The second act Martin Lehman got wasn't the one he expected.
When Lehman was 60 he thought he was starting the final chapter in a long career in the retail industry--he and a business partner opened six women's clothing shops they hoped to turn into a regional chain.
But things didn't work out as planned. Five years in, instead of a booming business, Lehman found himself closing a struggling one.
That's when his true second act kicked in. Soon after shutting the failed store, Lehman discovered SCORE, the network of retired executives that provides free consulting, workshops and resources to entrepreneurs and small business owners through 364 chapters across the country.
SCORE gave Lehman the chance to share knowledge accumulated over a lifetime in the retail business with a new generation of entrepreneurs. He liked volunteering so much he's stayed 20 years.
Lehman spends three days a week helping out at the SCORE office in Lower Manhattan's financial district, one of seven locations in the organization's New York chapter. "I lost my wife three years ago, I live alone, but I'm keeping busy. People say to me, `You can't be 86,'" Lehman says.
Older volunteers such as Lehman bring experience, knowledge and enthusiasm for giving back to the community, says SCORE CEO Ken Yancey. "Through their service, both working and retired SCORE volunteers help strengthen our nation's economy. Baby boomers can share their business skills to help entrepreneurs on their path to success. SCORE also offers an ongoing learning experience, keeping volunteers up to date in an ever-changing business environment."
Lehman is one of 70 volunteers in the New York chapter and 12,400 nationwide who help new entrepreneurs through the steps of starting a company, including writing a business plan, finding financing or patenting an invention. When volunteers can't answer questions on their own or with internal resources, they direct people to partners such as the Small Business Administration for help. "We don't have all the answers, but we have 90 percent of them," Lehman quips.
In the past few years, the bad economy has pushed more people through SCORE's doors. "You see people who've been laid off who want to start a business," Lehman says. "You also see young people who have no idea of what getting into business involves. And you see people starting website businesses." In all, the New York chapter assists about 10,000 people a year. "Are they all successful? No. But we try to help all of them," he says.
SCORE continues to change with the times. The organization recently began offering special business mentoring and resources for veterans, National Guard and reservists returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. New veterans can use the Veteran Entrepreneurs page on the organization's website to find information or search for mentors with military experience. With help from a counselor in SCORE's San Diego chapter, Tony Clarke, a retired Navy helicopter pilot, opened Airdale Brewing Co., a microbrewery that sells beer to 40 establishments and at San Diego Padres games, according to SCORE.
SCORE also is on Twitter. Counselors at the organization's Orange County, Ca, chapter taught John O'Keefe, a sales trainer and owner of Center for Peak Performance, to use virtual marketing, Twitter and other social media tools to attract new customers. (Orange County was recently named chapter of the year.)
For volunteers like Lehman, SCORE is about helping others and continuing to learn themselves.
"If someone comes to me and I don't know about it, I can find out where to go," Lehman says. "I know more today than I did 20 years ago."