Bill Welsh is the chairman of the Rhode Island chapter of SCORE, which counseled 602 clients and provided 28 workshops for 1,000 participants last year.
He has more than 30 years of experience in the retail drug store industry. He was executive vice president and chief operating officer of Brooks Eckerd Pharmacy, which has 46,000 employees in its stores in 18 states, until his retirement in 2007.
Welsh is a volunteer for the IRS Voluntary Tax Assistance Program and is on the board of the Education Exchange, which provides adult education programs in Southern Rhode Island.
PBN: SCORE is marking 50 years in Rhode Island with a workshop on April 27 for start-ups called “A big SCORE for Small Business.” Even though you’ve been with SCORE for just five of the organization’s 50 years, from your experience with the group, can you give some perspective on how the climate for small business has changed in the state over the past five decades?
WELSH: First of all, our major counseling event on April 27 is not just for start-up companies. We hope to attract existing businesses, as well. It is difficult for business owners to make time during the week for counseling or workshops, so our Saturday event will give anyone interested an opportunity to participate and to meet with one of our counselors. We will have counselors with experience in the areas of marketing, finance, technology, business planning and operations available to work with those that sign up for an appointment at www.bigscoreRI.com.
As far as the climate for small business and how it has been changing, the good news is that many people from a regulatory and legislative perspective are slowly bringing about change. I have taken the time to review some of the programs and expedited regulatory solutions to help the business community and they are beginning to gain momentum.
PBN: Providence is generating quite a bit of energy and support for start-ups with groups like the accelerator Betaspring. How does what SCORE offers differ from that, or complement it?
WELSH: SCORE is just one of many resources available to the business community. We are fortunate to have a forward- thinking U.S. Small Business Administration district office that has a platform for all of its resource partners, including SCORE, the Center for Woman & Enterprise and the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center. Those groups regularly meet, communicate and coordinate with other stakeholders, such as the Secretary of State’s office and the R.I. Economic Development Corporation. There should be no excuse for not achieving positive results. It seems that we are sometimes reluctant to acknowledge positive developments and sadly continue to operate in “silos.”
PBN: A lot of younger entrepreneurs, especially in technology, are connected to the larger national, and even international, start-up community. Do you find any particular types of small-business owners or entrepreneurs benefit more from assistance from SCORE?
WELSH: Although SCORE’s primary clients are startups, the real opportunity for all of us is to pay attention to our existing businesses. They are seeking assistance to help them adjust to the current economic challenges and anything that we can do to help them will serve to preserve jobs and strengthen our economy.
Not only Providence, but the entire state is generating a bit of energy and support for start-up groups like accelerator Betaspring. Rhode Island SCORE does not necessarily differ that much from their good efforts. Rhode Island SCORE counsels a diverse group of industries and businesses and our counselors are purposefully matched with those clients that are looking for unique expertise and knowledge in the in their industry. This flattens the learning curve and we can then engage clients confidently about their business. We are all volunteers. We are motivated by our desire to help people make the most informed decisions about their business.
The larger message is that our state has many organizations that are available to assist at no cost to help start-ups and existing businesses to get better. Since I assumed the position of chapter chairman, I have seen firsthand the number of direct inquires for assistance and new business ideas. If people are losing enthusiasm, it is not reflected in the number of calls we receive for help. As a state, we don’t talk about these things enough. Personally, I think we should be celebrating those who are opening businesses and creating new jobs or retaining existing jobs. Whether it is SCORE, SBDC, CWE or EDC, we all have a chance to achieve more by working together.
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PBN: What types of assistance do SCORE volunteers provide to start-ups and to small-business owners who want to expand? How long does that assistance or mentoring continue?
WELSH: At SCORE, we do encounter some of the young entrepreneurs, especially in technology, who are connected to the larger national and international start-up communities. We also see retailers, manufacturers, healthcare services, nonprofits, product innovation, professional services and import/export firms. In other words, we try to help where we can. One of our initiatives is our “SCORE BOARD” program. We will bring two or more counselors together as an advisory board to work with a client and this has been very effective. We have counselors who can help in the area of technology. However, we endeavor to make sure that the clients gets what they are looking for when they schedule an appointment with SCORE.
We don’t view our client relationships as a simple “one and done.” Many of our counselors have been working with clients over several years. Our counselors provide advice on everything from how to write a business plan, social media strategies, principals of borrowing, marketing, managing cash flow, exporting opportunities and web-based retailing.
PBN: Rhode Island continues to be named in national rankings as a state unfriendly to business. Do you think this is accurate? How do you encourage entrepreneurs to ignore the negative perception and invest their time and money in the state? What would you like to see changed to encourage small business?
WELSH: Although our state has a reputation, based upon the numbers, for being less than accommodating to business, I think we should be spending more time letting people know when we take a step forward, such as our efforts to simplify regulations, and the “Quick Start” program from the secretary of state’s office. We should talk about our victories in this area, not say, “So what!” I believe progress is progress and should be noted.
In the business world, if you have a problem in a well-run company, everyone in a leadership position owns the problem and works to solve it. Employees of the company expect that to happen. I believe that we have enough talent in the state that we have no excuse for not helping the business community grow and enticing others to consider relocating to Rhode Island. Our fellow citizens deserve nothing but everyone’s best efforts. It is all about leadership and a commitment to get the job done. And I think we can table the question of who gets the credit.
