SCORE offers locals chance to mentor small businesses
Oakmont residents Jeff Young and Dieter Meier know that starting a small business can be tough, and keeping it operating smoothly can be even tougher.
But an organization Young and Meier belong to, SCORE, taps into the years of business experience of its members who in turn volunteer their time to advise business owners and give them a better chance for success.
SCORE stands for Service Corps of Retired Executives, and is known as “Counselors to America’s Small Business.” It is a non-profit organization with 10,500 volunteers out of 389 offices across the country, including a chapter in Santa Rosa.
The key element to SCORE is its volunteers, who counsel and give real-world guidance to local entrepreneurs on every aspect of business planning, start-up, management and growth. SCORE counselors can help with day-to-day management issues, marketing strategies, how to secure financing, how to chart business growth, you name it.
And, best of all, this advice is free.
“It’s very rewarding,” said Meier of his mentoring role. “It’s refreshing to realize that you can help people and give them fresh ideas to improve their businesses or start new ones.”
Meier is a hospitality specialist, a former restaurant owner who, over his career, worked for Westin Hotels, was owner and/or manager in Santa Rosa of the Black Forest Inn and Equus Restaurant at Fountaingrove Inn, as well as the original Oakmont Inn (now the Quail Inn) in Oakmont. Business owners who are referred to him are involved in the food and restaurant sectors, and their issues are myriad, and can range from how to market their baked goods to how to control their food or labor costs.
Meier has been involved with SCORE for eight years and estimates that he has consulted with up to 200 people over the years about their businesses.
As for Jeff Young, his three decades at engineering giant Bechtel Corporation as a project manager and recent years as a realtor with Young Realty, provides a level of expertise that can be priceless for people who need guidance in the construction, engineering or real estate areas.
Young, who’s been involved with SCORE for two years, said a typical consult starts with a phone interview to gauge if he’s able to help, followed by a one-on-one session to determine what the business owner is exactly looking to do. Young will give them a homework assignment – develop a business plan, for example – and then have them come back for another meeting to flesh out the details even more, with subsequent meetings or phone calls if necessary.
These sessions are especially good, said Young, for focusing people, clarifying issues, directing businesses to more resources, and putting “meat on the bones.”
Often, said Young, “In one visit people can walk away with a better appreciation of what they are trying to do. It gives me great satisfaction to help people sort out these issues.”
Meier said that many small businesses helped by local North Coast volunteers are now flourishing and give SCORE credit for part of their success.
“It’s quite remarkable what people report they get out of this and how highly they rate SCORE counselors,” said Meier.
SCORE North Coast is currently looking for new volunteers, and Jeff Young said he hopes to encourage more Oakmonters – many of whom have had long careers in a variety of areas – to join SCORE and share their expertise with others.
“There’s all kinds of talent here in Oakmont,” commented Young, who said that volunteering for SCORE usually takes up just a few hours a week.
“SCORE is one of the many ways to give back to the community,” said Young.
SCORE is a partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which provides SCORE with funding to help operate the chapters across the country. Started in 1964, SCORE has counseled more than 7.5 million entrepreneurs.
SCORE also offers local workshops and seminars at Santa Rosa Junior College (at a small cost) on topics tailored to the needs of the local business community – topics like How to Start and Manage a Small Business, Writing Effective and Useful Business Plans, and Three Keys to Internet Marketing.
The Santa Rosa-based chapter serves Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Lake counties. Counseling sessions take place at various locations in these areas. In Santa Rosa, meetings can be arranged at sites such as the Safe Bidco building on Corporate Center Parkway, the U.S. Federal Building on Sonoma Ave., or offices at North Bay Builders Exchange on Apollo Way.
Training is provided for counselors, and every volunteer must agree to abide by a code of ethics when providing advice to businesses.
More information can be found on the SCORE North Coast website, www.scorenorthcoastca.org, or by calling 571-8342. Or, potential counselors can call Young at 538-7031, or Meier at 539-3886.
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