Cope chosen small business woman of the year

Vermont Business Magazine, Jun 01, 2005 by Herrington, Kate

If you knew nothing about Paula Cope but met with her for even a few minutes, chances are you'd be impressed. If you left the meeting with an impression of having spoken to a consummate professional, you'd be exactly right. Cope's abilities to listen well, ask questions, note connections and make astute assessments seem to be a natural part of who she is. Combined with her passion for learning, these abilities have helped her create a well-known and respected consulting business in Burlington, Vermont. Cope & Associates is a consulting firm with specialties in management consulting, human resources, training and development and project management. For her company's staying power, continued growth, innovative services and response to adversity, the US Small Business Administration (SBA) has named Paula Cope, President and Owner, Cope & Associates, Inc., the 2005 Small Business Woman of the Year.

"In both her life and her diverse career, Paula Cope has helped diminish the barriers of gender stereotypes through repeated demonstrations of personal strength, unwavering focus and a willingness to take risks," said SBA New England Regional Administrator Charlie Summers. "She is a model of leadership values and a source of inspiration to business women and men alike."

By her own admission, Cope has always been an overachiever, even as a child. Said Cope, "I once attended a retreat dinner in which someone quoted Winston Churchill as having said, 'Never, never, never, never give up,' and it hit me like a ton of bricks, because I'd never quit anything. Until that moment, I didn't realize I even had that other choice."

Overachieving is a Cope mindset that has produced success after success. Working from her home, she started her business in 1991 without capitalization or assets of any kind. As her consulting reputation gained momentum, the company expanded from 1 to 4 employees, and additional space became imperative. In Nov. 2000, Cope & Associates moved to their present location overlooking City Hall Park in downtown Burlington. At that time, the future looked bright. However, the subsequent collapse of the NASDAQ resulted in a serious slowdown of the U.S. economy and dire warnings of national and global recession.

Following the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, the U.S. economy was further undermined by fear and uncertainty. Economic recession became a reality. "We watched almost all of our competitors go out of business," Cope said. But quitting was not a Cope option. She sought financial backing and received it in the form of an SBAguaranteed loan from Banknorth. Cope and her associates put all their resources into staying in business and managed to outlast the worst of the recession. "Without the support of SBA and Banknorth, we might not have made it," Cope acknowledged. "But our income is climbing back up, and this month will be our second highest month in all 14 years of business."

Cope & Associates, now expanded to a staff of 8, have not merely lasted, they've scored a number of benchmark achievements. In 2002, they assisted the Vermont Captive Insurance Association in its quest for an educational initiative that would increase the competencies of captive professionals worldwide. In just under two years, Cope and her team provided an indepth analysis and comprehensive business plan that led to the creation of the International Center for Captive Insurance, the first of its kind anywhere. In a letter endorsing Cope's nomination, the Vermont Captive Insurance Association's president, Molly Lambert, said, "Ultimately the quality of an entire industry will be enhanced because of the increased skill and knowledge of its participants. This would not have happened without the extraordinary, work of Paula and her team, which carefully prepared the foundation for the program."

In 2004, the U.S. Botanic Garden and the National Gardening Association requested assistance with its precedent-setting goal of fitting plant-based learning into every curriculum across the country. Cope's team undertook significant research and facilitated a two-day, Washington, D.C. congress for the Partnership for Plant-Based Learning, a collaborative of horticulturalists, botanists, plant and soil scientists and professors from around the country.

Cope's ties with the world of academia reflect an emotional bond going back to her childhood. Raised in Brooklyn by a single-parent mother, a woman with mental health and substance-abuse issues, Cope found support and guidance at school. As a child, she was often left alone and seldom had the means to prepare or buy her own lunch. According to Cope, her 4th grade teacher noticed and provided food on a daily basis. "She would start by saying, 'Look at this, my husband packed an extra sandwich and an extra apple for me. Why don't you stay and help me eat all this food and we'll work on some projects?"' Cope recalled. Cope strongly identified with the educational process and found great satisfaction in learning. She was a success achiever from the beginning, starting public school at 4 and skipping 8th grade to be placed in advanced classes.