SCORE provides resources to support small businesses in Northern Michigan
In Northern Michigan, small businesses are critical to our economic vitality and overall sense of community.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, small businesses employ nearly half of the American workforce, or about 62 million people, and generate over 40% of our national GDP. In addition, small businesses are a major source of innovation, filing a significant share of patents each year. They sponsor activities that many families enjoy each year, from sports clubs and other activities, especially for our youth, to seasonal festivals, parades, arts, and often local Fourth of July fireworks celebrations.
When you choose to buy from a small, local business, a significant portion of your money stays in the community and can be reinvested in other businesses, creating even more economic activity and, in particular, jobs.
Among the resources available to inspire and advise small businesses from startup through all other stages of their development is SCORE.org. Founded in 1964 “under the auspices” of the Small Business Administration (SBA), SCORE is a nationwide group of volunteer business mentors with over 10,000 members serving over 1,500 communities. Our mission is to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. Our educational program includes workshops and webinars, both “live” and recorded, on a variety of different topics, including how and why to create a business plan and considerations for determining the optimal legal structure for a new business. All of our services are free and our mentoring sessions are confidential.
In our part of Northern Michigan, which serves the northern Lower Peninsula and eastern Upper Peninsula, the Tip of the Mitt chapter, comprised of 11 mentors and 3 subject matter experts, has contacted over 80 businesses, conducted over 100 mentoring sessions, and made over 200 webinar connections in the past year. We have worked with clients who have been in business for up to 20 years, as well as people who are in the ideation phase of starting a new business.
Our mentors have a wealth of experience and skills to help our clients. When needed, we can also introduce clients to other mentors in Michigan and across the country. To further support our clients’ individual needs, we also partner with many other organizations and include them in the dialogue when necessary.
If you or someone you know is a small business owner, is thinking about becoming one, or would like to talk about joining us as a volunteer mentor, please contact us through our website at SCORE.org/tipofthemitt.
Robert Denten volunteers as a small business mentor with the SCORE chapter “Tip of the Mitt.”
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