The Harvard Community Services Center's Community Development Corporation (CDC) consists of programs that promote the stabilization, and provision of economic growth in the Ward 1 Community of Lee-Harvard/Miles-Seville Neighborhoods.
Cleveland SCORE is a national 501C3 nonprofit affiliated with the SBA. We provide free mentoring and educational services to small business startups and owner/operators to help communities thrive. We are partnering with the Lee-Harvard CDC helping small businesses in Ward 1 of the City of Cleveland.
Who gives this advice?
The volunteers of SCORE Cleveland are experienced owners, executives, or managers of businesses that
volunteer their time to help small businesses succeed.
How much does it cost?
There is no cost for individual mentoring. Most Cleveland Score workshops or webinars are free.
How many free business mentoring sessions am I entitled to?
As many sessions as you wish. Each session might last up to a hour, or more. SCORE Cleveland counselors are interested in your success and will follow up to see how you are progressing.
What qualifies SCORE volunteers to give business advice?
The key qualification SCORE Cleveland volunteers bring to the table is real-world experience. SCORE Cleveland
volunteers have specific industry and general business expertise. Volunteer mentors may be retired business
owners, business executives or operations managers. Many volunteers work full-time. All volunteers receive
Score training in mentoring methods and must yearly train and recertify with National Score ethics requirements.
Are business secrets safe with SCORE?
Yes. All SCORE Cleveland counselors honor the client's right to proprietary and confidential information.
That information remains confidential as provided by SCORE's Code of Ethics. Volunteers reaffirm their
commitment for the association's Code of Ethics each year.
Small businesses and startups located within the HCSC service area in need of assistance should contact the HCSC Help Desk at (216) 991-8585 or email at goudreauhcsc@gmail.com
HCSC Financial Literacy Center Open House
On April 23rd, 2024, The Harvard Community Service Center held an event to celebrate the opening of a brand new financial literacy center at their location on Harvard Avenue. Sponsored by Flagstar Bank, The Financial Literacy Center consists of 10 work stations perfect for small workshops, mentoring and independent business users. Our chapter will be presenting workshops and doing mentoring at this location.
HCSC and SCORE Holiday Meet and Greet
On Tuesday December 12th, SCORE Cleveland SCORE Joined our partners, The Harvard Community Services Center (HCSC), with a holiday “Meet and Greet” event. The event was a mixer that brought the community together and addressed resources and support for local merchants, businesses, and startup entrepreneurs. The event included refreshments, vendors displays, entertainment and of course informational displays from SCORE and other local business support groups, including Grow with Google, The City of Cleveland Business Development, Huntington Bank, LISC, ECDI and others.
The culmination of the evening was a breakout session with various facilitators, including SCORE, in which the attendees weighed in specific questions designed to solicit the opinions of businesses on their learning needs for 2024 and beyond. This information will also be useful for SCORE in that we will have some direction on the community needs as we plan local workshops with our Partners at HCSC
Get Free Business Mentoring
SCORE Cleveland offers seasoned business professionals who provide you with useful, timely, and realistic guidance at no cost. Request free small business mentoring assistance directly from experienced Cleveland SCORE volunteers.
Volunteer with SCORE
If you are an experienced business professional (attorney, CPA, marketing, etc) or a small business owner or operator, and are interested in giving back to our community, please consider volunteering with SCORE Cleveland to help our small businesses thrive.
The Startup Roadmap outlines each step in starting a business with detailed information and resources. And with SCORE, you don’t have to do it alone.
Download our easy-to-use business planning, finance, sales, marketing, and management templates to help you plan for a new business or grow your existing business.
