"We volunteer our expertise to cultivate America's economic growth."
Since 1964, SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives Association, has provided retired professional managers from all disciplines to provide management assistance to the current generation of small-business owners. SCORE has nearly 800 offices nationwide and 13,000 volunteer SCORE counselors to provide you assistance. And best of all, SCORE services are free. All you have to do is ask and a SCORE counselor will help you with your business questions or problems. SCORE is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
It may sound too good to be true, but each year more than 150,000 people come to SCORE to get help with their business planning, whether it be in starting up a business or keeping it operating profitably. After determining your needs, a SCORE counselor with a similar background will be assigned to you.
For example, if you need help in setting up a ready-to-wear store, a counselor with retail experience--most likely from ready-to-wear--will be your counselor. In this way, your counselor knows the territory you are about to chart. He or she is able to help divert you from some of the problems that may impede your success and help you plan for proper business development. He or she will be able to help with relevant things such as how to deal with manufacturers, getting proper types and levels of credit, etc. And since no one person can be all things, your counselor may call in other counselors with expertise from fields such as accounting, marketing, finance, and so forth. You can meet with your counselor(s) as often as you like. Many SCORE clients touch base for years just to get an independent perspective from someone they trust.
Since 1964, more than 2.5 million business people have sought the assistance of SCORE's seasoned professional managers--managers that have 30 or 40 years of experience and have seen the roadblocks and surpassed them. Their experience is invaluable. There's a SCORE Chapter office near you where you can tap into this rich lode of experience. The service is free, the advice is priceless!
Every sixty minutes of every business day, over 100 small business owners and managers are seeking the assistance of SCORE's vast roster of expert business managers. Here's why you should too:
* SCORE has 13,000 business experts to assist you in developing and growing your small business;
* SCORE can mix and match the expertise you need, for example, a retailer, a restaurateur, an accountant, an advertising exec., an engineer, a financial expert, etc.;
* SCORE's experts will work with you as long as you think is necessary and will periodically return for follow-up as long as you like;
* SCORE's experts can assist you in proposals for bank loans, lease negotiations, personnel policies;
* SCORE's experts can assist you with development of your all-important business plan, and will check up with you from time to time to make sure you've stuck to it, or if modifications are necessary, will help you make the right modifications;
* SCORE is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration. SCORE's use of retired executives and their career-learned business expertise offers the government its most cost-effective program. And because all SCORE's volunteers are dedicated to helping your business succeed, it is also one of the governments most helpful programs.
To contact your nearest SCORE Office, see the listing of SCORE offices elsewhere in this program, or call the National SCORE Office at (202) 205-6762.
The above information was provided by the Small Business Administration. All of the SBA's programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. More detailed information regarding the various services available from the SBA can be obtained from the field offices listed elsewhere in this program.
