- Mentoring
- Local Workshops
- Online Workshops
- Templates & Tools
- Resources
- About Score
- Volunteer
Share
Print Central Virginia SCORE
Special News Update: One of our clients, Dolly Garnecki, B.A., D.C. of Charlottesville, VA and owner of Spinal Health & Wellness LLC has been chosen as this years’ recipient for the prestigious Outstanding Veteran-Owned Small Business award given by The SCORE Foundation. To read her story Click Here
In the city of Charlottesville and the surrounding counties of Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson and Orange, the local chapter of SCORE provides an invaluable service to those who are interested in starting a business or those seeking to advance or improve an existing business. A national, non-profit volunteer organization, and a resource partner with the U. S. Small Business Administration, SCORE’s mission is to help existing businesses and start-ups by providing objective advice at no charge. See Free Mentoring below. Additional services available also include a series of integrated workshops at a nominal charge. See Workshops & Events below.
The diverse membership of Central Virginia SCORE is comprised of more than 20 mentors, all of whom are experienced and successful businessmen and businesswomen. Most mentors are now retired from positions as CEOs, CFOs, CPAs, Marketing, Sales and Manufacturing Managers, and the majority of them owned their own businesses or ran the profit centers of large companies.
In providing confidential, one-on-one mentoring, SCORE mentors have the expertise to discuss most areas of business and are ideally suited to give sound advice that will be helpful, timely and relevant in an effort to help new or aspiring entrepreneurs formulate strategies for success. Also available are the services of outside professionals, such as lawyers and accountants, who have volunteered to provide an initial consultation to SCORE clients on a pro bono basis.
All mentoring sessions are private and confidential, and there is no charge to the client. In 2010, the Central Virginia SCORE chapter provided 1,480 hours of mentoring to 254 new clients, in addition to 227 follow-up sessions with former clients. If you are interested in further mentoring information or in setting up an appointment with a SCORE mentor, see Free Mentoring below.
Also available to SCORE clients are small-group workshops, strongly recommended as a supplemental component of private mentoring sessions. Workshops are regularly presented by SCORE mentors and a nominal fee is charged to cover all program materials. For further information, see Workshops & Events below.
The success of your business is not only your goal, but that of the mentors of Central Virginia SCORE. Let them share their objective advice and experience with you. Please take a moment and watch the following overview of what SCORE can do for you. Click Here
Learn About Us
Free Mentoring
There are more than 20 mentors in the Central Virginia chapter of SCORE ready to serve you. Mentoring services are strictly confidential and there is no charge. If you would like to make an appointment with a mentor, please contact us by filling out a Request for Counseling form (see link below). You will be asked to supply your name, telephone number, e-mail address and a brief description of the type of assistance you are seeking. You will then be asked to select a time and date that is most convenient for you. Please note that mentoring is offered on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Charlottesville office, located at East Market and Fifth Streets, Suite 200, Charlottesville, VA 22902. Mentoring sessions may be scheduled at 9:00, 10:00 or 11:00AM, and at 1:00, 2:00 or 3:00PM.
If you should have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Charlottesville office by calling 434-295-6712, or by e-mail at counseling@score-494.org.
Request for Counseling Form
Prospective SCORE clients may be interested in how its services were used by small business owners and how SCORE mentors helped those businesses become successful. Follow the stories of two SCORE clients by watching the following 60-second interviews:
"Success Story: Steve Allen" - Click Here
"Success Story: Youngsoon Martin" - Click Here
Workshops & Events
All SCORE workshops are interactive. This means that the presentation is not a lecture; instead class participation is encouraged and the attendees learn both from the teacher and from other participating attendees.
Workshops should be supplemented by free mentoring by a SCORE mentor. There is no limit on the frequency nor on the duration of this mentoring and it is always free.
There are four core workshops (201,202,203,204) which are repeated approximately every 60 days. The integrated design of these core workshops prepares the entrepreneur for writing a business plan which is essential for the success of a small business. If all four core workshops are taken, a discount of 20% is given and, if a workshop is missed, it may be taken at the next scheduled date. The fee for one core workshop is $25; the fee for all four core workshops is $80. One business partner may accompany a paid attendee to any workshop at no charge but only one set of handout material will be given. In addition to the core workshops, other workshops on specific subjects of interest to entrepreneurs are given throughout the year.
Workshop 201 - Starting Your Business
How does a motivated entrepreneur start a small business? What are all of the things which should be done to launch the business and to meet legal and tax requirements? This workshop answers these questions and, in addition, discusses methods of evaluating the business idea. A 20-page binder containing all covered material will be given to each paid attendee.
Workshop 202 - Marketing Your Business
This workshop discusses the most important part of any business plan. There are three primary areas of discussion: Market Research; Business Goals; and the Strategic Marketing Plan. Without a good effort in this part of the business plan, the financial projections will be questionable because they will be based on dubious market conditions. A 24-page binder containing all covered material will be given to each paid attendee.
Workshop 203 - Financial Management of Your Business
This workshop discusses how the aspiring entrepreneur or an existing business owner uses good market information to make financial projections for a specified time period, usually one year. These financial projections are typically for: Cash Flow; Profit and Loss; and the Balance Sheet. These financial projections are a necessary part of any business plan and the ensuing monthly financial statements are used to manage the business. A 35-page binder containing all covered material will be given to each paid attendee.
Workshop 204 - Writing an Effective Business Plan
A business plan for a typical small business does not have to be a complex document of many pages. This workshop takes attendees step by step through the simplified SCORE method of creating an effective business plan for a hypothetical small business. In addition, a part of the workshop will be devoted to attendees preparing draft business plans using the forms supplied. A 25-page binder containing all covered material will be given to each paid attendee.
If you have any questions regarding the Workshops described above you can submit them to workshop@scorevolunteer.org or make a reservation for any or all of the Workshops at centralvirginia.score.org/events
Templates & Tools
With access to a wide variety of documents, templates and tools to assist you in starting or growing your business, the information provided here covers a wide range of subjects including initial business planning, capital sources, government agencies, and much more.