This article was written by Jack Revelle, SCORE Orange County Chairman
Another fiscal year is just about over and with it comes the end of my term of office as the chapter chair for Orange County SCORE-114. During these past 12 months our chapter has continued to grow, both in numbers of volunteer management counselors (we are now approaching 110 members and remain the largest, most productive chapter in all of SCORE) and in the number of the various types of services we offer the Orange County small business community (including no-cost, one-on-one counseling at 18 sites across the county and over 150 no-cost or low-cost workshops at libraries, chambers of commerce, and universities).
Even some of our regular SCORE clients are not fully aware of the many other challenges our counselors accept, e.g., we provide advisory board services to existing businesses that need a continuing relationship with one or more of our volunteers. Our speakers bureau continues to make our management counselors available to many service, civic, and professional organizations as well as to local conferences to speak about SCORE and what we do as offer as on a variety of business-oriented topics.
Already in its third year, our Women’s Breakfast of Champion series continues to grow in popularity as measured by the number of repeat attendees we see. We continue to mentor both undergraduate and graduate university students in entrepreneurial programs at UC-Irvine, Cal State-Fullerton, and Chapman University. For example, we annually participate in the Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth Business Plan Competition as both student team coaches and this year, for the first time, as judges.
For many years Orange County SCORE-114 has maintained a library of no-cost, hard copy documents that are distributed by our counselors to our one-on-one clients during their appointments at our Santa Ana office. This collection has been expanded to include additional materials not previously available through SCORE. Naturally, our free CD is offered to those clients who indicate a need for the business plan, marketing plan and cash flow templates contained on the CD.
We have considerably expanded our outreach to assist our military men and women with small businesses who are just deploying to or returning from the Middle East as well as their spouses who need the advice and assistance that Score’s volunteer management counselors provide.
Just recently, we have established an electronic link and a continuing relationship with the Norm and Mike Radio Show, a daily (2:00 to 3:00PM) broadcast on KLAA (AM830) that features current business news as well as discussions about various aspects of the economy, plus the importance of mortgage acceleration and debt elimination.
Another recent development, we are, for the first time, the “official” judges for the Supplier Excellence Alliance (SEA) Awards. See article below.
And for those organizations that already exist as or want to become non-profits, some of our SCORE volunteer management counselors are also associated with Coaches of Orange County (ECOC). This group specializes in providing advice and the Executive assistance to non-profit organizations.
When you visit our local website, www.SCORE114.org, or the SCORE Association national website, www.SCORE.org, there is virtually nothing a small business wants or needs (short of a loan) that you can’t find. And when you’re ready to give back to the small business community, you’re encouraged to contact us on our local website to investigate the process for becoming a SCORE volunteer management counselor in the largest, most productive SCORE chapter in the country.
And this is just the beginning of what Orange County SCORE-114 has done, is doing, and will be doing. We are the resource of choice for all of the small business community and if you, as an owner or manager, haven’t yet made use of our no-cost products and services, don’t you think the time has come when you should?
Thank you, one and all, clients, sponsors, and volunteers for all you do to make America great. Without the entrepreneurial spirit, dedication and energy of the small business community, our vitality and growth would not be what it is.
Members of Chapter 114 thank Jack ReVelle for his dedication and leading the chapter to another outstanding year of providing quality client services. Job well done.
