SCORE: Helping entrepreneurs in Northern Nevada

What is SCORE?

SCORE, America’s premier source of free and confidential advice for entrepreneurs and small businesses, is a nonprofit association with more than 320 offices across the country, including Northern Nevada, offering free business mentoring and low-cost workshops.

For 50 years, SCORE’s more than 11,000 working and retired business professionals have volunteered to support the success of small business nationwide. SCORE business mentoring is free and confidential. SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In Northern Nevada, we’re fortunate to have a team of 35 professionals in SCORE, providing mentoring to hundreds of local entrepreneurs every year.

What kinds of mentoring does SCORE provide?

SCORE’s experienced business mentors provide general business advice on every aspect of business planning, start-up, management and growth. SCORE provides both in-person and online mentoring to entrepreneurs just getting started or in need of a seasoned pro as a sounding board for their existing businesses.

Does SCORE offer services other than business mentoring?

Yes. SCORE provides business workshops and seminars on topics customized to the needs of the local business community. In all communities, SCORE offices advocate the need for business planning and offer an introduction to the fundamentals of a business plan. For established businesses, SCORE offers in-depth training on topics such as social media, intellectual property, branding and other pertinent topics.

What qualifies SCORE volunteers to give business advice?

The key qualification SCORE mentors bring is real-world business experience. They’re working and retired business owners, executives and managers who have been through the same challenges and decisions many entrepreneurs are facing today. In addition, SCORE business mentors offer valuable expertise in specific industries. All SCORE volunteers receive specialized training offered by the association.

Are business secrets safe with SCORE?

Yes. All SCORE mentors honor the client’s right to proprietary and confidential information. All discussions and documents remain confidential. Each year, SCORE mentors reaffirm their commitment to protecting the privacy of client information by signing the association’s code of ethics.

How can I contact SCORE for business assistance?

1. Visit www.NorthernNevadaScore.org and review the mentors’ bios. Select one and request an appointment.

2. Call 844-232-7227 and request a mentor.

3. Visit www.score.org and click “Mentoring” to search for a mentor by specialty who can provide online advice.

4. Email webmaster@score.org with your location or ZIP code, and SCORE will reply with local contact information.

Once connected with a mentor, our mentors will work with you to get the answers you need. You can meet with a mentor as few or as many times as needed to solve your business challenges — and mentoring is always free.

How does one become a SCORE mentor?

If interested in becoming one of our volunteer business mentors, visit www.score.org/volunteer and complete an application, or contact Irene DeHuff, Chapter Chair for the Northern Nevada Chapter. An interview will assess whether there seems a good fit for you and SCORE. If so, you’ll be asked to complete our training and onboarding process. This process includes a three-month probationary period where you’ll complete two to three online training modules, review and agree to our standard operating manual and code of ethics, shadow experienced mentors, and participate in team mentoring.

Judy Haar SCORE