SCORE looking to help small businesses
Jerry Stevlingson, chairman of the Southwest Florida Chapter 219 of SCORE, was the guest speaker at the February Business Leaders Luncheon sponsored by the North Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce.
SCORE stands for the Service Corp of Retired Executives, a group, Stevlingson said, that is looking to help small businesses at no charge.
The non-profit organization has 400 chapters and over 7,000 members nationwide, helping small businesses and start-up businesses with free counseling and workshops.
“Tips for small businesses are what we do,” he said.
A variety of business professionals are mentors.
“Many of our volunteers were business owners, and we have a wide variety of professionals who counsel,” he said.
Stevlingson said the group has helped many business owners, and it is actively looking now for more business owners to assist, especially in existing businesses.
“That’s what we’re targeting to help,” he said. “We do help start-up businesses, but in this economy, not many people are opening new businesses right now. You’d think that in these troubled times we’d be seeing more people we can help, but we’re not. As a non-profit, we charge zero for services.”
The group does individual counseling and has daytime office hours, but he did say that when the need was found that many can’t leave their businesses in the day, volunteers have been known to go to their workplace.
The group also conducts different workshops at no charge.
“We’ve utilized the library system, and use the Enterprise Corporation building in Fort Myers. They have really nice training facilities,” he said.
He said business owners can go to the Web site – score.org – to see the offerings and find a lot of helpful advice and information on the organization. You can also call 489-2935. The local office is off Colonial Boulevard near McGregor Baptist Church.
The event was held at Royal Palm Yacht Club.
Other chamber news
The chamber’s JoAnne Cicone is known in the community as an executive for Riverside Bank, which is now TIB Bank. She brought information on the new bank group, saying that it was actually formed in Islamorada in the Keys, and headquartered in Naples.
Deposits are safe there, according to bank officials.
Don Ostrowsky of the 2009 Octoberfest In March was also at the meeting dressed in festive polka garb, letting chamber members know about the upcoming festivities set for the Shell Factory from March 13 to 15. The event is sponsored by Christ Lutheran Church.
There will be authentic German food, and lots of music. Jam sessions will be led by Walter Ostanek, a three-time Grammy winner and “Canada’s Polka King” and The Yankovic Sound with Bob Kravos – the great nephew of Frank Yankovic.
There will even be a “polka church service” under the tent at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 15. “We moved from Cape Coral to the Shell Factory location because the event has become so big,” he said. Look for a full story on the event in a future issue of The Neighbor.
In other chamber news, president John Gardner announced that the next Business After Hours will be held at Graphic Sign Solutions on Thursday, March 12, at 5:30 p.m. He encourages members of the community to attend the networking mingle. The business is located at 13626 N. Cleveland Ave., in Hancock Bridge Square, near Office Depot. The cost is $5 per person, and the event is open to the public. The phone number for Graphic Sign Solutions is 995-7446.
The next Business Leaders Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, March 18 at Arizona Pizza Company. The chamber regularly holds the event on the third Wednesday of the month.
For more information on any chamber event, call 997-9111.