Sage Advice: Expert mentors help get businesses up and running
Nearly 50% of small businesses fail within their first five years according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2021.
The pandemic did nothing to help this statistic, but SCORE, a nonprofit organization with one of the nation’s largest networks of expert business mentors has been dedicated to helping get small businesses off the ground since 1964.
“I help clients that are in search of business advice,” said Russ Hearn, SCORE volunteer mentor. “I get assigned clients based on geographic location. If they’re in Butler County I get them or if they match my area of expertise.”
With the help from Hearn, Jamie and Adam Christy started Mixtape Streets Eats on Harmony Road in Slippery Rock.
“We built the business plan,” Hearn said. “Helped them find a location. They’re a wonderful young couple with a successful business that serves the community, and they started from nothing.”
But more on the Christys later. Hearn has been a mentor for four years and has a background in medical devices direct-to-consumer from his time with Hearing Life, where he was a co-founder.
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