SBA Resource Partners Explained: SCORE, SBDCs, WBCs and VBOCs

Before you pay for strategy help, it's worth knowing what's already available at little or no cost. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) works with a nationwide network of "resource partners" that offer counseling, mentoring and training to small businesses. In the SBA's own words, it and its partners "offer free or low-cost counseling and resources."

The four main resource partners are Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), SCORE, Women's Business Centers (WBCs) and Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs). They overlap, but each has a distinct model. This guide explains how each one works, how to choose between them for strategy work and how to get real value out of a free advisor.

Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs)

SBDCs provide counseling and training. The SBA describes SBDC programs as delivering "individualized business advising and technical assistance to existing small businesses and pre-venture entrepreneurs." The listed areas are broad and include access to capital, business planning, strategy, operations, financial management, marketing, export assistance and sales.

America's SBDC, the association that represents the network, says SBDCs are hosted by universities, colleges, state economic development agencies and private partners, and are funded in part by Congress through a partnership with the SBA. It reports nearly 1,000 local centers providing no-cost business consulting and low-cost training to new and existing businesses.

For strategy work, an SBDC is often a good first stop when you need help with the numbers behind a decision: cash-flow projections, financing options, market data or a business plan for a lender.

SCORE

The SBA describes SCORE as a nonprofit and "the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors." SCORE mentors offer advice at no cost by email, telephone and video, and they meet with clients on an ongoing basis. The SBA adds that SCORE also offers training, webinars, online workshops, on-demand courses and a library of online resources.

Because SCORE is a mentoring model, it suits owners who want a seasoned sounding board over time. Mentors are volunteers with their own backgrounds, so it's reasonable to ask about a mentor's experience before you settle in, and to keep looking if the fit isn't right.

Women's Business Centers (WBCs)

According to the SBA, WBCs provide free to low-cost counseling and training and focus on women who want to start, grow and expand a small business. They are part of a national network of centers across the US and its territories. The SBA lists resources for women-owned businesses that include business training, counseling, federal contracts and access to credit and capital. A WBC can be an alternative or a complement to an SBDC or SCORE.

Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs)

The VBOC program serves service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, military spouses and family members interested in starting or growing a small business. The SBA says it has 31 organizations serving as VBOCs. They offer workshops, training, counseling and mentorship, and can refer you to other partners, lenders or SBA programs.

The SBA's description is notably hands-on: VBOCs help clients develop and maintain a business plan that includes a strategic plan, market analysis and financial plan, and may conduct on-site visits and review monthly financial statements to see whether the plan needs revising. VBOCs also help run Boots to Business classes on military installations and B2B Reboot classes for veterans of all eras.

Which partner fits your strategy question?

You don't have to choose just one, and nothing stops you from using different partners for different questions. As a rough guide:

• You need help building projections, finding financing or analyzing a market: start with an SBDC.
• You want an experienced person to think out loud with over several months: try a SCORE mentor.
• You're a woman business owner and want training and counseling designed around your goals: look up your nearest WBC.
• You're a veteran, service member or military spouse: contact a VBOC, which can also connect you to the rest of the network.

For example, imagine a two-person bookkeeping firm deciding whether to add payroll services. An SBDC advisor could help model the revenue and staffing the change would require. A SCORE mentor who ran a professional-services firm could talk through pricing and how clients might react. The owners make the call, with better information and a second opinion.

Other SBA-linked help worth knowing

The SBA also lists targeted programs that can matter for specific strategies:

• SBA district offices provide small business counseling, training and tools.
• APEX Accelerators, formerly known as Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, help businesses that want to sell to federal, state and local governments, including checking readiness and registering in the proper places.
• Regional Innovation Clusters support innovative small businesses and startups with services such as accelerators, market research, customer discovery and contracting assistance, each focused on particular industries or regions.
• Empower to Grow, formerly the 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance program, offers eligible small businesses free courses, tailored training and one-on-one consulting, including strategic and operational planning. Eligibility requires qualifying as small under SBA size standards and meeting at least one of three criteria: being located in an area of high unemployment or low income, being owned by low-income individuals or being eligible for SBA's 8(a) program.

Program names and details change, so confirm current eligibility and offerings on the SBA site before you plan around them.

Finding a partner and getting the most from one

The SBA's resource partner pages include a local assistance tool that searches by ZIP code for SBDCs, SCORE chapters, WBCs and VBOCs. America's SBDC also maintains a "Find Your SBDC" directory. Ask each office what its advisors specialize in; it can be worth contacting more than one.

Free help is still help you have to manage. A little preparation goes a long way:

1. Bring a specific question, not just a topic. "Should we raise prices 8 percent or add a premium tier?" gets further than "help with pricing."
2. Bring recent numbers: a profit-and-loss statement, cash position and any data on customers or sales.
3. Send a one-page summary ahead of time if the advisor accepts it.
4. Write down what you agreed to do and follow up on the timeline you set.
5. Ask who else in the network could help with the next step.

Keep expectations realistic. Advisors help you think, plan and find resources; they generally won't write your plan for you or act as your attorney or accountant. Counseling is often free, but some workshops and training carry fees, so ask before you register.

Key takeaways

• SBA resource partners offer free or low-cost counseling, mentoring and training nationwide.
• SBDCs provide individualized advising and technical assistance, including on business planning and strategy.
• SCORE offers volunteer mentors at no cost, by email, phone and video, on an ongoing basis.
• WBCs focus on women business owners; VBOCs serve veterans, service members and military families.
• Come with a specific question and recent numbers, and confirm program details on the SBA site, since they change.

Sources

• U.S. Small Business Administration, Resource Partners
• U.S. Small Business Administration, Counseling
• U.S. Small Business Administration, Targeted support and services
• U.S. Small Business Administration, Empower to Grow
• America's SBDC, About Us