Give back. Be a mentor. Keep your head in the game. Help an entrepreneur succeed as a small business owner.
More than 90 volunteers currently support our business mentoring and education efforts in the Fox Valley, but we could use more help. There are no dues and no costs to join. Our members are retired and semi-retired men and women who have already achieved business success and enjoy sharing those experiences with others. Other active professionals join SCORE to share their expertise and serve in other ways.
Step 1 – Get Acquainted
Come to one of our regular monthly meetings to explore the possibilities. To find out the time and place of our next meeting, contact our Membership Chairman, Ron Haggh, at (630) 852-1853, or e-mail him directly.
Step 2 – Register to Join
We are looking not only for those who want to actively mentor, but for those who are able to develop workshops, present seminars, train mentors, facilitate roundtables, handle online communications, do scheduling, and serve as ambassadors to Chambers of Commerce, banks and community organizations, etc.
If you would like to strengthen your local business community, start the application process by filling out the Volunteer Registration Form. You will then be sent complete application forms.
You will be joining a national organization with more than 13,000 volunteers who provide free mentoring and education as a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Our Fox Valley SCORE chapter serves the 6 Illinois counties of DuPage, Kane, Will, DeKalb, Kendall and McHenry.
Step 3 – Receive Training
We make your introduction easy. Our initial and ongoing SCORE Training program will equip you to confidently help small business owners and start-ups in your community. If you are mentoring, you will team with another mentor to meet with clients face-to-face in one of our locations most convenient to you.
Step 4 – Grow With Us
As you settle into a regular schedule of service, you will be amazed at the wide variety of business clients who come to SCORE for advice. You will be able to help them create business plans, formulate marketing strategies, find financial resources, and much more.
Volunteers contribute about 10 hours a month to SCORE, doing mentoring online or face-to-face, serving on committees (technology, finance, marketing, workshops, training, etc.), representing us in the community, and more. All volunteers honor a Code of Ethics to ensure client confidentiality and avoid any conflict of interest.
Step 5 – Expand Your Network
Each month, membership meetings provide opportunities to meet new friends, brag about your golf, get ideas about where to travel, etc., and hear a speaker about topics that will help you in consulting with your clients.
As you continue to develop your professional and mentoring skills, you will enjoy getting to know other success-oriented volunteers who, like you, seek personal growth through lifelong learning and business involvement.
