196 | HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS PLAN
SBA/SCORE
This agency of the federal government
is organized specifically to help people
like you. The primary purpose of the
Small Business Administration (SBA) is
to help small entrepreneurs find financial
assistance. (This is covered in Chapter 4.)
The SBA also runs a consulting service
called the Service Corps of Retired
Executives, or SCORE. This is an organized
group of retired business executives who
offer free consulting to any business
owner.
Most SCORE consultants are genuinely
interested in helping you prosper, and
they have some valuable experience to
share. The only cautionary note I offer is to
make sure that you like the consultant and
that he has some experience that will be
helpful to you. For instance, some SCORE
consultants with long, illustrious careers in
big business may have little understanding
of, or patience with, the problems of small
business. If you don’t feel the consultant
assigned to your case is a good match,
don’t hesitate to ask for another.
For business owners on a tight budget,
the help from SCORE can be invaluable.
Make the nearest SCORE office your first
stop in looking for help. Or, get more
information or make use of their email
counseling service at http://www.score.org.
State and Local Agencies
Many state and local agencies offer advice
and assistance in addition to their help
with securing financing. In fact, counseling
and consulting may be part of the package.
Refer to Chapter 4, for resources on how to
locate them.Private Consultants
To begin looking for a private general busi-
ness consultant or a specialist, start with
the local Chamber of Commerce, bankers,
and the service clubs like Rotary or Kiwanis
to find people with long com munity ties
and stability. Many class instructors and
college professors supple ment their income
by doing private consult ing; if you take
a class from a person you like and want
some personal help, ask.Books
The books covered in this section offer
good information, take a helpful stance,
and are easily read by most people. This is
my list, not a comprehensive study of the
subject. If your local library and bookstores
don’t have a particular book listed here,
try checking with your favorite bookstore’s
copy of Books in Print to see if the book
is still available. If so, you can have your
bookstore order it for you, or write directly
to the publisher. Or, if you’re online, check
with Amazon (www.amazon.com) or Barnes
and Noble (www.barnesandnoble.com).