San Luis Obispo SCORE

 

The San Luis Obispo County Chapter of SCORE is part of a national nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of small businesses in San Luis Obispo County and the Santa Maria Valley.

The San Luis Obispo County Chapter provides free and confidential business counseling tailored to meet the needs of your small business and your personal objectives. The chapter also offers workshops for both start-up entrepreneurs and existing small business owners.

SCORE volunteers are real-world professionals with time-tested knowledge who donate thousands of hours to help small businesses succeed. Counselors are experts in such areas as accounting, finance, marketing, management and business plan preparation.

The San Luis Obispo County Chapter is comprised of volunteers that provide guidance and counseling to entrepreneurs in the county.  E-Mail Us or give us a call at (805) 547-0779 to learn more about our services. We look forward to serving you.

What our clients tell us... click here  

How to Start a Business in San Luis Obispo County... click here
Free Mentoring

sSCORE's mentors, comprised of active and retired business men and women, provide clients with free and confidential business counseling. Sessions can be conducted at the client's place of business, at our chapter headquarters, by telephone or by email.

Workshops & Events

SCORE mentors and representatives from the local business community conduct a variety of regularly scheduled, free educational workshops that provide valuable information and techniques necessary for establishing and managing a successful business.

Templates & Tools

With access to a wide variety of documents, templates and tools to assist you in starting or growing your business, the information provided here covers a wide range of subjects including initial business planning, capital sources, government agencies, and much more.

Success Stories

    Doc Burnstein’s Greg Steinberger -  “SCORE guided us as I opened my doors in 2003 and again as I expanded. The value of these experienced mentors is priceless”.

  Angle Oar's Meg McCall  - “The information I received at my SCORE trainings, particularly regarding local, state and federal business registrations, was very helpful. My counselor reached out repeatedly throughout the next year to check on status of my business and offer help. I highly recommend anyone starting a business attend their workshops."

  Beach ‘N’ Yogurt's Ed Mulder - “I think what SCORE is doing is a great community service to all small businesses and entrepreneurs, this is what keeps America strong. I cannot thank you enough.”

  MZR Fitness's Mike Robinson -  “SCORE has been a tremendous help for starting and growing my business. With some of the most educated and experienced individuals on board at SCORE, I’ve been able to confidently move forward in the business world and approach every situation with more clarity. Their feedback is invaluable and I can’t thank them enough for being there for me every step of the way. I truly don’t know where I would be with my business if it weren’t for SCORE”.

  Inner Light Interior Design's Erica Gomez -  “My counselors were pleasant and supportive, their mention that I am well organized, I have carried with me as a strength. As a small business owner, encouragement and positive feedback never gets old. Their readiness to help me troubleshoot during roadblocks has added to my success. I will continue to use their services and refer others. I am full of gratitude to have SCORE as a resource in our community”.

  Accurate Welding & Manufacturing's Scott and Ann Crutcher -  “Your expertise and willingness to share it is very helpful to us. We now have a much clearer idea what exactly we need to do and access to tools such as worksheets and examples of business plans and cash flow statements. We also now know where to go for further help and advice, including of course back to you. We trust the information you provide”.

 

Client Comments

C.E. San Luis Obispo - Mr. M spent a great deal of time listening to my dreams, goals, and the history of my organization. Then, he started coming up with concrete ways of how to move forward. Additionally, he seems genuinely interested in the success of C G W. He also followed up via email and telephone with more helpful suggestions. I am extremely grateful for his guidance & support!
 
M.K. Paso Robles - P gave me time, attention and constructive ideas. It was beneficial to me, both in confirming my ideas, and adding some new steps to take, also the widsom/advice to take it at a reasonable pace, to allow it to grow, step by step, not to push myself with unrealistic expectations.
As a business entrepreneur being open to different ideas and experiences from the SCORE mentors can never do any harm. I find that sometimes you become isolated and in this economy the magical opportunity or idea can come from any source. Talking to people that have been on this path can only be of benefit. 
 
C.M. Arroyo Grande - The advice was not only practical but very goal-oriented. I liked L's approach to business where she gave a phrase for me to take home which would give me a quick, clear definition of what needs to be done to succeed! I also liked her and J's follow-up with emails and calls.
 
K.M.  Atascadero - The whole experience was more than I expected and I appreciate the fact that SCORE exists for the community and was there for me.
 

D.P. Santa Maria - The 3 mentors were all very responsive. Particularly J as he regularly contacts me via email and is very prompt. They also ask very thoughtful and relevant questions and give helpful feedback. We are looking forward to continued support. 

H.V. Arroyo Grande - I thought that both of the counselors were very helpful and clearly had a lot of experience in helping people with all sorts of business ideas. All of their suggestions for getting started were great. They were very polite and professional. I liked meeting with two counselors, rather than just one person... you know what you are doing! 

K.W.  Paso Robles - My first meeting with P was very informative and he was very knowledgeable about the subjects we discussed. He took time to make sure everything was explained to me in detail and all my question were answered 

L.P.  Atascadero - We happened to download the 28 page plan and filled out a lot of it before our meeting... it is invaluable. Having neutral feedback from a business plan focus is wonderful and useful in a down to earth manner.

S.R.  San Luis Obispo - All my questions were answered. The mentors were friendly, courteous and knowledgeable. I think it's wonderful that prospective entrepreneurs in the community have this invaluable resource available to guide them. 

 

SLO SCORE ALUMNI

Advantage Answering Plus, San Luis Obispo

Budget Café, San Luis Obispo

Cornucopia Tool & Die, Paso Robles

Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab, Arroyo Grande, Orcutt and San Luis Obispo

House of Bread, San Luis Obispo

KCBXnet, San Luis Obispo

Patio Pacific Inc., San Luis Obispo

San Luis Sourdough, San Luis Obispo (now part of Sara Lee Corp.)

TechXpress, San Luis Obispo