Why invest in consultants who require thousands of dollars when a knowledgeable expert is available through SCORE and SBDC? And at little or no cost.

As the fourth generation working in our small business, I remember several expressions my father told me that were signs of impending problems. The first was, “The check is in the mail.” Another was, “I’m from the government, and I am here to help you.” There is a third expression to be wary of, and it comes in a variety of forms when listening to a speaker at a trade show. The essence of the speaker’s message is that you need to hire that person on an individual basis or join their coaching program to take your business to the next level or solve any problem your business has.

Whether you are seeing opportunities for growth in your business, or your business is facing challenges, the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) are a couple of alternatives to find assistance and information. Before deciding to spend money with one of those consultants, investigate both of these organizations. You may find that the answers you seek are in “your backyard.”

SCORE

SCORE was created in 1964, and like the SBDC, receives funding from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Its task is to assist every person who is or wants to be a small business owner. Each of the 10,000 volunteers within SCORE has years of experience in their field. The process begins by visiting its website and entering a few questions, including:

• Does the mentor need to be local, or can that person be anywhere in the country?
• What language do you speak?
• What is your industry?
• What stage of life is your business in?
• Do you want in-person or online assistance?
• What aspect of business ownership do you want to discuss or learn more about?

SCORE offers workshops. Are you a machine shop and have a customer that won’t pay the bill? SCORE has a workshop that explains how to navigate small claims court. Perhaps you feel your business focus is too broad. SCORE has a workshop on finding your target customer. 

Maybe you have a business that sells equipment trackside, and you want to add something to your business. SCORE even has a class on how to start a food wagon business. It could work if the track didn’t have a rule that restricts who can sell food.

SCORE webinars are both live and archived in a recorded library of topics. SCORE also has in-person workshops; at the time of this writing, there were some 2,000 in-person workshops available at little or no cost. Enter your zip code and click a few boxes to narrow your search to find what is in your area.

SBDC

The second organization, America’s SBDC, has a state-level organization in every state with Texas and California having multiple chapters. Working with the SBDC begins by visiting the website and entering your zip code. There are nearly 1,000 centers across the country, with many affiliated with a college or university. SBDC offices offer counseling in a one-on-one setting. It also offers many online webinars and live events. The counseling is at no cost, and the majority of its live and online events are also free.

One example of a successful SBDC experience began with a business that consisted of a combination of manufacturing, wholesaling, and retailing. The business was utilizing QuickBooks. Unfortunately, its version of QuickBooks was not correct for its situation. 

The company’s SBDC advisor made that observation and then recommended the correct version. While that was impressive, the advisor, qualified with QuickBooks, helped the business purchase the correct version of QuickBooks at a discounted price and transition its information to the new version. Another SBDC advisor, a CPA, reviewed and confirmed the work. The business owner continued to work with a SBDC advisor, both in the business and by online meetings, as the company grew as a part of the owner’s long-term plan toward retirement in the next five years.

First Steps

While both of the above scenarios sound wonderful and easy, there is more to working with either organization. A successful partnership requires work from both parties. 

Your work begins earlier than the initial meeting with an advisor. It starts with clearly defining your needs and expectations of the relationship. Also, be respectful of the time and effort of the SCORE or SBDC representative, whose schedule includes you as well as other clients. 

Before addressing an opportunity or challenge, reach out to the organization of your choice to establish a relationship. By doing so, when that opportunity or challenge arises, you will already have that “partner” in your corner with an understanding of you and your business.

Sometimes, a business owner and the advisor or counselor aren’t a good match. One example involved a counselor who had worked for a major chain retailer and was assigned to a retail business. Unfortunately, the counselor’s career was in logistics; moving freight for that retailer did not provide the background of experience needed for the client.

Another example involved an advisor with three years of work history at a large corporation but no experience in the aspect of business that was to be discussed.

These two experiences emphasize that you will need to verify that the counselor or advisor has experience and/or knowledge in the area of your business you want to focus on. If it’s not the right connection, you simply explain and ask for a different individual.

If you were going to hire one of those “consultants” or join one of their “insider clubs,” you should do your research. One of the benefits here is that the SBDC or SCORE is not getting in your wallet. Both of these organizations are a great source of information for your business.P

Tom Shay, of Profits Plus Solutions, will share his expertise at the 2023 PRI Show. He will give two seminars on Friday, December 8, covering “Why a business plan can make you more money” at 9:00 a.m., and “Disrupting or prompting: Does this affect how you approach business?” at 3:00 p.m.

Sources

Profits Plus Solutions
profitsplus.org

Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
score.org

Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
americassbdc.org