SCORE.org is a non-profit, government sponsored agency that provides free professional counsel to small business owners. You can get real help from other experienced business owners that have signed up to offer their expertise. It’s strictly volunteer, but the counselors have been checked out and have made a commitment to follow through. It’s completely free and you can gain advice 24/7 via an online sign up process, or you can locate an office close to you and speak face to face with a volunteer.

SCORE also offers a wealth of how-to articles, tips, forms and other reliable small business helps at the their website and in their monthly newsletter. This month’s newsletter included reference to their free business plan templates, exclusive tips for success from Guy Kawasaki, and an online workshop called,  “Quick Start Biz Plan”.

Anyone can use their service. Even if you don’t have a business yet, you can talk to someone about your ideas and what you need to do next. Last year a friend of ours was thinking about starting a solar equipment installation business and we referred him to SCORE for some expert advice. He received replies from three engineer-level consultants that offered a wealth of resources to find out everything he needed to know. It turned out there are agencies that can measure the (probable) amount of solar energy available in different parts of the country and we aren’t in a very good area for utilizing solar power. One of the consultants even suggested some alternate ideas (like maybe wind power supply products) that would work better for our area of the country.

SCORE is definitely one of the best resources available for anyone thinking of starting a small business, and the best part is their price!

Visit their website and find out more at SCORE.org

Find the free business plan templates here >>

Anyway, it’s finally done! At least it’s available…..I intend to continually update the resources…to the Homeschool Entrepreneur 9 Week E-Course. It’s the result of three years of research and compiling resources online to teach your teen how to start a home business. It’s nine weeks of lesson plans, M-F, to lead you from step one all the way to having and running a successful home business. Boiling down all there is to know about running a business was challenging, but all the resources for the ambitious student to continue their learning is included.

Personally, I have found nothing like it, and believe me, I have looked!! Most business courses we have come across usually include a great deal of information about business that most home business owners will never use. Then, while wading through all that information you don’t need, resources and links to what you do need is usually scarce. Of course, there are all those ebooks on how to make mega bucks doing this… or doing that….but none really gives you a foundation for managing or choosing the right home business.

So that’s what we did. We wrote a course that in a very short time you can get a home business…of your choice…up and running while at the same time laying a foundation for good ethical business sense. If you would like more information about this course, go to homeschoolecourse.com. I also offer free ads in our newsletter and our main site for your new business with every purchase!