(L-R) SCORE Counselor Stanley Rosenfeld, SCORE Counselor Geoffrey Clain, SCORE Client, Josh Vogel from JMJ Specialty Co., Inc. and LIDC Procurement Technical Assistance Specialist, Patty Cook.

LONG ISLAND: In its latest move to enhance the already impressive success rate of small business on Long Island, SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) has opened a counseling center on the premises of Long Island Development Corporation (LIDC). The SCORE organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneurial education and the formation, growth and success of small businesses nationwide. This new location on Long Island will reinforce SCORE's, as well as LIDC'S, commitment to the entrepreneurs of the region by assisting them is every aspect of small business operation.

The volunteer counselors at SCORE are prepared to help small business owners develop a business plan, establish and grow and improve their businesses. By offering entrepreneurial vision, business management skills and specialized knowledge from marketing to finances, operations to sales, SCORE counselors will help business owners think through the challenges they face every day.

LIDC is the premier small business lender on Long Island with over $650 million in loans and $610 million in government contracts obtained through its Procurement Technical Assistance Program. LIDC also administers 14 local loan programs and through its Long Island Small Business Assistance Corp (LISBAC) is the only US Treasury Certified Community Development Finance Institution and Community Development Entity in the nation licensed to make loans to women-owned businesses.

"We consider our associates from the ranks of SCORE a major benefit to small business owners on Long Island," says Roslyn D. Goldmacher, President and CEO of LIDC. Goldmacher is also a member of the National Board of SCORE.

"When you seek help from a SCORE counselor," says Lou Campanelli, Regional Director of SCORE, "you get the benefit of his or her experience and ideas plus a mentor who knows and understands your small business from the inside out and is available for ongoing support."

SCORE counselors will be available every Friday and Monday from 10 am to 2 pm at Long Island Development Corporation, 45 Seaman Avenue, Bethpage. Call 516 433-5000 for information and an appointment to meet with a counselor. There is never a fee.