SCORE seeks volunteers to help small business

Published in the May 22, 2015

Q: How can I volunteer some of my time to help small business owners start and grow their businesses?

A: SCORE is a nonprofit association where you can volunteer to share your business experience, give back to your community, gain satisfaction from seeing others succeed, and connect with like-minded people. Each year, SCORE volunteers touch thousands of lives, sharing their knowledge and experience so that entrepreneurs can realize their dreams of business success. 

Nationwide more than 11,000 men and women in 320 SCORE chapters donate their time and talent to assist America's small businesses. At SCORE Houston, volunteers provide free, confidential one-to-one and team business mentoring and low-cost training workshops and seminars. We now counsel aspiring entrepreneurs at 12 locations and we teach about 130 workshops each year in 16 locations around the Houston area.

Whether you have owned your own small business, come from a large company, are retired, are a college student, or just have a sincere commitment to helping small businesses or volunteering, there is a place for you as a SCORE Houston volunteer.

Whatever their background, SCORE counselors share a belief that small business owners are more likely to succeed if they have business mentors to guide them. We are seeking new volunteers of diverse backgrounds and experiences to complement and grow our team of 105 volunteers in the Houston area. 

SCORE volunteers can contribute their time in different ways. 

Many are business mentors who meet with our clients to help them with business plans, apply for financing, and grow their businesses. But, being a large service organization, we require administrative, technical, and management functions so we can provide our client services. 

Much of our work can be done in the evenings or weekends from anywhere. 

So, there are lots of ways a volunteer can help SCORE help other people.

New members go through an orientation program to get familiar with SCORE and comfortable with the counseling process. All members stay up-to-date by attending regular monthly training sessions.

In Houston, we share offices and work closely with the U.S. Small Business Administration. We have twelve satellite locations throughout the city and are looking to establish more. Visit our website, www.Houston.SCORE.org. 

If you have questions or would like to volunteer to help people achieve business success, please e-mail us at scorehouston@gmail.com, or, call our office at 713-487-6565.

Workshop explores options for starting a business

Published in the May 10, 2015 

Q: I want to get started in a small business, but I can't decide among buying an existing business, operating a franchise or starting from scratch. Can you suggest anything? 
A: There are a number of ways of getting into business, each with its pros and cons. Fortunately, there's a free workshop coming up that can help you sort through the alternatives. SCORE and Capital One Bank have partnered to present the "Business Alternatives for the Entrepreneur" workshop scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Thursday at the Kingdom Builders' Center, 6011 W. Orem Drive. This is one of a series of workshops designed to help small businesses survive and thrive.

The workshop has three parts.

1. Diana Trondsen, FranNet Franchise Consultant, will show you how to search for and evaluate franchise alternatives. Trondsen has more than 15 years of experience in single- and multi-unit franchises.Trondsen will help you explore the franchise opportunities and options that can meet your budget for entry while maximizing your earnings. She will take you through the process of choosing a business that will fit you well and give you control over your finances and plans for retirement. Learn why it is so important to make the right choice upfront and how to go about finding the right fit for you.
   
2. Mike Fadden, SCORE mentor, will help you explore whether you should start a new business or buy an existing one. Fadden has been involved in the startup of three companies and has business acquisition experience. He will review the 10 most important factors you need to consider in evaluating acquisition options. Sample topics include: What management experience is required? Is funding one alternative easier than funding another? Will you control your own destiny? What are the business valuation metrics?
   
3. Neil Polansky, of the city of Houston's Business Solutions Center, will discuss specific business operating requirements including "doing business as" designations, state sales tax permits, federal taxpayer ID numbers, appraisal of business personal property (rendition), financing options, deed restrictions, the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, city contracting basics, and the Hire Houston First and Liftoff Houston programs.

At the workshop you also will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a SCORE mentor to discuss your situation and network with other small-business operators who are facing similar challenges.