APRIL 15 - SCORE
Guests: Barry Patrie (speaker) (Laux), Sadie Sindland (Thrall)
Members We Missed: Blair, Dunham, Hart, Murphy, Roma, Tyler, Whitney
Barry's presentation was on the SCORE organization, whose mission is "to grow successful small businesses across America, one business at a time." SCORE is staffed by 13,000 volunteers in 350 chapters, 7 of which are in Maine. Its business counseling services are free. Barry is marketing coordinator of the Oxford Hills chapter, located at 2 Market Square in South Paris.. Members of the chapter cover a wide range of expertise, and assist not only early-stage entrepreneurs but also already-established small businesses looking to improve and expand. Assistance includes mentoring, workshops and roundtables, and templates and tools including a "Small Business Resource Guide." A frequent and important area of advice is how to prepare a business plan. SCORE works in partnership with the both the Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Association.