There’s that saying, “Nothing in life is ever free.”
While this idea may seem obvious to a capitalist’s point of view, the nation’s economy gets a lot of flow from the free advice that’s offered by a nonprofit dedicated to helping first-time entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground.
Formerly known as the Service Corps of Retired Executives, it’s an organization comprised of retired people who lend their time to helping others start their business. That’s basically correct, said Robert Kerwin, except the organization is now known as SCORE and not everyone who works there is retired.
Kerwin is the chair of the San Luis Obispo chapter of SCORE, which also mentors clients in Santa Maria with a cubicle at MIYB Spaces.
SCORE is actually a nationwide nonprofit with chapters all over the country. The SLO chapter has 24 members who specialize in various aspects of business, including finance, marketing, and beyond. Nearly everyone has either owned and operated a business, or at least operated a business on some major level, according to Kerwin.
SCORE’s clients range from small business owners to aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea for a new product or service needing help getting started.
The organization’s members are a versatile team in the sense that they can apply their experience to almost any type of business. The keyword is almost. Kerwin said that if his team is not able to help, he’ll connect a client with a nationwide network of SCORE professionals who he guarantees will be able offer the knowledge they seek.
There is no cost for anyone who wants assistance, according to Kerwin, except for the motivation they use to get to the office. Here’s how it works: A person can either attend a group session or request face-to-face counseling, where two SCORE experts will sit down with a client. It’s better that way, according to Kerwin.
“While one’s talking, the other is thinking,” Kerwin said
It’s not a one-time deal, either. Kerwin said SCORE will continue to work with clients as long as they need support. They get a lot of people walking through their doors. SCORE’s SLO chapter assisted 278 new clients last year.
But SCORE’s advice is not an automatic guarantor of success. Up to 40 percent of the people who seek advice from SCORE don’t end up following through with their plans, according to Kerwin. The reasons get complicated and can be a little delicate at times, he said, adding that some people don’t realize what it takes to start their own company.
“Going into business for yourself is a lot of work,” Kerwin said. “You get people [who haven’t] the faintest idea of what it’s like going into business.”
On top of the various laws and licenses one must abide by, there are also a lot of extra costs required to get started, such as insurance.
That’s why it’s beneficial for entrepreneurs that the mentoring doesn’t stop with one session.
“As long as the client wants support from us, we give it to them,” Kerwin said, adding that he’s had some clients for up to five years.
Kerwin said that SCORE hasn’t put out a lot of advertising through the years, but that’s about to change. SCORE is searching for a few good men and women. Have you got what it takes? Kerwin gave a short, but not complete, list of qualifiers: current or former owner of a successful business, or executive experience for a major business; a desire to give back to the community; and good interpersonal and computer skills.
If you get the “job,” expect to contribute six to 12 hours per month for no pay. Despite what you already may know about business, Kerwin said, expect to learn more.
“There’s a lot of research involved,” Kerwin added.
SCORE is located at 4251 S. Higuera St., suite 800 in San Luis Obispo, and at 429 E. Main St., in Santa Maria. SCORE has free workshops scheduled throughout the week. To get a list, visit sanluisobispo.score.org.
Highlights
• The Santa Maria Planning Commission will be reviewing a permit for a planned development of a FedEx ground facility located on a 21.1-acre plot of land at 1424 Fairway Drive. The site could include a 181,975-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility. The Planning Commission will review the permit on Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. in the community development department located at 110 S. Pine St.
Staff Writer David Minsky wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.
This article appears in Nov 19-26, 2015.
