Through free mentoring and networking groups, SCORE helps small businesses grow

When most people think of small businesses, they might picture a local coffee shop or boutique on Main Street. While these are some of the most visible examples, they’re far from the only ones. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, small businesses make up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses and account for nearly 44% of the nation’s GDP.

Helping many of these businesses as they establish themselves in their communities is SCORE. Founded in 1964 as the Service Corps of Retired Executives, the nonprofit “provides free and confidential business mentoring services to prospective and established small-business owners in the United States,” according to its website.

At the core of SCORE’s offerings is its mentor program, in which established business professionals volunteer and meet with new business owners. Mentees can discuss an array of topics pertaining to business ownership, from starting, running or growing a business; to finance and marketing; to operation and professional development. The mentor program allows younger business owners to ask questions they may not be able to ask elsewhere.

“We spend anywhere from one meeting with them to upwards of 10 to 15 meetings a year,” says Michael Dawson, marketing chair with SCORE’s local chapter. “It’s really up to the client on how much they need us.”

While the mentor program was set up in hopes of helping new business owners, some volunteers say that the work has been rewarding for them, too. “I’ve learned a lot from clients and other mentors,” says Kelly Dehan. “Not to get too religious here, but they say it’s in giving that you receive. I couldn’t agree more, really. I mean, it does. It makes you feel good.”

In addition to the one-on-one mentoring that Dehan takes part in, she also started a women’s roundtable in 2016 with former chapter and district chair Mary Jane Good. It’s from the roundtable, Dehan says, that she gets a taste of all the unique businesses and identities in the region.

“It was like a little United Nations,” she says. “Even the kind of things you wouldn’t think about [are represented].”

In addition to assisting small businesses, Dehan says that SCORE also partners with other area nonprofits and offers mentoring to some of those partners who have clients.

Looking ahead, SCORE may face some challenges. According to Dehan, these challenges may come in the form of budgetary concerns. While the volunteers are, of course, unpaid, Dehan says that recent government cuts have put some at the organization on edge. She also says that she worries that government cuts to the Small Business Administration may affect SCORE’s corporate employees, which will eventually trickle down to regional chapters.

For Dawson, he remains focused on the recruitment of volunteers. “[A] really important priority for us is to keep that roster of 100 [volunteers] in our chapter on a regular basis, given the normal turnover,” he says, mentioning what is at stake if SCORE isn’t able to keep up with business owners who could use their help. “I want to obviously [talk] about what SCORE does and what a gift it is in the Cincinnati area, but also how important it is for us to continue to bring in new members and new mentors and to encourage people to consider joining up with us… It’s just good, healthy and inspiring volunteer work.”