SCHAUMBURG, Ill.  (June 18, 2015) – Ridgestone Bank has become a major sponsor for the Chicago chapter of SCORE in 2015. SCORE is a nonprofit organization focused on helping small businesses get started, grow and operate correctly. The organization annually offers more than 300 free and low cost business related workshops. Ridgestone Bank will sponsor and present at workshops throughout the year as part of an ongoing commitment to foster small business growth.  

“Our partnership with SCORE Chicago will provide an opportunity for Ridgestone Bank to work with those in need and bolster their knowledge of starting and operating a small business,” said Bruce Lammers, president and CEO of Ridgestone Bank.  “This is another way to extend our initiative of supporting businesses throughout Chicagoland.”

“The partnership developed with the professionals of the Ridgestone Bank serves as a wonderful example of how private enterprise and SCORE can work together to provide expert advice to small business owners,” said Dan Pollock, SCORE Chicago’s chairman. “Our chapter has been able to recruit other businesses as sponsors using Ridgestone Bank as a model.”

The seminars being offered by Ridgestone Bank focus on developing a winning business plan from a banking perspective. The workshops discuss preparing a realistic plan that documents vision, goals and strategy as well as identifying the operations, marketing approach and financial implications. The workshops include identifying risks and developing expected cash flow based on chosen growth, in addition to guidance on understanding financial statements and how they relate to risk and performance.      

The workshop will be offered multiple times throughout the year and are free of charge. Those interested in attending can register through the SCORE Chicago website.

SCORE is a 50 year old, non-profit, resource partner of the SBA that utilizes the volunteer services of current and former business owners and executives to provide free, unlimited and confidential mentoring, free and low cost business workshops, and free consulting services to entrepreneurs starting and operating small businesses.

Ridgestone Bank is a privately-held bank with full-service branch locations in Brookfield, Wis. and Schaumburg, Ill., as well as loan production offices in Indianapolis, Northeast Wisconsin, Northcentral Wisconsin, Tennessee, Ohio and Southern California.  Founded in 1995, the bank is a leader in small business and government guaranteed lending nationwide.  Distinguished by the SBA as an “SBA Preferred Lender,” Ridgestone Bank is a top 10 SBA lender in the nation is the number one SBA lender in Illinois and is the number one SBA lender in its asset size in Wisconsin.  Ridgestone Bank is a leader in USDA lending in the United States and has been recognized as a valued partner by the USDA for its commitment to small businesses.  For more information, visit www.ridgestone.com.

# # #