FREE BUSINESS COUNSELING
Free and confidential counseling by our professionals is available to you in starting a small business or improving a current small business.
To Initiate Counseling:
To assure that SCORE can effectively respond to your needs, it is important for us to know certain facts about you. Your first action should be to supply the information requested at our special counseling website. This site is monitored daily and will assure you a fast and responsive reply from Sandhills SCORE. Subsequently a free appointment with your SCORE counselor will be established at our office. The Sandhills SCORE office is located in the Moore County Chamber of Commerce building located at 10677 US 15-501 Highway, Southern Pines.
In the event that the website is unavailable, call 910-692-3926 and tell the Chamber your name and phone number (or email address). A SCORE counselor will be in touch with you to arrange an appointment with your counselor.
Our Counseling Policy
Sandhills SCORE firmly believes that a Business Plan is essential to the success of a start-up or an existing business. Accordingly, Sandhills SCORE will insist that a potential client agree to prepare a Business Plan. Our counselors will be available to assist in its preparation.
Additionally, Sandhills SCORE is concerned about a potential client’s ability and direction in obtaining financing. We will assist clients in drafting the necessary financial documents but we shall strongly encourage them to avoid financing via a signature loan from one of the many storefronts offering them.
To better understand the financing issues a new small business start-up faces, we strongly recommend that you read the following Sandhills SCORE position paper before your first meeting with a counselor. Click on A SMART BEGINNING
Our counseling shall be professional, courteous, attentive, free and confidential
Team Visit:
We will assemble a select team of our member professionals to work with a small company to help solve their ongoing business problem(s). SCORE assistance would commence subject to a joint agreement by SCORE and the company. A normal assistance period is anticipated to be 3 months. Examples of types of business problems that we can address:
- Adequacy of strategic and operational planning
- Risk Management
- Analysis of marketing effectiveness
- Analysis of company’s financial condition
For further details please go to Business Review Program
E-mail Counseling:
By logging on to SCORE you can access the expertise of SCORE experts throughout the United States and initiate one-on-one counseling with them.
Statement of Policy:
This Statement of Policy is Posted in Accordance with regulations of the Small Business Administration
This Organization Practices Equal Employment Opportunity
We do not discriminate on the ground of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or national origin in the hiring, retention, or promotion of employees; not in determining their rank, or the compensation or fringe benefits paid them.
This Organization Practices Equal Treatment of Clients
We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, disability, age or national origin in services or accommodations offered or provided to our employees, clients or guests.
These policies and this notice comply with regulations of the United States Government
Please report violations of this policy to:
Administrator
Small Business Administration
Washington, D.C. 20416