Owning a small business can mean making a lot of big decisions without a lot of people to turn to.

That is exactly where SCORE Mid-Florida comes in.

A member of the Mount Dora Area Chamber of Commerce, SCORE Mid-Florida helps entrepreneurs and small-business owners connect with experienced mentors, practical education and business resources designed to help them start, grow and navigate challenges along the way.

SCORE is also an official resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), giving local business owners access to a national network of expertise and support through a resource that is available right here in our region.

Free One-on-One Business Mentoring

One of SCORE's most valuable offerings is also one of the simplest: free, confidential one-on-one business mentoring.

And it is not just for people who are thinking about starting a business.

SCORE mentors can work with business owners at virtually any stage, whether you are trying to build a business plan, increase sales, improve marketing, understand financing, manage cash flow, hire employees, solve an operational challenge or figure out what comes next.

Mentors are volunteers with real-world business experience, and SCORE can help connect entrepreneurs with someone whose background aligns with the challenges they are facing.

The relationship can also continue over time. SCORE describes its mentoring as free for the life of your business, which means you can return as new questions, opportunities and challenges come up.

For a small-business owner who may not have a large leadership team, board of directors or consultant on call, having an experienced outside perspective can be incredibly valuable.

A Local Connection to a National Small-Business Resource

SCORE has been helping entrepreneurs nationwide for decades, but SCORE Mid-Florida brings those resources closer to home.

The chapter serves Lake, Marion and Sumter counties, including businesses throughout the Mount Dora area.

Its affiliation with the SBA also matters. As an official SBA resource partner, SCORE is part of a broader network created to help small businesses access education, guidance and support.

For local entrepreneurs, that means the opportunity to tap into both national expertise and people who understand the realities of operating a small business in our region.

More Than Mentoring

SCORE Mid-Florida also offers a steady lineup of workshops and webinars focused on the practical issues business owners are dealing with every day.

Marketing, sales, AI, taxes, financing, business planning, hiring and operations are all regularly on the schedule.

Many programs are offered at no cost, while some may have a registration fee, so it is always worth checking the individual event listing before signing up.

If there is something you have been meaning to learn, there is a good chance SCORE has a class for it.

 

Coming Up from SCORE Mid-Florida

Here are a few of the SCORE programs currently on the Mount Dora Area Chamber calendars for the rest of August and September:

August 25 — How to Start a Consulting Business: Sharing Your Knowledge for a Profit
Thinking about turning your professional experience into a business? This session focuses on what it takes to launch and build a consulting practice.

August 25 — Top 5 Reasons Banks Deny Business Loan Requests
A useful look at what lenders consider when reviewing small-business loan applications and some of the issues that can stand between a business owner and financing.

August 26 — Managing Your Non-Profit
Designed for nonprofit leaders looking to strengthen how they manage and operate their organizations.

September 2 — AI for Marketing: A Beginner's Guide for Small Business Owners
An introduction to ways small businesses can begin incorporating AI into their marketing efforts.

September 8 — Attract Customers & Explode Your Sales
A free online session focused on identifying your ideal audience, sharpening your message and choosing the right channels to reach customers.

September 9 — Write Smarter, Not Harder: How to Use ChatGPT to Create Better Marketing Copy
A practical session for business owners interested in using ChatGPT to make content creation and marketing a little easier.

September 9 — Income Taxes for Small Businesses
A free online seminar covering foundational tax information for small-business owners.

September 10 — Using Google Business Profile to Grow Your Business
Learn how to make better use of one of the most important free tools available for helping customers find a local business online.

September 15 — LinkedIn Prospecting: How to Get the Meeting with Your Ideal Client
A session focused on using LinkedIn more strategically to identify prospects and turn connections into conversations.

September 19 — Unlock Business Funding: Get the Money You Need
Explore funding options and what business owners should know when preparing to seek capital.

September 22 — AI Setup for Small Business: Train It Once, Use It for Everything
A deeper dive into setting up AI tools so they can become more useful in day-to-day business operations.

September 23 — Craft a Winning Business Plan That Gets Results
A practical look at creating a business plan that can help guide decisions, growth and future opportunities.

September 29 — Building an Exit Strategy: Preparing Your Business for What's Next
For established owners, this session turns attention toward succession, transition and planning for the next chapter.

Put SCORE on Your Business Resource List

You do not need to wait until you are launching a company or facing a major problem to reach out.

Maybe you want a second opinion on your marketing. Maybe you are trying to understand financing. Maybe you are considering expansion, hiring, a new product or even eventually selling the business.

SCORE Mid-Florida gives Mount Dora-area entrepreneurs another place to bring those questions — and the one-on-one mentoring is free.

Explore upcoming SCORE Mid-Florida programs through the Mount Dora Area Chamber calendars and learn more about requesting a free SCORE mentor.