Professional Business Mentoring | For Free!
How does the sound of free professional business mentoring sound to you? Free? And, why? Many self-employed photographers, likely right along with most other types of creative entrepreneurs running their own businesses, are really good at what they do and, well, often somewhat less adept at the “business side” of things. It’s that right-brain, left-brain thing. With creatives, the balance is often skewed to their right side, and, if you believe the research, this leaves the business processing associated with the left brain at somewhat of a disadvantage. It’s going nothing to do with how intelligent someone is, it is rather all about aptitude. Which is to say, for most, learning solid business basics to help run that creative enterprise is simply a matter of doing it. Now the good news: some of the best mentoring, workshops, classes, and customized guidance there is out there is available for FREE. Really? 
Yes, through your local SCORE chapter. In our area of southern Maine, it is SCOREMaine. Virtually every area in every state in the U.S. is represented by a SCORE chapter; information for you is just a google search away! How is this free? It’s a service provided under the auspices of the U.S. government, part of the U.S. Small Business Administration. 
The service is provided largely by volunteer real-world professionals from throughout the business community, along with a number of retired experts. These leaders host workshops, brown-bag lunch sessions, facilitate private one-on-one meetings, and serve as personal mentors for anyone owning a small business who signs up for a class or asks for the help. 
Peruse the SCORE website for information, and you should leave impressed with the diversity of topics, the experience and quality of the mentors, the workshops offered, and the ease in which you can ask for help. Few of us can say we don’t need the help and ongoing improvement spending time with experts in the vast array of challenging business topics that face us as business owners. Need web site help? Basic accounting? Or, how about a better understand the importance of social media? SCORE will become your best investment in your business yet.