SCORE is a group of business experts throughout various regions who voluntarily provide free mentoring and education for small businesses in the areas of finance, marketing, and more. In February 2018, the Chicago Family Business Council is sponsoring the SCORE Small Business Forum.

SCORE Business Forum: Growing Your Business in the Digital Age will take place in downtown Chicago and feature panels, prizes and a keynote speaker. The panel discussions range from the power of digital marketing to using social media to expand your business. The goal is to bring together like-minded professionals looking to evolve their business and make the most of digital resources.

Members of the Chicago Family Business Council look to SCORE for help. Melanie Kuhar, President of Grind to a Halt and member of Phoenix Forum, has worked with SCORE for two years.

How did you get involved with SCORE?

It was recommended to me by one of my Forum members who had a great experience. We were put in touch with a regional team, and because I am part of the CFBC and the length of time our company has been in business, they immediately set up a group meeting with us. There were representatives specializing in strategy, manufacturing, banking—you name it. The team is professional, knowledgeable and always on time.

Is there a resource that stands out to you the most?

The in-person meetings are undoubtedly the most helpful for us. We meet quarterly with the same people each time, so we have a peer dynamic where you have full trust and discuss different ways of moving the business forward. I’ve also viewed a few of their webinars and other online resources which cover a wide variety of topics.

In what business area has SCORE been the most helpful?

Finances. The SCORE team influenced us to make many good decisions and improve our relationships with those who work in our financials. We now have open lines of communication that we didn’t have before.

We have truly embraced working with SCORE—they’ve got it.

About SCORE
SCORE is a 53-year-old national non-profit resource partner of the Small Business Association with 300 chapters and 10,000 volunteers. Current and retired business owners and executives provide free, unlimited and confidential mentoring, free and low-cost workshops, and in-depth business consulting for individuals starting or operating a small business.

Check back to the CFBC blog for other information and announcements. Visit our community events page or visit scorebusinessforum.org to learn more about the event.

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