619 Taylor St., East Peoria, IL 61611 - 309-699-9327

I had never heard of SCORE, until I had attended a workshop that one of my own customers was presenting and met the SCORE folks there.  I wish I had known about them when I first started my company.   I’m thankful for the workshop, which was free, so I was able to meet these fantastic folks. 

I was thinking about purchasing the building that my computer store was in so I made an appointment to meet with a couple of SCORE counselors to get their feedback.  The knowledge of the counselors was outstanding!  They helped me make a quick decision by asking me the right questions.  After discussing this with the SCORE counselors, I realized that I did not want to be a landowner if I didn’t have to be.  Looking back, I know I would have made a mistake and owning a building would have been just one more thing I had to deal with.  I’m very thankful to have this counseling resource available when I needed it the most.

Since then, I’ve asked advice from these counselors and gotten feedback many times.  SCORE is such a great resource for business owners.  Although it seems they focus on businesses just getting started, SCORE’s services are for anyone no matter how long you’ve been in business. 

Owning a business on your own means making decisions alone, and it is very difficult when you are not sure you are making the correct choices.  SCORE can help you sort out the issues and decide what is best.  To me, it’s very valuable to have someone “who’s been there” to help kick around ideas. 

Since working with SCORE, I’ve become a member so I too, can help other businesses succeed.  I didn’t think I had the experience yet for counseling so I have presented at some of the workshops, help with their email and social media marketing.  I feel I am giving back just a small portion of what I’ve gotten from SCORE.  I would encourage anyone to at least try out some counseling.  No one knows everything and if you can receive free, valuable advice for your business, go for it!
Tammy Finch - Web Tech Services, Inc.