled her profits, adding that she is now focusing on achieving a seven figure income by 2020.
“I couldn’t have done any of this without the help of SCORE,” she said.
Anton Dell’Orefice remembers leaving his job in 2008, buying an embroidery machine, and starting Delightful Detail in his basement.
“My wife gave birth 11 days later to our fourth child — the timing was perfect,” he told the crowd with a laugh. “I remember I told my grandmother I had just started a business and she handed my business card back to me and said ‘you better go get a job.’”
The business, he said, just kept growing.
“All of a sudden we moved to a store in Concordville, and things got big quick. We had to make a decision on equipment and I needed to go back to SCORE,” he added. The company recently started a new venture — purchasing a laser engraver.
“Every step of the way, SCORE has been there,” Dell’Orefice said.
One award winner was not in attendance at the luncheon — Two Gander Farm. Owners Dierdre and Trey Flemming could not attend because with no rain in Thursday’s forecast, they needed to be working at the farm.
SCORE mentor Jerry Francis said that the first time he talked with the Flemmings about their plans, he could see how farming and business crossed over. He added that SCORE has worked with Two Gander Farm for the last couple of years.
“The last time we met they could say SCORE helped them in the planning process,” he said.
In addition to plaques from SCORE, the winners were recognized with citations from county, state and federal legislators.
In attendance were state Rep. Carolyn Comitta (D156th Dist.) and Eric Roe (R-158th Dist). Chester County Commissioners Michelle Kichline, Kathi Cozzone and Terrance Farrell also offered their congratulations.
Also on hand for the event were two members of the Delaware County Council — Kevin Madden and Colleen Marone, vice chairman.
“I couldn’t help but think as each of you was giving your presentation — that there are more than 12 kids among you,” Marone said. “One of the things I thought was amazing is what your children get to grow up with, how they get to see their parents be successful to develop these skills and the skills you are going to give them as they grow up.”
For more information about Chester and Delaware County SCORE visit https://chesterdelco.score.org/