Your Vision + Our Expertise = Your Business Success

SCORE Central Coast offers free small business assistance to new or aspiring business owners in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. 

Connect with SCORE Central Coast

SCORE Central Coast serves entrepreneurs in:

  • Aptos
  • Capitola
  • Monterey
  • Salinas
  • Santa Cruz
  • And more!

Sign up to Receive Simple Steps to Growing Your Business

Get Our Free eBook!

We know that starting a business is not easy but also that growing one can be even harder. Sign up for our email list to receive SCORE's free 100-page eBook Simple Steps to Growing Your Business. This guide is designed to help you assess your business and reach your marketing, financial and operations goals. 

Free Mentoring

Whether you’re just starting out, in business, or ready to sell or retire, you can get FREE, confidential, business advice from SCORE Central Coast expert advisors committed to helping you succeed. Meet face-to-face in Santa Cruz or Monterey, or connect with one of our online mentors.

Find a Mentor

SCORE Central Coast Workshops

Take A Workshop

Free Resources

If you’re looking for free, local business templates, guides, blogs or other helpful tools, SCORE is your destination. Browse our resource library to get the latest in small business strategies and trends. Use the information you find in the library to grow your business knowledge.

Browse Resources

SCORE Central Coast Blog

Roux Dat

Chad credits his mentor, Rich Hill, with providing extremely insightful, practical advice, not just in refining the business plan, but in advising on how to cost out supplies and... Read more

A SCORE Central Coast mentor or participation in a workshop will prepare you for an evaluation your credit worthiness.

New Santa Cruz and Monterey businesses businesses seeking financing

Santa Cruz SBDC can help secure financing if your existing business needs a cash infusion.

Existing business in need of cash infusion

A SCORE Central Coast mentor can help improve profitability by increasing sales or improving operation.

Existing businesses with cash flow challenges

Help Make Dreams Come True - Become a SCORE Central Coast Volunteer

Do you want to make a difference in your community in Santa Cruz or Monterey county? Every year, SCORE volunteers help thousands of entrepreneurs start small businesses and achieve new levels of success in their existing businesses. Volunteering at SCORE is a way for you to give back to your community, connect with fellow business owners, and pass on your knowledge and expertise to the next generation of entrepreneurs in your community.

Become A Volunteer

Our Local Small Business Mentors

Shelton Virden
Business Plan
I have 40 years of business management experience in Silicon Valley. Much of that experience has been with start-ups... Read More >
Marwan Mezher
Business Plan Franchising Marketing Strategy Development Technology
Marwan has extensive and expert experiences in a multitude of areas. He has a degree in Computer Engineering with a... Read More >
Nate Saucier
Management & Operations
My professional experience is with online marketing. I've had a digital marketing agency for 5 years. I am especially... Read More >
Jack Zahorsky
Business Plan Legal Marketing Product Development Strategy Development
Jack Zahorsky is an engineering graduate who, after holding various engineering positions and obtaining an MBA,... Read More >
Wendy Jacoby
Accounting & Finance Management & Operations
For nonprofit organizations, I can assist with board development, organization structure, finance. For all, I can... Read More >
Molly Thompson
Business Plan Management & Operations Marketing
I can help mentor folks who are trying to start a variety of different kinds of businesses. I've worked in Corporate... Read More >
Paul Peterson
Accounting & Finance Business Plan Government Regulations Management & Operations Marketing Product Development Strategy Development Technology
Paul is, through education and work experience, a scientist, engineer and manager, but his career path and personal... Read More >
Paul Lazaga
Accounting & Finance Business Plan Management & Operations Marketing Product Development Technology
Paul has decades of experience in many different businesses, including owning his own business, a partnership, as well... Read More >
Richard Petrowich
Human Resources Marketing
Richard has 40 years of small business management experience and has created successful and sustainable sales teams... Read More >
John Yost
Business Plan Management & Operations Product Development Technology
John Yost, the founder and owner of ProCompass Management services, has been helping companies and individuals address... Read More >
George Cotroneio
Business Plan Customer Service Marketing
George has more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience, working for/with companies such as Memorex, Xerox, and... Read More >
Richard Hill
Accounting & Finance Business Plan Customer Service Funding/Loans Government Regulations Human Resources Management & Operations Strategy Development
More than 35 years of public sector experience, more than twenty of which in executive management positions.... Read More >
David V Harken
Accounting & Finance Business Plan Human Resources Management & Operations Marketing
David Harken has spent 34 years in various financial and managerial positions in the advertising industry. David earned... Read More >
Joey Tuttle
Product Development Technology
Joey Tuttle is a research and development executive with superb ability to find innovative solutions to complex... Read More >
Karen Calcagno
Business Plan Human Resources Management & Operations
Karen Calcagno is a serial entrepreneur who has founded, operated, and profitably sold a number of businesses in... Read More >