SCORE: Free Business Counseling

SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, is a national organization sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). This organization has over 13,000 member volunteers. SCORE provides free counseling to new and existing small businesses. SCORE provides workshops for new business, and these workshops provide a general overview of what it takes to start a new business. It helps almost 20,000 new businesses to start operations.

SCORE also provides counseling and training to existing businesses. The volunteers help businesses identify management problems, determine the causes, and propose solutions to the problems. The volunteers can also help existing businesses in other areas by evaluating expansion plans, reviewing product distribution, and assisting in other business counseling.

Almost any small independent business that is not dominant in its field can get assistance from SCORE volunteers. The business does not need to have any other affiliation with the SBA to receive counseling and training from SCORE. To contact SCORE, go to the SCORE home page, look in the telephone directory under U.S. Government or call the Small Business Administration (SBA), which is also listed under U.S. Government.