A former Navy pilot has found a new career path as the head of a growing beer brewery, illustrating how new opportunities are always possible with a good plan and passion for what you do. This week, the San Diego Business Journal profiled Tony Clarke, who spent ten years flying helicopters in the Navy and four years brewing beer at home as a hobby. When he left the Navy, Clarke began working on a business plan for his Airdale Brewing company. The newspaper noted that Clarke received guidance from SCORE, a nationwide nonprofit that helps small business owners, and was even able to find a lender through the organization. The lender helped Clarke secure about 40 percent of his seed capital, while the rest was secured by a group of about ten investors. Clarke reportedly opened in September and has four beer varieties available, with sales that have grown 40 percent in the last couple of months. For entrepreneurs who don't necessarily have a SCORE chapter in their area, it's still possible to benefit from the organization's services. This week, SCORE announced a new blog feature on its website, score.org, where people can send their business questions or research relevant topics.  |