Retired business experts help budding entrepreneurs score with free workshops at St. Pete Beach Library
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jennifer Dorr is proud of her women's clothing store Citrus Styles in Dunedin.
"Entrepreneurship isn't for everybody, but I personally love being the captain of my own ship. And there's nothing like it. I highly recommend," she shared.
Dorr’s business is on the path to success thanks to SCORE, a group of retired business people who give out free confidential small business advice.
"You know, such things as social media, marketing, financial planning, writing, your business plan. So I could not have done it without them," Dorr said.
The non-profit was founded in 1964 by the Small Business Administration to help people establish new businesses and grow existing ones.
"It's such an inspiring thing to know that you are making a difference and many of us are post-career and so the alternative is to play golf, watch television, you know, that kind of thing," commented Dennis Mitchell, who works with SCORE.
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St. Pete Beach Library started a small business hub and will host free educational resources like SCORE to local entrepreneurs and business owners.
"We want to make sure if someone has the desire to have a small business or to be an entrepreneur, that this is a place that they can go for help," explained Abigail Davis, a public service librarian at St. Pete Beach Library said. "We really want to make sure if people have that dream that this is someplace that we can help support them and help them thrive."
The organization is having a big impact on small businesses.
"This past year, we helped nationally create 45,000 new businesses and more than 125,000 new jobs in America during a year that was real turmoil," Mitchell remarked.
Experience that is helping businesses like Dorr’s find their niche.
LINK: The workshops will be at St. Pete Beach Public Library.
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