SCORE Some Advice

Last week I posted on the need for entrepreneurs to find an outside set of eyes to help advise and coach them. An option that many entrepreneurs have found extremely helpful over the years is to tap into the expertise of the retired business people who belong to SCORE (Service Corps Of Retired Executives).
I recently had the pleasure of being a luncheon speaker to the Nashville SCORE chapter. This group may be retired from their business careers, but they are not ready to retire from the world of business.
SCORE is a national organization with chapters in 389 cities. The SCORE volunteers include people with expertise in a variety of areas of business and most industry sectors. Many chapters also include more and more retired entrepreneurs. SCORE is a “resource partner” with the SBA.
The national SCORE website offers several tools to find assistance, including an “Ask SCORE for Business Advice” feature that allows for on-line counseling. They also have features to help find counselors by locality or area of expertise. The site also has some good generalized written information about entrepreneurship and small business management.
With any advisor or mentor, it may take a while to find the right person who fits with you, your business, and your needs. Build your network and eventually you will find people who can help over the long term. SCORE is another good source of people with the potential to be of invaluable assistance.