Need help with a business problem? Can't afford a consultant? Free, experienced, enthusiastic help is a phone call away.

If this sounds too good to be true, you haven't talked to a SCORE counselor lately. Southwest Florida's Service Corps of Retired Executives is part of the 380-chapters strong national SCORE organization, celebrating its 35th anniversary this year helping business owners and managers.

No matter what business problem you put on the table, qualified SCORE counselors in Fort Myers and Naples stand ready to offer solid business advice. First-hand experience as entrepreneurs and corporate executives make them an unparalleled resource.

"In earlier lives, these executives never would have revealed their business secrets for fear of someone taking advantage of them," says Naples chapter member Henry Rambacher, a former executive and investor versed in corporate finance. "Now, they can't wait to tell you what they know. In 10 years as a SCORE counselor, I have learned more about business than I learned in the prior 40."

Motivated Mentors

In a geographic region where the number of people going out of business in any given month can equal the number of people going into business, SCORE counselors are available to keep people from making financial and strategic mistakes.

Thirty SCORE counselors in Lee County and 46 in Collier County are open for business. Six local "cybercounselors" tackle business issues via the Internet. No one will charge a dime. They have a good time helping resolve other people's business problems. They claim it makes their day.

Members of the Collier SCORE team

These retired executives frankly admit the mutual benefit:

"We get 'paid' every time a success story surfaces. There's a tremendous sense of accomplishment when you see a business succeed and know you've had a hand in it."

"It's mentally stimulating to discuss business issues with peers. The opportunity to revisit the world of business is wonderful."

"Counseling helps you keep your mental edge. It hones your perspective, develops your business instincts, keeps you up to date and in the thick of the action."

"Every business saved benefits the local economy. Every job created is a step toward solving society's social problems."

Individual work loads vary, as incoming clients are matched to counselors with the required expertise. On average, a SCORE counselor might work three to five hours a week, an officer twice that. The average age is mid 60s. Counselors typically stay active for five years, though some are celebrating 10 or more years of service. Many say that success is addictive.

Recently, nine women have joined SCORE in Lee and Collier counties. The female recruiting effort is on. But it's unrelated to the fact that more than half of SCORE's local case load now consists of women seeking to become financially independent. That's up from about 30 percent when SCORE launched here in 1964.

"Male counselors recognize that a woman's point of view is different," says Faith Pearson of Naples, a data processing systems specialist. "They have found that teaming up with a woman counselor is a great asset."

"We work together to get clients thinking about their business in ways they never thought before," says Ann Whiting of Fort Myers. Whiting, who operates a home-based business in computer information management, is Lee County's first cybercounselor.

Start-Up Needs

With its booming, ever changing population, Florida has more SCORE clients than any other state. Anywhere from 60 to 80 percent of Southwest Florida's clients call because they have an idea and are thinking of starting or purchasing a business. After doing a reality check with SCORE counselors, a surprising 90 percent of these decide that entrepreneurialism takes more than they're willing to give. Without an overwhelming commitment, they have little chance of making it.

According to SCORE, those who will make it are willing to:

* Set aside ego and ask for help

* Do their homework

* Prepare a detailed business plan

* Create a financial road map

* Invest some of their own money

* Follow-up on proffered advice

* Market and sell their product or service

* Keep the books

* Stick with it

"We help clients understand what it takes to be a business owner," says Anthony Ferrari of Naples "Less than half know something about the business they're considering. It's not unusual for us to suggest they start by working for someone else in a similar business. Going into business for yourself is much more than a question of getting funded."

Most Southwest Florida SCORE clients are between the ages of 20 and 50 and have modest financial resources. A few have retired early and want to get back into business. A majority here are interested in starting or buying a small service company.

"About half of our clients are interested in buying an existing business rather than starting one," says Bill Pickett of Fort Myers. "We strongly recommend that they get the seller to agree to stay on for a period of time to smooth the transition."

One counselor observed that female clients are good at asking for help. Their business idea is usually related to something they know well. They are careful with their funds. And working long hours isn't an issue for them.

Male clients consider going into business for themselves because they're tired of working long hours for someone else. Some may not realize that owning a business requires even longer hours. They tend to take more risks in choosing the type of business to try. "Our job is to give these aspiring entrepreneurs information and insight, so that they can draw their own conclusion," says Ferrari.

SCORE counselors aren't set on any predetermined result. Some clients go on to operate thriving enterprises. Some walk away to come back a few years later better prepared to go forward. Some realize still other courses action are best. For example:

* One of SCORE's favorite case stories is that of a client who laughed when his partner suggested he call a counselor before opening an automotive cover business. He stopped laughing when he discovered that the assigned counselor world be the former chair and president of American Motors Canada. SCORE got him off the ground with patents and operating procedures followed by a national market rollout.

* A former insurance adjuster with an idea for a mobile pet grooming business was long on enthusiasm but short on business specifics. SCORE helped her with budgeting and marketing, and now she's on the road with a viable business.

* A 75-year old widow who had administered her husband's law office for 40 years found herself in need of employment. Everyone turned her down until SCORE recommended she secure her own operating license and self-insure. Within three days of becomin