SCORE is a national organization of retired middle managers whose mission is to educate and counsel small business owners. There are chapters all over the US, and they "counsel" thousands of small business owners and start ups for free.

The only problem is that most of them are incompetent to be counseling anybody in business. They are way behind the times on women owning businesses. The can't get it that funds are tight for small businesses when they have been working with bigger budget.

They make absurd recomendations, can't think out of the box and often just want to talk about their own experiences. But, no body complains because, well...it's free.

It's as if you went to the Moose Lodge to get free business advice. Few of the counselors have ever owned a business, had to survive without a pay check or had to make a payroll. Many of the counselors are "out of the loop" in today's business world. They don't understand the nuances of the internet, social media, web marketing or anything that occurred in business after they retired.

Because they come from a different era, all the "isms" are alive and well in SCORE. Sexism, ageism, homophobia, and race-ism (although they keep this under lock and key). Look at how many women and people of color are in your local chapter, for instance.

Many retired guys join SCORE to reclaim their lost authority in the working world. Its managed in a top-down way, with the most pushy getting their way. Because of this there is a lot of juggling for power and back stabbing within the organization.

You are well advised to stay away from these guys.