All Entries in the "Spotlight" Category
Organizing In RI, LLC
Opened: April 6, 2012
Number of Employees: 1
Address: no store front
Website: www.organizinginri.com
Twitter: OrganizingInRI
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/organizinginri
Biggest challenge: My biggest challenge when deciding to start my business was brainstorming how I was going to market my business and how I would get in front of my target audience. I also wondered how the public would respond to my type of business and how well it would do in this economy. Having a positive outlook and ignoring the people that said I couldn’t do it only made me want to do it more and strive to be successful!
Profile
In February of this year, I decided it was time to start my own business. My dad owns his own business and my grandparents were also self-employed.
I’ve always wanted to have my own business but the timing was never right. Strong work ethic, drive and determination to succeed is what propelled me forward to reach this dream.
I started searching online for any resources that could help me establish my business. I found RISBJ which had very informative articles and resources. There was a section in the journal that advertised free seminars through the RI Small Business Recovery Program. I attended almost every free seminar in February that they offered and learned some very valuable information. These seminars motivated, energized, and excited me to move forward with my new venture!
I always surround myself with positive, uplifting people and often look to motivational quotes to inspire me.
By networking and talking to people, I have found there are many people that need my organizational help. Whether it be the busy professional juggling career and family, the disorganized small business owner, or homeowners that want more free time, want to save money, have less stress and have more energy. Organizing In RI is here to help.
New Service, LLC
Opened: February 2011
Number of Employees: 5-10
Address: Providence, RI
Website: www.servicetask.com www.servicekick.com
Biggest Challenge: Our biggest challenge has been branding our business. Often people are confused because we have many names. Our ‘mother’ business is New Service, LLC and our developments are ServiceTask and ServiceKick.
Profile
New Service LLC is a software development company that provides solutions for service companies. We have recently developed a simple web based scheduling application called ServiceTask as well as a simple web based testimonial management application called ServiceKick.
We chose to create solutions for field service companies because it seems to be the forgotten industry. Field service companies are often very busy and do not have a large background in technology. We have simplified everything so that you do not need to have a strong technological background to get your business organized and out to the public.
LoveGov
Opened: May 23, 2012
Number of Employees: 9
Address: 355 Hope Street, Unit 3, Providence RI 02906
Website: www.lovegov.com
Twitter: welovegov
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LoveGov
Biggest challenge: We need to build the initial website, prove the viability of our idea, and gain user traction, all before the November election.
Profile
LoveGov is building tools to help facilitate democracy. Our goal is to make it easier for people to stay informed and get involved in politics, especially young people. We believe that providing cohesive tools for accessing information, holding officials accountable, expressing views, and taking action, are crucial in making the political process accessible to the average citizen so that the American people can actually go about fixing the systemic problems we see in politics today.
The vision is to create a political social network: a one-stop shop for politics. We want to build the place where a citizen can interact with their politicians, government, and interest groups, from a local to a federal level.
Comments: We are committed to non-partisanship, government transparency and the right to individual privacy. We make a commitment to never sell our users personal information and have a simple privacy system where users toggle between public/anonymous. This way, every user can participate in politics and share their views, while knowing that they have control over what the world learns about them.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State
Two years ago, Big Sisters of Rhode Island made a “BIG” decision.
After successfully providing girls with mentors in Rhode Island since 1967, the organization decided to expand its program and begin to provide mentors to boys, and even changed its well-branded name to the more inclusive, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State (BBBSOS).
And now almost two years later, not only has the change been met with overwhelming enthusiasm, but it has allowed BBBSOS to launch new programs to match more boys and girls with mentors.
BBBSOS knows mentoring works. An independent research study found that after 18 months of spending time with their “Bigs,” the “Littles,” compared to those children not in the program, were:
- 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
- 27% less likely to begin using alcohol
- 52% less likely to skip school
- 37% less likely to skip a class
- 33% less likely to hit someone
What mattered to these kids was the fact that they had a caring adult in their lives. Because they had someone to confide in and to look up to, they were, in turn, doing better in school and at home, at a time in their lives when even small choices can change the course of their future.
The need for mentors in the Rhode Island area has never been greater, and with more kids and more programs, also comes the critical need for more men and women to volunteer and become mentors.
BBBSOS operates a number of mentoring for programs for children ages 7-15. The programs include:
Traditional Mentoring — matches at-risk children in long-term, one-to-one relationships with adult volunteer mentors. While “matches” may formally remain in the program until the boys and girls turn 18 or graduate from high school, many of these relationships will last a lifetime.
School Based Mentoring — pairs high school and college students with elementary and middle school students who may be in need of additional academic support or personal encouragement.
Mentoring for Children of Prisoners – helps reach some of this special population of 3,000 at-risk children in Rhode Island who have at least one parent in a state or federal prison.
Military Mentoring — provides one-to-one mentoring services to children of active duty military and deployed parents, and also engages members of the armed forces and military veterans as volunteers.
Big Couples — a new, innovative program launched just this summer which allows a married couple to share the mentoring responsibilities with a boy registered in the program.
To help fund it’s professionally supported mentoring programs, BBBSOS collects gently used clothing and small household items that are re-sold through its valued, strategic partnership with the Savers Corporation. Needed items include all types of clothing, household linens, toys, decorative items, books and shoes. Items can be brought to one of the BBBSOS Donation Centers on 1540 Pontiac Avenue in Cranston or 1341 West Main Road in Middletown, dropped into any of the 80 purple donation bins located around the state, or can be scheduled for a home pick up by calling (401) 921-2434.
The agency’s biggest need remains, however, for more men and women to step up and volunteer to be mentors. The time commitment is minimal – only a few hours every week or two – yet the impact is profound and can last a lifetime. Individuals, or couples, interested in learning more about becoming a mentor can call (401) 921-2434 or email mentoring@bbbsos.org
