For five decades, SCORE has helped people start and/or expand businesses. For many of those years, volunteer counselors across the country were retired executives as the acronym described: Service Corps Of Retired Executives. Today the volunteer mentors are all ages and in all stages of business. If you’re looking to give back to the community by way of sharing your business expertise, the Lexington chapter of SCORE is looking for volunteers.
Funded by the Small Business Administration, SCORE has 320 chapters in the United States today, including Kentucky’s two chapters, in Lexington and Louisville. In Lexington there are currently around 20 mentors.
“Louisville is probably four or five times larger, as far as the number of people we have,” said Vincent Smith, chapter chair, “but they’re not four or five times larger than Lexington, so we have plenty of room for growth.”
In 2014 the Lexington chapter helped entrepreneurs start 205 new business and create 66 jobs. Of the organization’s clients already in business, 79 percent increased revenue, compared with a national average of 65 percent.
“Our clients can come to us any time during the life of their business,” said Ramona Bayma, chapter administrator. “They know their counselor and their counselor knows them.”
No matter how much business experience you have, there’s always something new to learn. Meeting with a mentor picks up where networking leaves off . All of SCORE’s mentoring offerings are free.
“We should have more businesses taking advantage of the services,” Smith said. “A lot of the mentors have terrific backgrounds; if you went out to hire someone like that it would cost you a fortune.”
Smith’s background is in the home furnishings industry. He moved to Lexington from New Jersey in 2010.
“I didn’t know anyone here,” he said. “I was looking for a networking group.”
When he found one, he met several people who were involved with SCORE, and although he wasn’t familiar with the organization he was intrigued enough to visit the office. He had volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters in New Jersey, so he knew about the intrinsic rewards that come with the time and energy commitments to helping other people.
One thing that stood out to him during the volunteer orientation was SCORE’s outlook on encouragement.
“We don’t rain on anybody’s parade,” he said. “It’s not our job to say, ‘You’re crazy’ or ‘That idea isn’t going to work.’”
The role of a SCORE mentor is to understand what clients are trying to do with their business ventures and “guide them into the best ways to do what they are trying to accomplish.”
Volunteers typically spend one to four hours a week mentoring clients, at the SCORE office on Waller Avenue or at a neutral site like a coffee shop. Mentoring also takes place by email and phone. SCORE’s mentoring methodology starts with suspending judgment and focusing on listening. Mentors also assess and analyze each client’s individual situation and then offer ideas and tools for that person’s success, setting expectations and encouraging the dream.
The mentorship certification process involves onboarding the volunteer mentors with SCORE’s mission and ideals.
“Everybody signs a code of ethics,” Smith said. “Everything we talk about is in confidentiality.”
Community involvement is important for SCORE’s Lexington volunteers. SCORE participates in Commerce Lexington’s Business Link and is a contributing sponsor of Awesome Inc.’s 5 Across pitch contest.
“We always try to attend other people’s events,” Smith said. “Our clientele is small businesses, entrepreneurs and startups. We try to go to any event that would be considered networking, to meet those people.”
In 2015 the Lexington chapter sponsored a workshop at Blue Grass Airport for veterans, with experts from the SBA district office in Louisville providing information about getting government contracts. Bimonthly workshops are in the planning stages for 2016 and will likely include one with business topics for nonprofits and another for artists.
“Everybody’s welcome; we take all comers,” Smith said. “We have infinite patience when we work with someone. Ours is not to judge someone but to work with them and help them do what they want, the way they want to do it.”
For more information about the Lexington SCORE chapter, visit lexington.score.org.