A Conversation With ... Dennis H. Jones

Score is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Kansas City district includes the Kansas City chapter, the Topeka, Kan., chapter, the Springfield chapter and the Lake Ozark chapter of Score – Counselors to America’s Small Business. I’m an active member of the Springfield branch. There’s a small paid Score staff in Washington, D.C., but the main part of Score is in the 400 chapters nationwide, in which there are 12,000 volunteer members. The Springfield chapter has about 50 members. We provide free face-to-face counseling for people who are in business or are looking to go into business, as many times as they want to be counseled. We also provide low-cost workshops, currently through Ozarks Technical Community College. We do two groups of workshops in the fall, two in the spring and one in the summer. Each group is comprised of nine courses. Our Web address is www.springfieldscore.org.

What do you do as a Score volunteer?

I’m chairman of the newsletter committee and serve on the chapter executive committee for the Springfield chapter in addition to serving as the assistant district director for the Kansas City District of Score. I sort of specialize in cases where people are looking to buy or sell a business. I’ve bought and sold several businesses myself.

What other experience do you draw on to help other entrepreneurs through Score?

I have bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering, and I have a master’s degree in business. I’ve worked for some major corporations – Bell Telephone Laboratories, IBM and Texas Instruments. I’ve also owned several franchise businesses. When I was in Texas, I owned several Lawn Doctor franchises. Lawn Doctor is a company that provides … chemical lawn care. I also had a Brake Masters franchise in Santa Fe, N.M. I sold the Brake Masters franchise in 1999 and moved to Springfield because my son lives here and because my parents lived close by in Arkansas at that time.

Why did you decide to volunteer with Score, and how many hours would you say you’ve given through the years?

When I moved to Springfield ... I wanted something to do, and I wanted to spend some time giving back to the community. I was a hospice volunteer for a while, starting at the same time that I joined Score, and I decided that Score was really more in line with my interests and my background. I’ve volunteered more than 3,000 hours.

On Nov. 2, you received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, which President Bush presented to you during his visit to Springfield. Did you get to talk with him much, and if so, what did you talk about?

We visited for a few minutes. I grew up in Big Spring, Texas. The president’s childhood home was in Midland, Texas. Big Spring happens to be 38 miles east of Midland, so we chatted about Midland and Big Spring.

What’s most rewarding about being a Score volunteer?

For people to come in and have an interesting idea for a business or a dream that they are working to fulfill for a business – but they don’t have the experience or the knowledge to go about it – and I can help them with that, as can the other counselors in our chapter. Helping those people, giving them the knowledge and the direction that they need. I get a lot of good feelings from doing that.

What are some of the main areas for which entrepreneurs need Score’s help?

No. 1, they don’t understand reading financial statements. They can’t really read and understand income statements, balance sheets, cash-flow statements. Secondly, they ask “How do I get started? What steps do I need to take?” Marketing’s another aspect. All are things we can help with.

Tell us about your family and spare-time interests.

My mom, Mary Jones, is going to be 95 in December, and she lives with me. My dad passed away about five years ago. My son, Brad Jones, lives in town. Other hobbies? Projects around my house and in my yard. I enjoy those.

Recognition

Dennis H. Jones received the President’s Volunteer Service Award on Nov. 2 from President Bush. Jones has volunteered more than 3,000 hours counseling entrepreneurs through Score.