The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the United States.

More than five million new business applications were filed in each of the last two years.

>> New economic needs and changing consumer preferences during the pandemic are contributing to new business startups and along the way to national organizations have been assisting businesses as well as the consumers who use them score, a nonprofit resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, offers support for entrepreneurs to guide them on their journey.

>> And for more than 100 years the Better Business Bureau has been building trust in the marketplace with the purpose of enabling consumers, businesses and ultimately their communities to thrive.

>> On this edition of Prime Time we'll learn more about the BBB and score and about their work together to host the upcoming Build a Better Business Conference on COVID 19.

>> And good evening.

Conversations with us today is Rick Walz.

He is the president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving northern Indiana and with Rick is Steve Reinhardt.

>> He is a chapter chair with Score and we're glad you're with us as well if you'd like to join the conversation calling your questions and comments, you'll see the number right there on the screen as we widen out as they say.

>> And welcome Rick and Steve to the broadcast.

Gentlemen, thank you for being here.

Thank you.

Thank you for having us.

Pleasure to be here.

And you know, I'm imagining as folks see you here they'll say, well, I know that organization or I think I know that are going to set the BBC's been around since 1912 and scores been around since the mid 60s and has been you know so we think we know who you are but and so in that spirit tell us what we think we know and maybe what it is we ought to know about each of your organizations and it's an unfair question but let's try it on for size and I'll start with you.

>> Sure.

Well, there's a lot to cover up.

BBB is one of the most recognized brands in the country although it has great brand recognition like you said a lot of people don't know what it is that we do and I think we exist primarily to help connect consumers with businesses that they can trust.

And so, you know, we encourage every consumer when they're making a purchasing or donating decision to check BBB that or look up their business profile on BBB tag, see how long they've been in business, see if they're an accredited business, see what they're BBB rating is, look at their complaint history and their reviews and decide if this is someone that you want to do business with or not.

Now our funding comes through businesses that apply for accreditation with us and they pay dues to the BBB.

So whether the business is a credit or not there's a lot of good businesses out there but accreditation basically means that the business has applied for accreditation with us.

They have been through our rigorous vetting standards.

They have passed them.

>> They've been approved by our local board of directors and then they have the ability to fly that accredited business seal and so when a consumer checks and sees that they're BBB accredited doesn't mean they'll never have a problem with that business.

>> But basically it tells you that we've prevented them.

We've verified that if they're required to be licensed in the area where they're doing business that they are licensed.

We criminal background checks we make sure that not on the sex registry list we look at their pattern of complaints and things like that.

>> So we scrutinize them pretty well before they can ever earn that accreditation seal and with all of the information that is out there too, this is if you will, the Switzerland of information because you're trying to say this is what we understand it to be true.

So as Consumer Reports is to say a washing machine, the better business Bureau is is arguably that to the retail, the business, the service community and the nature.

>> Sure.

Steve, I think for those who know score they will if not have experienced it themselves there could well be a number of score volunteers watching you tonight.

>> Tell us about scores.

Well, I would say that as well known as the Better Business Bureau is scores on the opposite end of that scale and truly I think we're one of the best kept secrets in our city and maybe around the country.

But as you said, the score was started in nineteen sixty four by the Small Business Administration and to help small businesses grow and and prosper.

And today we have approximately two hundred and thirty chapters around the country and there's eleven thousand volunteers and the membership is made up of successful businessmen and women.

Many of us are retired, many are still working who give back because I think we've had a break in our careers.

I know for myself and most of the folks in our chapter and I think many, many folks have had success in their lives either personally or business because they had a mentor, someone that took them aside, someone that helped them, someone that shared their knowledge to help get past some of the pitfalls in business.

And so that's what we offer a free service to small business for people who want to start up or people who want to grow or people who are in trouble, people who want to sell their business, how do they pass it to their children, et cetera.

And it's it is a free service in Fort Wayne .

We've our chapter has been here since nineteen seventy six and we have a couple claims to fame that I think might be the largest and all organization and the fact that in the early 80s we had a score mentor who helped Bradley get started and also probably another name known in the community that we helped start were the Cookie Cottage and those folks have been very kind to us and talk about the help they had from score.

I don't want to mislead anyone in that we make a huge difference but we make a small difference in helping people, giving them confidence and resources of how to to improve their business.

So the in addition to that we do a number of workshops in the area.

We actually support some of the schools through business plan competitions and we participate in a lot of the economic development that goes on in Fort .

>> Well, to have you both in our region it seems that this is a one plus one equals three kind of arrangement and to have you both be working together around a common conference which we will get to but if you will the backstory for that sounds like it would be kind of fun to share.

>> How did you two get together?

Well, the BBB has been doing the torture awards for Marketplace Ethics.

This will be our 18th year for that.

So for now probably fourteen years we had that little or sixteen years we had a little interruption with covid but for about sixteen years that was our signature event and it was very well received.

We typically have a large venue like the Mirro Center and at those events we recognize businesses and individuals who really set the standard for ethical business behavior and some of the people you just mentioned Vera Bradley, a credit business and a former torture award winner.

>> You mentioned the cookie cottage again a credit business.

So we wanted to expand a torch awards and make it a bigger event.

So we got into conversations with our friends at Score and decided this would be a great venue for the entire business community.

So what we did as last year was our first business conference with Tortuga was it was a full day event with business education sessions sandwiched in between the sessions was our talk award celebration where we recognize these excellent individuals and businesses and then finished off with the competition which Steve will talk about here.

>> So yeah, this is our second event with Score and they've been a great partner and we're just united around a common cause here is Steve from scores perspective I mean you're both very complementary it seems.

>> Yeah, well as we were talking before we started here I was a little bit different perspective on it but I think it's a it's a good fit because number one, both the both of our organizations have an emphasis on educating our in our case our clients and in Rick's their members and there's a host of information available on the Score website 700 webinars that are free 24/7.

There's a hundred videos on how to start a business successfully.

So there's a lot of education education material which we we share with the better business people so members but the fact that we have that common goal for education I think has brought us together and like I said to you, our business is mentoring people to be successful startups, existing businesses and so at the start of the conference we will be having workshops for education and then Rick is going to take some of those people that we mentor to be successful and he's going to give them awards because of the fact that they have done it right and they have grown and they serve our community the right way.

>> Well, it seems that there is no such thing as a slow season when it comes to business development.

There is the information that is at the high level of what will be happening next Thursday and let's indeed talk of how it is that so many want to build a better business and some of that might mean from scratch or it might well mean how do I kick it up a notch?

How do I move to that next level and gentlemen, we'll take it in order.

Yeah, go we both deal with that.

>> I think a common thread that we've seen is that a lot of the startup businesses let's say a guy has been a plumber for a number of years working for a license, another licensed plumber he may be a great crafts person decides to go out and start his own business so he knows a plumbing trade very well.

But in terms of how to set up and manage and maintain a business that's a whole different animal and so we have resources to help with that and through score with their mentorship program it's just a natural fit.

>> A lot of times we get calls at our office.

We're there things that are beyond our purview, things people were asking about that are things that we can't deal with so I actually had a gentleman at a presentation that Jan and I did the other day that was looking for consultation on how to sell things online and we directed him to score well thank you.

>> So yeah, there is a breakdown if you will as we move through some of the-visuale development workshops.

And you mentioned the business pitch competition.

Talk about those those workshops.

What is it that businesses new or current with Asper what's what's on their minds these days?

>> Well, there's a lot of different types of education.

Of course a lot has to do with social media and the use of the Internet and all of the apps to actually drive your business.

>> And so there's a huge appetite for workshops in that area which we have.

But the other thing that and there's a lot of other things marketing you can appreciate that the way things are these days that is a huge topic of conversation too.

How do you find people how do you keep people?

How do you get people trained?

And then many of the people that we mentor have the creative people.

They're the engine that drives their business.

But as Rick mentioned, some of them don't have a lot of business acumen so they have some trouble with the financial piece of it.

So that's one of the things that will have is financial financial workshop or non-financial people.

So there's just a whole host of different things that we will offer that people have an opportunity to learn from.

And many of those workshops we hold more than once a year outside of the site of the onference as well.

So if I might I might just talk about the pitch competition a little bit real quick.

>> Yeah, this this sounds like something we may have seen on TV but it's a lovely concept to borrow.

>> Take it.

So as you know, one of the PBS shows Gary Breteau startup show it features startup business from around the country and Gary is going to be at the conference and we're going to have six local businesses that have an opportunity to pitch their business to Gary for a financial remunerate if they happen to win plus an opportunity to be on this show the next season.

So we have just selected the six out of the fourteen people that applied today and they're from Cigna different background as far as their type of business and I think it'll be very enjoyable to listen to these people's ideas, their creativeness, where their business is going, why they got into that business and where they think it's going to go.

>> So it should be a fun day and that comes right after the Torch Awards and if the whole day sounds like it can be if you will, a collective inspiration to whether someone's chasing that dream or they're already starting to see the dream fulfilled and they want to add a room.

Yeah.

And kind of build on from the from the basics.

>> And you say the torture words have really been quite the guiding light.

Oh yeah.

So that's been our signature event for many years and it's only gotten bigger but I think the the whole event is going to offer something for everyone.

>> We start off early in the morning with a nice breakfast and a keynote address from John Urbanize from a greater Fort Wayne and he's going to be talking about the economic development of this region and the business climate in general.

And so everybody knows we can be pretty proud of this region.

>> We're doing quite, quite well then we'll go from that into the business conferences.

There's two sessions from which you can choose one of five presentations so you can make it to sessions then the the the luncheon the torture award luncheon, then the pitch competition then a little time for networking.

>> So it should be really a great event.

The the morning session will be our emcee will be charity Charity Freeman who happens to be the board chair for our Charitable Educational Foundation and then the afternoon emcee will be Dirk Rally.

>> Oh very good colleagues in arms yes.

Going through the afternoon and certainly often in addition to the formal opportunities through workshops it's always been said that the therapy and the other kind of support come the empathy that comes through the networking indeed so and why not do it right now because what's an amazing thought and I think it's the word small that sometimes trips us up but that there are thirty three million small businesses in the United States which make up about ninety nine point nine percent of all U.S. businesses.

>> Now small is I think what up below 500 employees?

>> Yeah, somewhere in that neck of the woods.

But I've heard some different definitions but I well and I'm open to correction on a constant basis.

But it seems to me that if the business of America is business that there ought to be a big spotlight that suddenly gets put on small business which could be a whole host of folks that are over at the mirror saying oh absolutely no.

>> Yeah, And so in that regard you have individuals who are probably concerned about where we are with inflation, where we are with access to capital.

How indeed can you chase that dream without finding yourself chasing in a circle people who don't want their business to take them hostage.

They enjoy working at the business.

But how do you get the work life balance going?

>> Are those the kinds of things that you find you're you're you're going to be hearing that among the attendees that share?

>> I think I think both the information that will be covered at the seminars and the networking event because it's a great opportunity to meet people maybe in your industry or at least in your management level and to really form those friendships and to have those those folks that you can rely on and pick up the phone and say hey, how are you handling this?

>> Yeah, I can certainly see that is the mental Rolodex the physical one or the edge of beam your information over to my cell phone all of that certainly ties together.

But if John Roberts was pulling up a chair here from Greater Fort Wayne , I wonder he might also say, well, you know, it's the sum of the whole is the greater than the sum of the parts kind of discussion that Better Business Bureau score greater Fort Wayne Regional I mean you pull this together, it's a team sport to develop a solid economic environment.

It really is.

And that's why John was such a great fit as our keynote speaker.

Well, I said we're all pulling in the same direction there.

We all exist to benefit the the business community and the consumer served by those businesses do so there are many organizations in Fort Wayne that are trying to help entrepreneurs.

startups but there are a lot- of them and this year we have a number of them at the event.

So the Northeast Indian Innovation Center is one of our sponsors and will be there and ISB DC and some of the bankers will be there to talk about things.

>> So we're trying I think we're trying to bring all of us together so that we have one place that can serve entrepreneurs or people that want to bring businesses to Fort Wayne .

>> So I think we're slowly getting there and I'm happy to see it to be honest with you.

The other important byproduct that comes from a conference of this kind and certainly the work you both do in the economic field, it builds around the notion of trust .

This is probably the foundation stone of sorts for the work of the better Business Bureau designed to identify who it is that can nurture that and be rewarded for it.

And I'm thinking that within score to the idea of starting a business there is that important bond between buyer and seller that that needs to happen.

Talk a little bit about trust from each of your perspectives.

>> Great.

Well trust is the foundation like you mentioned the Better Business Bureau and like I said, our primary mission is connecting consumers with business they can trust.

So like when they go on to be big to check out the best business, we have profiles of virtually every business out there accredited or not and any business based on the algorithm algorithms that we use can have an eight plus rating which is our highest rating those that apply for accreditation again we're standards based organization.

So like I mentioned, when they apply for accreditation they go through our vetting process and they can fly that BBB flag just gives the consumer that extra level of confidence.

Like said, if they're not accredited doesn't mean that they're not a great trustworthy business just that these businesses have taken that extra step.

So so trust is the foundation and we think that when consumers see that BBB seal it it kind of connotes trust in their mind.

>> Mm hmm.

It's Steve Huppah from where you're so well I think a couple of things about about trust will score.

First of all anyone is a member of SCORE who is a mentor must sign a code of ethics that says that we will not financially benefit in any way from our clients so we can't be paid we can't work for them.

We can't serve on the board and so we're there for the right reasons and two that will be their business will be held in confidence with us their discussions the same way so they know that will be there.

The other thing I think that separates us from a lot of people a lot of organizations is that our tagline is for the life of your business and we want to be there from the day you start to the day you sell your business.

And just today I was talking to two of our clients that started with us in twenty sixteen with nothing and one of them bought a business when I'm starting a business and we're still mentoring them here we are seven years later whenever they need some help or to a sounding board and they've they have grown to both of them having over 50 employees and doing over ten million dollars of revenue in that period of time and we've been there whenever they needed us to be there.

So I think the trust that that we could get them the rightpinfe fact we have eleven thousand volunteers.

Everyone has access to all of those volunteers across the country so they can find someone who has specific expertize and whatever their business is.

So and I think we have a proven track record of helping people.

>> Yeah.

And certainly to the corollary and all that from the work of the conference which is the idea of building a better business, the Better Business Bureau whose tagline of sorts among many over the years one is building better together.

>> Absolutely.

There's a lot of building going on.

There's a lot of construction.

How are we all better off together through activities such as this?

>> Well, I think we've been talking about here we we have been going in on our own for a long time but we know there's there's strength in numbers and that it makes a lot of sense for us to collaborate with like minded organizations like scoring greater Fort Wayne in the neck and all those people because we I said we are going after that that common mission of helping businesses and then helping the the consumers that they serve.

And to Steve's point, I don't think there's anything more gratifying than working with a business for a long period of time and seeing their growth and seeing maybe how somethng that we have done in working with them has contributed to their success.

>> You know, so I think none of us can do it all our own and Rick mentioned that they send us a client which we probably wouldn't have done if we hadn't started working together and I would tell Rick that I found business Bureau yesterday.

>> Well, bless you.

OK, so here we are now we're working together and we know what other people have to offer.

So when we see that there's an opportunity to push a client or a member to someone else who can help them better than we can, that helps our economy in them as well and so the more we can do that I think the stronger we become for business in our community that we each have a minute on this one.

And I know that there are a lot of folks who are watching us who don't own a business but they certainly have been inside one or they have clickedu for those of us who are on the consumer side of the equation, talk to us about how your organization can connect with with with my daily life .

How can I, for example, get engaged with the resources of the BBB even online for that?

>> Very well from the perspective of BBB so we have we have two constituents.

We have business community and the consumers.

We want help connect consumers with those businesses they can trust.

So we we through the big we can help them do that.

But we also do a lot of other things in the community from an educational standpoint we do scam education's all the time.

We do a local TV show on scams.

I do a weekly radio show in South Bend.

We do local presentations all the time on scam prevention and protecting consumers from some of the crazy things that are going on out there.

>> Well, Steve, how about you sir?

Just a couple of things.

>> One is that you can imagine that since for volunteers and a lot half of us are retired, we're always looking for for new members.

So if any of you out there happen to have business background and would like to give a little bit of time every month to help the business, you can call our office and we'll sign you up.

The other thing is anyone can go to our national website score dog and as I said, there are 700 webinars out there for just about every subject you can imagine relating to a business and they're free 24/7.

You can sign up for them at any time.

Score had six or seven new ones every month and I would tell you that I think they're very professionally done and they're very helpful.

There's also all kinds of business articles out there about every business you can learn about it EAI or whatever.

And that's that's I think a good way to get connected to score.

>> And as you've been convicted tonight, you can also get connected in person.

One final reminder about the Build a Better Business conference coming up on COVID 19 at the center and from work sure you can see it there on your screen.

Just head over to that and get yourself connected and for all of us here we're very grateful.

Thank you, Rick Walsh from the TVB, Steve Rhinehart from Score.

And I'm Bruce Haines with Prime Time and Company.

Thanks for watching.

We'll see you next week.

Have a good night