Compost, based in Petaluma, focused on food-waste recycling with a low environmental impact, and has been a SCORE client since before the pandemic. “There are two benefits about SCORE that stand out above the rest,” he says. “First, the ability to talk with a subject matter expert when developing a product has been wonderful. Second, my SCORE counselor gives advice and is able to call in additional resources without any ulterior motives. This is like having a consultant for your business and other consultants to help when the need arises.” He believes aspiring entrepreneurs
hadn’t been [Kane’s] expertise in his working life, but through a network of mentors he brought in big hitters with that experience,” says Relyea, who meets with Kane for an hour or two every other week, on average. “What I get from these meetings is to look at the nitty-gritty of my daily business operations and how to continually move in the right direction. We have now modernized the company and have doubled our profits.” Relyea praises SCORE for the expert team of mentors who have helped him. “Nobody cares about my business as much as I do, but [Kane] is a close second. I tell people I know who I think would benefit from SCORE mentoring to reach out to them for assistance. But there can be a sense of ego that stops people from doing that. Yet, a SCORE mentor will be the second person right behind you that cares about making your business successful. My advice to others is to use all the systems at your fingertips that can help you succeed. When I get my business to a place that’s more stable, I’d love to be a SCORE mentor myself.” New mentors welcome Woods says SCORE is always looking for more mentors“—anyone who wants to share their business knowledge,” she adds. Kane agrees. “I always explain to new counselors that you may not know everything about running a business, but you’ll be surprised at how much you do know for helping people who don’t know anything about starting and operating a business. That’s not a comment on their intelligence, they just don’t have the experience. Another hurdle for us is to attract business owners who are already successful but think they don’t need our help.” To become a SCORE mentor, or reach out to a mentor for business assistance, visit score.org . g
The value of mentors After many decades in operation, SCORE— once known as the Service Corps of Retired Executives—has evolved to the point where about half of its mentors currently work as entrepreneurs and executives, and the other half are retired. These volunteers conducted 285,014 mentoring sessions last year. Mentoring sessions can take place in person, by email, phone or via Zoom. SCORE’s clients are 65% women, 46% minorities, 96% veterans and 13% are people with a disability. Nine out of 10 small businesses that work with SCORE stay in business, and nearly half report increases in revenue. For more information, visit score.org .— JSD
would find SCORE mentors and resources “the best return-on-
investment for your effort and time.” The SCORE team, he adds, is smart, experienced and on your side. “It’s a situation where you get back so much more than you can imagine. And it doesn’t matter what stage [of business] you are in, they have mentors to help.” SCORE, he says, provides a human experience to the business environment, which is sometimes forgotten in the drive for profits and sales. “I haven’t met one SCORE counselor I didn’t like, and I can’t speak highly enough about my main business advisor, Jim Kane. SCORE is a special program with special people.” Tanner Relyea, owner of Wolfard Glassblowing in Cotati, had mentors in the past for other reasons, he says, so he thought he should have a business mentor, too. “I was looking to start a business, but I’m an artist. I know how to make stuff, but didn’t know the business nuts and bolts to make it work.” Relyea learned about SCORE through an online search, sent off an email inquiry about three years ago, and heard back promptly from Jim Kane, who he says was enthusiastic about helping him. “And we really hit it off.” Getting the young artist’s new business off the ground was going slowly when he began meeting regularly with Kane. Then he had the opportunity to buy and take over operations at Wolfard, where he’d been working for eight years. “So I bought a business with 50 years of history, including its own retail shop many years ago in Montgomery Village.” Today, the company doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar store, but 60% of its sales are direct-to-consumer through its website. The remaining 40% are to wholesalers. “Sales and marketing
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February 2025
NorthBaybiz 41
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