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The Chaga Company owner Gavin Escolar with SCORE Mentor Pete Slosberg
Get Free Business Advice from a SCORE Mentor

SCORE can help you start, grow or successfully exit a business. Small business owners who receive three or more hours of mentoring report higher revenues and increased growth. Enter your ZIP code to find a free SCORE business mentor today.

Mentor Matchmaker

Discover the ideal SCORE mentor tailored to your specific needs by utilizing our Mentor Matchmaker. This tool allows you to refine your search by filtering options such as industry, location, area of expertise, and various other criteria, ensuring a match that aligns with your unique business needs.

Set your search preferences to find a good match. You can also search by keyword below or use our LiveChat feature to chat with a SCORE representative about finding a mentor.
Select a location, or use “All Locations” to search nationwide.
Select a location
Select at least one meeting type. If In Person is selected, a specific location must be selected.
Select at least one language. Mentors in the results will match at least one of the selected languages.
Select at least one area of expertise. We’ll try, but results may not always be an exact match.
Select at least one industry. We’ll try, but results may not always be an exact match.
Looking for someone specific?

Search our mentor database to find the expertise you need.

5 Steps for Mentoring

Identify


Identify your small business needs and desired support.

Request


Request a SCORE Mentor as your advisor to small business success.

Schedule


Schedule a mentoring session with your assigned SCORE mentor

Set Goals


Set goals for your small business with guidance from your SCORE mentor.

Advance


Work with your SCORE mentor through the life of your business.

Madhu Challa owner of Pretty Pokets standing with her SCORE Mentor

Pretty Pokets

"With SCORE, I got so many opportunities. Everything from starting, how to build, to actually selling online. I took every possible advice whether it's legal, educational, informational, mentoring, everything. I've relied on SCORE. SCORE has been my secret weapon, I must say."

Gavin Escolar owner of The Chaga Company with SCORE Mentor Pete Slosberg holding chaga mushrooms.

The Chaga Company

"Pete Slosberg is GOLD. From securing my position in the market, redefining our sales sheet, providing guidance on the core values and driving force of the company, recommending new marketing strategies, and suggesting unique customer acquisition approaches."

Tonyia Smith owner of Silver Slice Bakery

Silver Slice Bakery

"I encourage business start-ups and seasoned business owners to utilize SCORE services to grow their business. It WORKS especially if you do the work.  The training is impeccable and the mentors are the best part of working with SCORE. The mentors are not only knowledgeable about business and share their personal business experiences, but they also help you find out what your transitional skills are from leaving a job to starting a business, plus they are very kind and listen to you."

Iyobosa Ero owner of Preparture with SCORE Mentor

Preparture

"There are challenges when it comes to being black in America. I see that as an opportunity to show why a partnership or a collaboration is actually needed. I needed someone from SCORE to provide me with strategic road-map focus, as Preparture at the time seemed broad. Meeting with Steven Lome helped me set goals and milestones."

Fanni Xie owner of Uni Uni Bubble Tea in front of bubble tea shop with her SCORE Mentor

Uni Uni Bubble Tea

"When you go to the SCORE website you can actually choose different mentors from the list. You can see their credentials, their experiences. You can be matched with the one that can help you most. SCORE is the start point for your business."

Don Tobul owner of OD Greens with SCORE Mentor

OD Greens

"I have recommended SCORE to every veteran or entrepreneur I have come across. My team was patient, flexible, and insightful, and they brought a variety of different perspectives to our meetings. I can honestly say that I would not have been able to do it without them. Their encouragement and practical knowledge helped me to transform my idea into a reality."

Let us do the matching for you.

Ready to elevate your business journey? Connect with seasoned experts in your local area! Simply enter your zip code below, and we'll match you with a dedicated SCORE mentor who can guide you towards success. Unlock personalized advice, gain industry insights, and take your business to new heights today.

Frequently asked questions about SCORE Mentoring:
SCORE mentoring is a free service offered to U.S. based business (or business idea).

Partnering with you one-on-one or in small group sessions, SCORE mentors support your success by providing experienced advice, consulting on best practices, and educating you on small business topics.
When you enter your zip code in the field above, you’ll be taken to our mentoring request form. We’ll use the information that you provide in that form to find your ideal expert. More specifically, we’ll work to understand your business question(s) and compare that to the mentor profiles in our database to find an expert that matches your needs.

If you have a more general question, we’ll pair you with a local expert who can work with you to identify your area of greatest need and will coach you on that topic. If necessary, your mentor will invite other SCORE subject matter experts to help if you have questions on several different topics.
The time to get matched varies based on your business question, but typically you should hear from a mentor within 48 hours. Once you hear from your mentor, you can work with them to schedule your first mentoring appointment at a time that is convenient for both of your schedules.
Yes! Your mentor will attempt to contact you 3 times upon receiving your mentoring request. They will email you and text you (if you select text notifications), so make sure you check your junk folders and whitelist emails sent from @scorevolunteer.org and @score.org.
Client confidentiality is an institutional principle at SCORE. This means that a SCORE client’s confidentiality does not reside with a single volunteer or chapter but is maintained as confidential within SCORE.

SCORE volunteers cannot sign any client’s confidentiality agreements or any Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA), but the client’s confidentiality is covered in the volunteer’s agreement with SCORE.

This agreement to maintain client confidentiality - as well as other values that are integral to the client relationship - is confirmed in writing in the SCORE Code of Ethics. Among other things, our Code of Ethics directs our volunteers as follows:
  • Always place the business interests of SCORE clients first.
  • Protect the confidentiality of all client information so that it remains within SCORE.
All SCORE mentors are required to sign this agreement annually.
SCORE mentors can help businesses in all industries. We have experts in a variety of fields, including professional services, retail, arts, entertainment, recreation, food services, accommodations, travel, marketing & advertising, health care, social assistance, real estate and more.

Regardless of your industry, our mentors are knowledgeable in all areas of business and can answer your questions about popular topics such as sales, marketing, finance, accounting, management, and technology.
A SCORE mentoring relationship lasts as long as you need it! That can mean a few meaningful sessions to achieve a specific goal or overcome a challenge. Or, it can be a SCORE mentoring relationship that lasts for years, when you always have a trusted advisor for the life of your small business.
A mentoring session is a confidential, personalized conversation with a business expert to answer a question or to solve a problem that you’re facing.

SCORE mentoring sessions are collaborative meetings between the small business owner and the SCORE mentor. They are typically scheduled for an hour and can be held virtually, through online meetings, phone calls, email, or even in person if you would like to be paired with a local mentor. You can share your business goals, progress, challenges, and questions during these sessions. SCORE mentors will offer advice, resources, and insights so you gain clarity on your next best steps.

When you first meet with your mentor, they will ask you questions about your business and your goals. This will help them understand how to best support you and answer your business questions. They will leverage their personal experience and knowledge to help you avoid common challenges and mistakes. If they do not have the expertise you need, they may invite another mentor to participate in the meeting.

Once you discuss your initial business question, they may ask you to complete business templates or to review resources on SCORE.org. Additionally, they may recommend SCORE or partner workshops or resources to meet your needs. They will also schedule a follow-up session to ensure you’re on the right track and to keep supporting your business.
To make the most of your mentoring experience, we recommend being prepared with a business question or challenge that you can work on with your mentor. If you’re starting a business, we recommend being prepared with a business idea before you request a mentor. If you’re not sure what type of business you want to start, consider using our Startup Roadmap to help you define your business idea. If you already own a business, come to your meeting prepared with the issue you need to resolve or the goal that you’d like to achieve.

Other tips to make the most of your mentoring include:
  • Checking your inbox for emails from SCORE.
  • Be ready to actively participate in your session. This means bringing specific questions that we can answer, engaging in discussions about your business, and challenging the mentor's ideas & suggestions if you don't fully understand them.
  • If your business is already in operation, please be willing to share your history, recent financials, cash flow, and business plan. This will give your mentor a much-needed understanding of your current operations so they can suggest ideas about how/where to improve.
  • Be open and honest in the discussion.
  • Be willing to meet with your mentor over a period of time. Many of the questions that we receive will take more than one meeting to answer. Remember, mentoring is always free and you can meet with your mentor as often as needed (based on schedule and availability).
  • Keep in mind that SCORE mentors will not do the work for you. We are here as guides and advisors but we’ll ask you to do the work. This is to help you develop the skills and knowledge needed to manage your business.
  • When you’ve achieved success with your mentor, submit a success story for our website. This will allow us to celebrate your accomplishments and spread the word about your business. Your story could be featured in SCORE’s national media releases and marketing efforts, which will build awareness for your business.
  • Consider attending a SCORE workshop to complement your mentoring. We offer educational webinars, workshops and events online and in your local community. This will help you strengthen your knowledge and expand your business network.
CONNECT
712 H St NE PMB 98848
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Washington, DC 20002
1-800-634-0245

Copyright © 2024 SCORE Association, SCORE.org

Funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

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