SCORE Minnesota

Small Business Success-The Stuff of Dreams!

June 17, 2010

As Chairperson of the Minneapolis Chapter of SCORE, I have the privilege and thrill of helping aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners turn their ideas into successful businesses. However, I also have a ring-side seat when those ideas fail to materialize. Still, when a small business succeeds far beyond expectations, it is truly the stuff (or stuffing, as it were) of dreams. Here is one such story.

John Sortino noticed that all of his son’s stuffed animals were made in other countries. The more he thought about it the more he inspired he became to create an American made teddy bear. And, the rest of the story , as Paul Harvey, the legendary radio personality and commentator used to say, is history. Sortino founded the Vermont Teddy Bear Company in the early 1980s.

Sortino’s concept was original in that his teddy bears were customized and shipped via “Bear Grams”. As a result of the “one of a kind” nature of the products and the clever method of delivery, the company ran memorable radio ads and offered a wide range of gift options. While you might say the Vermont Teddy Bear Company is “the stuff (ing) of dreams”,  it was certainly no piece of cake for Sortino.

As an entrepreneur, Sortino had to overcome many hurdles before his company achieved the success it enjoys today. When Sortino needed help, he turned to his local SCORE office. One of the huge hurdles Sortino had to overcome was a reluctance on the part of local retailers to carry his hand-crafted teddy bears. This inspired him to try selling them from a pushcart in Vermont’s well known downtown marketplace in Burlington, Vermont. Sortino’s SCORE counselor turned out to be instrumental in helping him develop his push cart operation into a small manufacturing operation which wholesaled his teddy bears to small specialty stores. Of course, ultimately, Vermont Teddy Bear grew into a national franchise.

When Sortino wanted to build a new factory to meet increasing market demand, he called SCORE once a gain. His counselor was Al Huber, an expert in factory operations. Al helped Sortino set up the manufacturing process for making bears.

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company was nationally recognized by the 1990s. In no time at all (or so it seemed) this privately held business became a public, ranking 21st in 1994 as one of the fastest growing public companies according to Inc. magazine. Since then, the company has added online shopping and increased the range of its products.

After leaving the Vermont Teddy Bear Company in 1995 to pursue other interests, Sortino is a successful business consultant.  He is the author of the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Successful Entrepreneuring, now in its fifth printing, is planning a series of business books for young people. Sortino says this to say about business and SCORE:

“Having a business sounds like a wonderful dream, but it’s really very tough. You’re by yourself, your plans may not be working out and you’re trying to figure out how to solve problems or keep things growing. When possible, people should talk to SCORE counselors and get different perspectives, because they have so much information and experience to share. It’s like the gods of business coming in to help you be successful.”

Of course, every aspiring entrepreneur and small business owner dreams of the kind of success that John Sortino achieved. Regrettably, a high percentage of them won’t even come close to the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. But, you can follow John’s example and contact SCORE for free mentoring and advice. SCORE also provides low-cost training on how to start-up and grow a small business.

If you want to learn more about how to start, operate and grow a successful business contact SCORE by clicking the link on the right to the office nearest you or click here to request free face to face counseling.

Have you ever considered volunteering for SCORE? Our members help millions of new or existing small businesses succeed each year by sharing their knowledge and experience. Click here or the link on the right to the office nearest you to learn more.

You can also connect with SCORE in their LinkedIn Group and on Twitter. More information about SCORE is available by clicking the SCORE ‘tab” above.

At the least, allow me to invite you to our new LinkedIn group, “Minnesota Small Business – Powered by SCORE”. In the group you will have the opportunity to meet many of your peers (other small biz owners) as well as many of our SCORE counselors. The group is a great forum for asking or answering questions or simply commenting on posts by others. Join us today.

Randi Luoto, Minneapolis SCORE
View more posts by Randi Luoto

Filed under: Business Planning,Entrepreneurship,SCORE Success Stories

Tags: entrepreneurs, John Sortino, score, SCORE Counselors, Vermont Teddy Bear Company