| SCORE HELPS TECHNICAL
CONSULTANT OPEN DOORS TO NEW MARKETS
By Joan Trudell, SBA
Shirley Young was among the thousands of entrepreneurs
who successfully rode the wave of the global technology boom
during the late 1990s. Her company, Global Advanced Technology,
Inc. (GATI), provided engineering and management services
to some of the nation’s leading telecommunications and
networking, and fault-tolerant computing companies, and served
as the U.S. distributor for a line of computers and accessories.
But as demand for technology services waned,
so too did opportunities in GATI’s primary markets.
In 2003, Shirley decided to refocus the company’s direction
and pursue consulting contracts with the federal government
and the State of Massachusetts. Unfamiliar with the nuances
of the public-sector procurement process, Shirley became frustrated
when her responses to government solicitations went unanswered.
While following up on an SBA workshop on federal
contracting, Shirley saw a sign for the Boston office of SCORE
and decided to learn more about the organization. That led
to her first meeting with Fred Larson, who had spent many
years with a leading defense contractor.
“Fred took an immediate interest in GATI,”
Shirley says. “He helped me prepare an application to
be certified under the SBA’s 8(a) small business development
program, and began reviewing my proposals to make sure I could
justify my prices. He’s very detail oriented, often
playing Devil’s Advocate to help make my proposals as
strong as possible.”
Shirley adds that Fred has also become a trusted
mentor. Their meetings usually follow an agenda that covers
action items for current or pending proposals; marketing,
personnel, and financial matters; and personal issues. “As
a single mother who is the sole owner of a company, that’s
very important,” Shirley explains. “Whatever affects
me personally directly affects my business.”
What kind of difference has Fred and SCORE made
on GATI? “When I refocused the company, GATI had lost
almost all its business,” Shirley says. “A year
later, we have six contracts with the state, and are a subcontractor
on a project for the Department of Defense. And where before
our proposals would generate no response, we regularly receive
positive comments about the quality of their organization
and content.”
GATI’s success has also enabled Shirley
to share her knowledge and experience with other minority
women entrepreneurs. She is an active member of the Outreach
Committee of Massachusetts Affirmative Marketing Program,
which works to help other woman- and minority-owned businesses
participate in the state contracting system, and has participated
in a variety of high-profile events with Massachusetts’s
legislative and business leaders.
Despite her increasingly hectic schedule, Shirley
continues to have regular meetings with her SCORE counselor.
“We meet several times a month or even more often, depending
what’s going on with GATI,” she says. “Fred
is so accessible. He gave me his home email and phone number
so I can call if something comes up between our meetings.
He also passes along information that he feels will be helpful
to me and my business. There’s no doubt that Fred has
had a tremendous impact on GATI.”
“I can ask Fred’s advice on
anything, from structuring a proposal to working with vendors.
He cares a great deal about my business.”
Shirley Young, President
Global Advanced Technology, Inc.
SMALL BUSINESS STAT SHEET
Name: Global Advanced Technology, Inc.
Phone: 781/545-3546
Website: www.GATIs.com
Founded: 1995
Employees: 10
Type: Woman-owned (S) Corporation
Best advice to someone starting out: “Your business
will always experience ups and downs, so never get discouraged.
Just because a potential customer says no once doesn’t
mean you won’t have another opportunity later on.”
|
