- SCORE, a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, is working with the City of Palm Coast to help business owners navigate the process and create sustainable businesses. What kinds of services does SCORE provide?
Helping entrepreneurs and small businesses owners realize their dreams is the mission of SCORE. We support that end by providing free and confidential mentoring, workshops (webinars) and other resources. SCORE has engaged in a positive partnership with the City of Palm Coast for many years. In October of 2019 we established a permanent office in City Hall providing the opportunity for in-person mentoring. In 2020, we provided counseling to 98 clients and conducted 178 mentoring sessions, a 15 percent increase over the previous year. Our in-person mentoring, and workshops were put on hold because of the pandemic. In the case of mentoring, we pivoted to “cyber” mentoring using technology facilitators such as email, facetime and zoom. With respect to workshops, we transformed the program to online webinars which have been well received. This approach provides flexibility to our clients who cannot attend the live webinars because of other commitments. The webinars are recorded and can be accessed at the SCORE National website (SCORE.org). Once in-person workshops are allowed, we anticipate working with the City to develop workshops designed to help small businesses navigate City business-related requirements. For more information on our local SCORE Chapter, please visit our website at: volusiaflagler.score.org.
- As people have reevaluated their position in the workforce and Gov. DeSantis noted the uptick in Floridians opening their own businesses during COVID, are you seeing growth or requests for support from SCORE in any particular sectors locally?
As mentioned above, overall, we have seen a year over year increase in counseling of 15 percent in 2020 which is consistent with the Governor’s growth statement. Historically, entrepreneurs and small business owners seeking assistance from SCORE fall into three business sectors: services (lawn care, pool maintenance, beauty salons and elderly care are examples), small retail mostly online, and restaurants. These are the same business sectors we are seeing today. Although the sectors are not different, there are significant differences in how these businesses in their present form conduct operations and market their products. Restaurants had to move from in-restaurant dining to take-out to a combination of the two to survive and be competitive. Retailers had to strengthen their online presence. As we move to what will be our “new normal” many of these changes will remain in place.
- The city is growing the medical/healthcare industry in Palm Coast, and the arts and entertainment district is formulating. What other industries could the community benefit from that would be attractive to future investors? In other words, who should or could we be looking to attract?
The growing medical/healthcare industry will be a driver of complementary business sectors such as IT, medical device design and development, medical records management, just to name a few. These sectors embody the most desirable aspects of business development for the community. They have a clean environmental footprint, provide high-paying jobs, and do not negatively impact the infrastructure. Other industrial sectors that could be attracted to our community are service-oriented sectors (call centers and administrative offices), and light manufacturing, these industry sectors provide good jobs and do not have a major impact on our public services or infrastructure. In addition, they help to balance our residence-dominated tax base.
- What programs or opportunities does SCORE offer or have coming up (in-person or virtually) that can help business owners sustain or grow their business, especially in the post-COVID economy?
For entrepreneurs and small business owners, the last year was like no other they have ever experienced. In many cases the challenges were devastating. At a minimum, virtually all businesses had to modify their operating model to address the economic and human impacts of COVID and the post-COVID economy. In many ways it is time for existing businesses to themselves as a start-up while pivoting to what the future will bring. This is where SCORE can help. Our Chapter has a wealth of knowledge in the areas of financial management, marketing plans and business strategies. We offer mentoring both in-person and technology enabled. For more information on mentoring opportunities, please see our website: volusiaflagler.score.org. In addition, there are business- related webinars available on our website and the previously mentioned SCORE National website (score.org).
- We’ve seen a number of industries pivot from in the office to a remote workforce. How can SCORE help business owners or startups using a remote model either transition to a brick and mortar or scale down from a brick and mortar and effectively manage their workforce/productivity remotely?
As indicated, many businesses had to develop innovative approaches to managing their employees as the result of COVID. This is particularly true of office-based service providers such as: consultants, insurance agencies, and healthcare providers. The experience of a COVID-related remote workforce provided valuable lessons regarding the economic and human impacts of working remotely. As we come out of COVID, employers will be making decisions regarding how to optimize the use of a remote workforce. There is no universal answer. SCORE can help a business owner evaluate the potential strategic and economic impacts of using various levels of a remote workforce.
