Retired Executives Pay It Forward Mentoring New Businesses

It's always good to have a mentor, someone with perhaps a little more experience or knowledge you can pick up on. This may be especially true when a person is launching a new business, perhaps putting their life savings on the line.

Many of those new business owners will turn the the corps of retired executives in Central Jersey chapter of SCORE for advice and guidance, something Chapter spokesman Matthew D'Agostino said volunteer members of the group have shared with several recent startups.

The mentoring will often begin with a one-hour session.

"We go over their business plan and help them get going," D'Agostino said.

The chapter's volunteers worked with the owners of Little Island Jamaican restaurant and EarthFruits Yogurt to help them get started.

The chapter is touting the success of DeCanto's Best Burgers, a wholesale supplier to the restaurant trade which started in Hillsborough but has outgrown available space and recently moved to a new facility in Fairfield—the company's story and a video is on the Central Jersey SCORE website.

D'Agostino is typical of the volunteer mentors who work with the new businesses: he operated a chain of 10 bakeries, but retired a couple of years ago.

"This seems to satisfy my need to be in business," he said.

SCORE is a national non-profit, with more than 340 chapters across the country. It receives support from the Small Business Administration, and offers the mentoring services at no charge. The group also has helpful information about starting a new business on its website.