While opening a small business in the current state of affairs can seem intimidating, prospective entrepreneurs and business owners alike should realize there are resources available to help them hit the ground running. SCORE, a nonprofit resource partner of the Small Business Administration, aims to lend a helping hand to all small business owners, whether they are successful or just starting out on their journey. SCORE works through mentorships. Small business owners team-up with a network of industry-experienced mentors that help guide proprietors toward sustained success. The best part? It’s free. With over 10,000 vetted mentors in the nation and dozens in the Capital District alone, a SCORE mentorship could benefit your business, no matter what industry you’re in.

Saratoga Business Report spoke with Rita Cox, owner and founder of Cox Marketing Solutions, a full-service marketing firm based in Clifton Park. Rita is a professional that’s been leading marketing teams for three decades; she also happens to be a local SCORE mentor. Rita has witnessed a lot of changes in the evolution of marketing, and brings that knowledge to her SCORE mentorships. “I remember when it was just 'Yellow Pages,’'' Rita told TODAY, “to now, where everything is marketing and nearly all businesses will benefit from things like a strong social media presence.” Rita agreed that small businesses are the backbone of any resilient community and emphasized that no matter the business, a SCORE mentorship can help. Rita and her fellow SCORE volunteers have worked in a wide array of industries and their mentorships have run the gamut,  “we’ve worked with financial groups, restaurants, even personal trainers.”          

To find out more about SCORE and to determine whether a mentorship is right for your business, visit https://www.score.org/find-mentor to learn more. Are you a leader in your industry and think you have what it takes to become a SCORE mentor? Visit,  www.score.org/volunteer to begin the application process.