Monmouth SCORE Partners With Asbury Park Business Development Center to Boost Small Business

The Business Development Center (BDC) in Asbury Park has partnered with Monmouth SCORE, an organization offering free business counseling, to bring small business mentoring services to the community. The Center is part of Interfaith Neighbors, a not-for-profit organization working to revitalize Asbury Park’s West Side neighborhood through a variety of economic development, affordable housing and community-related initiatives.

The partnership is a result of the efforts of Gene Wolf, chair of Monmouth SCORE, and Roger Boyce, director of the Business Development Center. The two wanted a way to bring Monmouth SCORE and BDC together in an effective way to help improve economic development in Asbury Park and the surrounding communities. The result was the partnership between the two organizations, focusing on improving resources, services and information available to entrepreneurs.

“Monmouth SCORE is excited to help promote small business practices in the community using our more than 40 mentors,” said Wolf. “We hope to aid new and existing entrepreneurs in reaching their business goals.”

The BDC and Monmouth SCORE will bring together mentors with years of experience in small business-related matters with community members looking for assistance with everything from financial planning to creating a marketing plan for their small businesses.

“It’s difficult to start a business alone, and it’s beneficial to develop a network of people to help you,” said Boyce. “The mentoring that BDC and Monmouth SCORE will be able to provide is a component of successful entrepreneurship.”

Upcoming Workshops

Monmouth SCORE and BDC will host several free small business workshops to assist entrepreneurs in the upcoming months. In October, inBLOOM Communications, a partner of Monmouth SCORE, will host a series of crisis-related workshops, focusing on crisis planning and social and digital marketing. These workshops will take place October 10, 11 and 25 from 10 to 11 a.m. All workshops will be held at the Kula Café, a community café and paid job training program owned and operated by Interfaith Neighbors. Visit the About Us section at www.monmouth.score.org for more information.

About Monmouth SCORE

Monmouth SCORE offers small business entrepreneurs confidential business counseling services at no charge. SCORE volunteers have the knowledge and experience to help any small business owner get the help they need. The organization also provides local workshops to connect small business owners with the people and information they need to start, grow, and maintain their businesses.

About Business Development Center

The Business Development Center (BDC) was established in 2011 to help entrepreneurs grow their current businesses or start new ones. It is owned and operated by Interfaith Neighbors, Inc., a not-for-profit, community benefit corporation serving all of Monmouth County. The BDC is funded by a combination of private grants and tax credit programs and offers a combination of business support services and shared workspace facilities.