Welcome, ScoopVIZION to our Family!

Well, here we go again… I’m taking another Leap of Faith and this time I am taking Scoop into an entirely different direction. I am sure by now you know I am a woman of Faith, and I believe in my heart that God is my reason, and that this is Scoop’s season… And for that reason, and that reason alone, I am taking this Leap and Trusting that VIZION is needed and is part of Scoop’s Mission.

After the past three years, and the lessons I’ve learned taking my first leap and taking on this business; I’ve decided that it’s best to share my lessons and hopefully help some people who, just like me are taking their own Leaps, possibly wanting something and not truly understanding what they are getting.
People often tell you to identify something in you that is a strength and a weakness and my weakness is, fortunately my need to help others. The part that makes this a weakness is that my need often makes me jump into action, at times without all of the facts. And, I now know that is exactly what I did taking on Scoop. Now, that’s not to say that I regret anything. No it’s just that I had no idea what I was doing. My heart and soul were “open” and I knew that keeping Scoop alive was something that I must do, but my “eyes” were completely closed… I had hopes and dreams, but no VIZION.
I walked into Scoop in total blindness. I had no idea of what it would take to run a newspaper or any other business for that matter. I had graduated from Murrell Dobbins and attended Community College of Philadelphia where I majored in Accounting. I had a Bachelor’s in Business Management and a Master’s in Human Capital Management, and I thought this should not be difficult at all. My Boss, Sonny Driver, had run the paper for years and it looked easy. And, that is where I went wrong. I forgot the Rule of Diminishing Returns—the fact that the more you put into something the less it takes to complete; and, ultimately your skill levels increase so it looks and actually is easy for someone who has 60 years invested. But for a novice, no not easy at all; it was actually really, really hard.
It didn’t take long for me to learn that I was possibly, in over my head. Within the first two weeks of owning Scoop, I had to use that BA and first determine what type of business “Scoop” would be, and actually become a legal entity. I can tell you that, while I was happy to not own Sonny Driver and Associates, I was very upset that I had to start a business, transfer and establish the DBA for Scoop, get an EIN and then try to get bank accounts and legitimize this business. It was a lot and I was literally thrown into this with no time to hesitate or procrastinate. I had to become the owner of Scoop right away. The staff had been running Scoop for almost a year, and it was running; but no one was promoting or selling ads, it was operating on namesake and annual accounts alone.. And, with no one working the business, it was not generating any new accounts. Things were bleak.
In addition, it was in my best interest to make sure all legal documentation was done, while Mr. Driver was still with us; and there was an urgency to give him the comfort of knowing I was fine and everything was done properly. His main concern was that I had no problems taking his helm and continuing his legacy.
My challenges went from learning how to establish a business to learning how to transfer accounts, advertising, marketing, branding and rebranding and at the same time learning how to maintain the day to day functions of running an office.
Today I am in my fourth year, and I can say my introduction to owning a business was definitely interesting, challenging and rewarding. My education and life experiences helped, but I believe I was still operating at a loss. I had to fall, and am still falling and getting back up each time. Each and every day there is another challenge, something to make me think “Why.”
And, that Why is what has brought me to this new publication and my need to publish ScoopVIZION. The things I have learned in the past three years, can definitely benefit others. On top of that, there are many people who are skilled and professionals in areas of practical business that can help small business people understand practices and protocols, so they are not totally blindsided by the intricacies of the Business World.
So, there you have it, ScoopVIZION is here. It is another resource “tool” to help navigate the world we live in, to help others by providing an informational and educational platform of the world of Small Businesses. We will feature international businesses, and introduce information that will be timely and provide direction on topics that are impacting our communities. With the help and support of professionals and educational institutions, as well as Scoop’s columnists and reporters, our goal will be to bring a unique mix of current events, and business protocols to help our readers navigate and respond appropriately to situations as they occur.
ScoopVIZION will be available in print for those who have a subscription, and will be accessible in Scoop’s Digital platform with a subscription beginning April 1, 2021. The first edition, will be distributed to ScoopUSA Media subscribers and will also be available for online at NO COST.