There’s a room full of experienced executives ready to meet with you, work through your business challenges, and give you honest, knowledgeable advice—all at no charge, for as long as you need. The thing is, most Westchester business owners have no idea this exists.
SCORE is a national nonprofit and resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration that matches small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs with volunteer mentors. This includes retired and active executives, former business owners, and seasoned professionals across nearly every industry. SCORE Westchester serves Westchester County directly, including key hubs like White Plains, New Rochelle, Rye, Scarsdale, Yonkers, and Mount Vernon, and mentoring is completely free. Not free with an asterisk. Actually free. Many workshops are also free or low-cost.
You can request a mentor match based on your industry and the specific challenges you’re navigating, whether that’s writing a business plan, securing financing, figuring out your marketing strategy, or preparing for a difficult conversation with a partner or investor. Mentoring sessions happen in person, by phone, or via video. There’s no limit on the number of sessions, and many business owners maintain long-term relationships with their SCORE mentors for years.
Beyond one-on-one mentoring, score.org offers a deep library of free workshops, webinars, and templates covering everything from cash flow management to social media strategy to succession planning. One caveat: The quality of a SCORE experience depends significantly on the mentor match. Not every advisor will be a fit for every business, and it may take a session or two to find the right person. The site makes it easy to request a different mentor if the first match isn’t clicking.
For any Westchester business owners who have ever wished they could sit down with someone who’s actually built and run a successful business, and get candid, experienced input with no sales pitch attached, this is exactly that.
SCORE Westchester | Website | Free
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