Service Corps of Retired Executives, “Counselors to America’s Small Business,” is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs, and the formation of growth and success of small business nationwide, and is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Albert Lea has an active SCORE chapter.

Volunteer SCORE consultants are working or retired business owners, executives and corporation leaders who willingly share their wisdom and lessons learned in business. The Albert Lea SCORE chapter is a nice fit with the Small Business Development Center services, which are also provided at the Albert Lea Business Development Center. At many offices, consultants charge $100 to $500 per hour, but SCORE and SBDC offer their business consultants free of charge.

To schedule an interview with a member of the Albert Lea SCORE Chapter, please contact Nancy Jensen at the Albert Lea Business Development Center, 373-3930. To prepare for a face-to-face mentoring session with a SCORE consultant, you just need a well-thought-out idea, a preliminary business plan plus any other information that will help your one-on-one consultation with a SCORE volunteer. If you find meeting with a volunteer face-to-face interview difficult, SCORE offers a free online mentoring service. Just go to: http://counseling.score.org.

The SCORE website, http://www.score.org offers a wealth of information, i.e. Starting Your Own Business; Managing Your Business; Technology for Your Business; Growing Your Business; Financing Your Business, etc. etc. If you are eager to start your own business, but don’t know where to begin, contact the Albert Lea SCORE Chapter at 373-3930 or go to http://www.score.org.