Statewide & Federal
SCORE & SBA Business Mentoring
Free small business mentoring from real business professionals - including a hub built specifically for veteran entrepreneurs.
What It Offers
- Free one-on-one mentoring from SCORE - 10,000+ volunteer business professionals nationwide, many with real experience running a farm or small business.
- A dedicated Resources for Veteran Entrepreneurs Hub at SCORE, built specifically for veterans navigating the transition into business ownership.
- 10 official SCORE chapters serving New York State, covering everywhere from NYC to Central New York (Syracuse, Utica, Binghamton, Ithaca) to the Capital Region (Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga Springs).
- Mentoring is available in person or by video chat, so it works even if there's no chapter physically close to your farm.
- SCORE is an official SBA resource partner - the Small Business Administration also directly funds other free help like Small Business Development Centers and Veterans Business Outreach Centers.
How to Get Started
- Visit SCORE's New York page and browse chapters to find the one covering your area.
- Request a mentor directly on SCORE's website - you can ask for someone with relevant experience or just a specific question answered.
- Check SCORE's Veteran Entrepreneurs Hub for resources built specifically around the challenges veterans face starting a business.
Source: score.org and sba.gov. SCORE is a nonprofit resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, funded in part through a cooperative agreement with SBA.
