POINT CLEAR — Those who succeed in business often have a helping hand along the way. The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) Chapter 630, right here in Baldwin County, offers solutions for success to business owners who are just starting out or hoping to expand.

The organization’s volunteer counselors are men and women who have owned their own business or have had successful business careers as corporate executives. Now they share their experience with others at no charge.

Three very successful SCORE clients were honored Tuesday at the Lakewood Golf Club in Point Clear during the group’s annual awards luncheon. Laura Ann Shaw and Nina McBride, owners of Adrenaline Surf and Skate Shop in Fairhope, and Wendy A. Pierce, a Fairhope elder law attorney, were recognized as SCORE Co-Clients of the Year. The honor is given to Baldwin County business owners whose SCORE-assisted plans for building their companies have achieved great success.

SCORE Counselor Marion Smith said Shaw and McBride worked on a “well-crafted” business plan for their board sports and equipment store for five months. She said they accurately forecast sales, expenses and profits for the first year.

“In March 2004, their dream and hard work came to reality,” Smith said.

Pierce’s success story was much the same, according to SCORE Counselor Glenn Bloom. He said Pierce, who was a practicing Mobile attorney in 1998 when she approached SCORE, wanted to create a new practice centered on law related to senior citizens.

“We were puzzled with what she needed for help,” Bloom said. “She had a child at home, but with a remarkable family effort and a supportive husband, in 10 years Wendy has not just been successful with her practice, she’s been very helpful on the Eastern Shore through groups like Rotary.”

Fellow SCORE Counselor Dick Huff said, “She was going to get an equity line of credit on her home. This is something I decry. She didn’t know much about financial affairs so I told her to leave the accounting to the CPA. For a year and a half, we talked about bookkeeping though. Between Quickbooks and SCORE and her dedication, she made it.”

Motivational speaker Dan Lumpkin, a longtime Fairhope resident who speaks around the country, talked with the SCORE volunteers and business leaders who gathered about simple ways to build a successful business. He said listening to the customer and acting on what they say is of most importance.

Chapter Chairman Jack Kimsey said SCORE Chapter 630 has expanded to serve the Florida panhandle with a new office in Lillian. He added the chapter has been named Alabama Chapter of the Year.

SCORE’s volunteer counselors meet with future business owners as often as necessary to help define their needs and search for solutions. Counseling may take as little as a week or as much as a year, according to a SCORE Web site. All information learned about the business is confidential and not revealed to anyone outside of SCORE.

The nonprofit organization also hosts occasional seminars and workshops, covering major issues related to running a business.

SCORE was founded in 1964, and there are now 10,500 volunteers nationwide with 389 chapters. The group is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

For more information about SCORE’s Baldwin County chapter, visit www.baldwinscore.org.