SCORE celebrates National Mentoring Month with two stories of courage and determination from local small business owners.

SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer business experts, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals.

Since 1964, it has provided education and mentorship to more than 11 million entrepreneurs nationwide.

Here in Chester and Delaware Counties, there are countless ‘success stories of how entrepreneurs and business owners are supported by their Mentors to solve problems, get a business up and running, and grow and thrive.

Ultimately, the value of mentoring is best measured by the insights and results of the small business community.

Startup:  ASAP Locks & Lead Testing, Philadelphia PA

Prioritized safety with a personalized service model for property managers

“I learned pricing is not everything!” from my SCORE Mentors.  “This business could not have gotten off the ground without all their help.”

“The most important thing to set yourself apart is knowing what your services are worth, knowing your market, tailoring your services to your audience and most importantly establishing personal connections…”                                                                                          Marie Kramer

Marie and Ken Kramer manage rental properties in Philadelphia. The city passed a law requiring all rental properties built before 1978 to be certified as lead-safe or lead-free every four years.

Problem-solving and entrepreneurship come naturally to Marie Kramer. 

After attending lead safety training in 2020 to test and certify their own properties, Marie understood the urgency of this new law and the business opportunity. Every property owner would have to comply. This would generate an additional revenue stream with a repeat business model.

Marie called SCORE to set up a mentoring session.  She needed help. 

Don Barber and Steve Traino, her Mentors, provided advice that helped Marie to improve the company’s positioning and pricing strategy to operate in a highly competitive market by focusing primarily on quality and service, not price. Marie’s property management experience helped to differentiate her offering and provide confidence to her customers.    

Together, they reviewed market research databases to understand the size of the opportunity. The SCORE mentors provided feedback on the company logo and advised upgrading the website design and messaging to reach more clients during the pandemic crisis.

Listen to Marie’s perspective and learn more.

Marie’s Story

Read Marie’s story.

Growth:  Form-A-Tread, Phoenixville PA

Unique product solution preventing slips and falls in large, public venues across the US

“As an owner, you won’t be best at everything!  Find experts who can help you.  Listen and learn from them. Understand that you don’t have all the answers.  Don’t be afraid to delegate.
There are many ways to reach an objective…”                                   Bob Finkenaur

After establishing his brand name, patents and business structure, Bob learned about finance, marketing, website development and search engine optimization (SEO) at SCORE seminars.

He met with Steve Crumrine and John Nelson, SCORE Mentors, in 2017 to talk about how to grow sales and expand faster.  Steve and John provided strategic direction, marketing advice and important insights about value and price.  Bob feels certain he would not have his business today without those discussions and his decision to follow his mentors’ professional guidance.

Learn more about Bob’s business and what he has to say.

Bob’s Story.

Read Bob’s Story.

SCORE’s mission is to foster a strong small business community. It aims to provide every person the support they need to thrive as a small business owner. Mentoring and most of the SCORE educational programs are free. You will find many tools, templates, and other business resources on the SCORE website resource library.

National Mentoring Month is a great time to think about getting your business some extra help.

SCORE can help. Find a mentor today.

Learn a new skill.  Check out SCORE workshops.

Volunteer with SCORE. Give Back to Your Community!

As a volunteer, you can join a talented team to make an immediate impact with small businesses. In the spirit of National Mentoring Month, SCORE welcomes mentors, subject matter experts, community outreach and marketing professionals to share their time, energy, and knowledge!

SCORE Chester and Delaware Counties has been operating since 1985, with 100 dedicated volunteers today who provide confidential mentoring at no charge and offer business seminars, workshops and webinars to benefit the local community. 

SCORE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).