SCORE Mentors

10/16/2026

“Most of our work comes from referrals.”

We hear that in nearly every first session, and it’s usually true. It’s also usually an accident. There’s no ask, no timing, and no system behind it — which is why it dries up the moment things get quiet, right when you need it most.

The ask works best at the exact moment the customer tells you they’re happy. Not a week later in an email. Right there, while they’re standing in the finished kitchen.

And ask for one person, not “anyone you know.” Anyone you know is a question nobody can answer. One neighbor with the same problem is a question they can.

Then make it easy. Tell them what to say and give them something to forward. People want to help you; most of them just don’t know how.

10/15/2026

The estimate went out three weeks ago. Nothing came back. You’ve decided they went with someone cheaper.

Usually they didn’t. They got busy, the project moved down the list, your email ended up under forty others, and now nobody wants to be the one to bring it up again. That quote is sitting in exactly the same limbo on their end as it is on yours.

Price is the reason owners assume, because it’s the only one that ever comes back out loud. Silence almost never means no. It means not yet, and not yet turns into never when nobody checks in.

Put a follow-up date on every quote the day you send it. Then ask what’s holding it up rather than whether they’re ready — one asks a real question, the other asks for a decision they haven’t made.

10/14/2026

Everyone has one. The account that questions every line on the invoice, pays in sixty days if you chase it, and calls on a Sunday about something that could have waited until Tuesday.

The reason you keep them is that revenue is revenue, and letting go of money on purpose feels reckless. But rank your customers by profit per hour instead of by invoice total and that account usually drops to the bottom — not because the job pays badly, but because of everything around the job that nobody bills for.

The real cost is the quote you didn’t get to, the good customer who waited, and the Monday you started already tired.

You don’t have to make a scene. Raise the price to where the aggravation is worth it, or hand them off politely. Then watch what moves into the space.

Fire one. See what fills the hole.

10/13/2026

Hire your paperwork before you hire your trade.

When owners finally bring someone on, they almost always hire another set of hands to do the skilled work — another tech, another installer, another stylist.

It makes sense on paper. More hands, more jobs.

But the bottleneck was never the work. It’s that you’re still doing the quoting, the scheduling, the invoicing, the chasing, and the phone, at night, after a full day.

Add a second tech and you’ve added more quotes to write and more invoices to send. The jam gets worse, not better.

Track your own hours for two weeks and separate the ones that actually require your license and your skill from the ones that don’t.

That second pile is the hire - even at ten hours a week, even part-time.

It’s cheaper than you think and it’s the only hire that gives you time back.

10/07/2026

Most Long Island owners treat the property tax on their building as a fixed number — it's actually an opinion, and you can argue.

Your assessment is someone's estimate of value, and commercial properties get over-assessed constantly.

You can challenge it yearly — you only have to show the number's too high.

But deadlines are hard: in Suffolk, Grievance Day is the third Tuesday in May.

Compare with nearby sales, and if there's a gap, file before the date.

10/06/2026

Putting an expiration date on gift certificates feels fair — in New York it's largely unenforceable.

A gift card generally can't expire for at least 9 years, and quiet monthly fees are heavily restricted.

So the card someone got three years ago is probably still good, and the sticker on your register doesn't change that.

It's also a real liability on your books. That card is good for years — plan accordingly.

10/05/2026

Think buying a business's assets keeps you clear of the seller's problems?

In New York, unpaid sales tax follows the assets. Buy in bulk without notifying the state first, and the seller's unpaid tax can land on you — up to the value of what you bought — even though you never collected it.

Notify the tax department at least 10 days before you pay, and hold back enough to cover any debt.

Ten days of patience is the whole difference.

10/04/2026

You see a full stockroom as readiness; an accountant sees cash you've already spent, doing nothing.

Carrying inventory runs ~25% of its value a year — storage, insurance, shrinkage, tied-up cash. Sit on $40k of stock and it costs ~$10k just to own it, mostly in slow movers.

Pull what hasn't sold in six months and clear it.

A full shelf isn't an asset if nobody's buying it.

10/03/2026

Everyone skims past indemnification clauses — yet that paragraph decides who pays when something goes wrong that wasn't your fault.

A broad indemnity makes you cover the other side's losses and legal costs, and the duty to defend often starts the moment someone's named — so you can fund a defense for something you'll eventually win.

NY voids clauses making you cover someone's own negligence, but plenty still include one.

Push it back to cover only what you caused.

10/02/2026

Manufacturing takes more than engineering. It takes vision, problem-solving, and the business know-how to turn an idea into a thriving company. 🏭

For National Manufacturing Day, meet Brad, founder of AMS Galaxy USA, a manufacturer of precision dairy equipment helping farmers reclaim something invaluable: time with their families.

Growing up on a dairy farm, Brad saw firsthand how demanding the work could be. He wanted to help other farmers change that story through robotic milking technology. But when it came to running a business, he quickly realized that engineering expertise was only part of the equation.

That’s where SCORE came in. Through mentorship, Brad gained guidance in sales, marketing, accounting, finance, and strategy, the essential business skills that help manufacturers grow beyond the production floor.

“We wouldn't be where we are without SCORE,” Brad shared.

This National Manufacturing Day, we're celebrating the manufacturers who turn innovation into impact, and the mentors who help them build stronger businesses.

10/02/2026

You see a full stockroom as readiness; an accountant sees cash you've already spent, doing nothing.

Carrying inventory runs ~25% of its value a year — storage, insurance, shrinkage, tied-up cash. Sit on $40k of stock and it costs ~$10k just to own it, mostly in slow movers.

Pull what hasn't sold in six months and clear it.

A full shelf isn't an asset if nobody's buying it.

10/01/2026

New month, new opportunities to grow your business! 💡

Our October webinar lineup covers practical topics to help you work smarter, make informed financial decisions, and plan for what’s next.

👉 Swipe through to see what’s coming up, choose the sessions that interest you, and register for free!

We look forward to learning with you this month. 💙

10/01/2026

09/30/2026

09/29/2026

Real end-of-year SMB planning = no fluff.

What’s one unwritten rule you have for holiday prep? Drop it below 👇

09/28/2026

Pin it to the SCOREboard 📌

What's one skill Future You will thank you for learning?

We'll use the comment section as a sounding board to offer resources and support.

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Have something YOU want to ask other entrepreneurs? DM us to submit your prompts. 📩

09/24/2026

“Starting Mothership Coffee Roasters was personal for me.”

For Juanny Romero, coffee became a vehicle for creating the kind of connection and community she wished she had growing up. A child of immigrants from the rough side of Queens, she built Mothership Coffee Roasters around a simple mission: create meaningful connections through great coffee.

Fifteen years later, that mission has grown into six cafes, regional retail partnerships, and coffee sourced from women-owned farming cooperatives.

Along the way, SCORE has been part of Juanny’s journey, providing mentorship, encouragement, and the perspective she needed to grow from a passionate entrepreneur into the CEO of a multi-chain, multi-vertical business.

But for Juanny, success isn't just about how much the business has grown. It's about what that growth makes possible: supporting women coffee producers, investing in her community, and creating spaces where people can connect.

Her advice to other entrepreneurs? Embrace mentorship. The right guidance can help you break through limiting beliefs and see what's possible.

09/24/2026

Join SCORE Mentors on September 29 at 1 PM for their 'Beyond the Barcode: Manage Inventory, Navigate Retail Channels and Prepare to Scale' webinar! 🛍️

Discover how barcodes can support inventory management, prepare your business for wholesale distribution, and MORE!

Register here ➡️: https://f.mtr.cool/hpli68wfej