City, library and SCORE partner

The City of Youngstown Community Planning and Economic Development Office along with SCORE and the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County (PLYMC) announced the three organizations are entering into a partnership to assist businesses in the community.

The three groups signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) formalizing the partnership. The MOU explains, “The goals of the partnership are to promote the variety of resources available to each partner and to improve accessibility to the business community, and to leverage the different forms of assistance provided by the partners and offer support in a more comprehensive manner to strengthen the small business community.”

Mayor John McNally explained that the City’s Community Planning and Economic Development Office has been focusing for the past 18 months on getting out to the community, meeting small business owners and trying to provide those business owners with more assistance.

The three organizations combine a wealth of knowledge from each of their unique strengths. The City’s Economic Development Division offers support for business development in its many forms, including entrepreneurship, business retention, expansion and attraction.

SCORE is a national nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. SCORE has helped the small business community for more than 50 years and is supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Key among the unique offerings of the library is the ability to book a one-on-one appointment with BIC librarian Stuart Gibbs. Book-A-Business librarian appointments are free to any business in the city to help them discover the resources available at their public library.

Frank Bordonaro, Chapter Chair of Youngstown SCORE, noted that often small businesses don’t have the necessary time to research and find mentors; this partnership creates an opportunity for all three agencies to go out to them in the community.

The library has long worked with SCORE members to facilitate their work as mentors for start-up businesses. The library and the city will host SCORE office hours for mentorship and business plan assistance. SCORE mentors will give advice to their clients and the service is free and confidential. SCORE also provides expert resources with online counseling and tools at SCORE.org.