Bill Cunningham - SCORE Rhode Island

It is said that adversity can elicit talents that might have lain dormant in more benign circumstances. Certainly, this pandemic has brought out the best in some individuals in ways that might have otherwise gone underappreciated.

And so it was with our colleague, Rhode Island mentor, and CPA, Bill Cunningham. Like a military general ready for his moment to shine, when the COVID outbreak and ensuing economic disruption hit, Bill jumped to the forefront to help small businesses across Rhode Island and South Coast Massachusetts weather the storm.

SCORE Mentor, Bill Cunningham

Since the pandemic hit Bill has aided more than 79 unique clients with 686 sessions. In this fiscal year alone, Bill has conducted 370 client sessions, more than double the volume of the next highest mentor in our chapter. In that timeframe, Bill logged 15 NPS scores, all equaling 100%. Also in our Client Engagement Survey this year, he was the only mentor identified by a client. The client stated, "Bill Cunningham is a GREAT person to work with. He has helped us get our books in order and learn how to avoid mistakes. We really appreciate what he does."

When not mentoring, Bill has also been leveraging his knowledge to help those both inside and outside the SCORE organization. Since fall 2020, Bill hosted an incredible 18 seminars on a wide array of topics but especially on helping small businesses procure PPP, EIDL, SVO, RRF and other types of funding to keep afloat during tough times. Bill also hosted a number of more general-purpose seminars on topics such as business planning and modeling, “Understanding Your Revenue Streams”, “Getting Your Business Restarted”, and “Understanding QuickBooks Online”.

Bill has been a prolific contributor to SCORE Rhode Island’s blog program. So far in 2021 alone he has penned eight blogs with step-by-step instructions how to apply for PPP loan forgiveness or topics such as how to apply for a Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant.

Overall, as a SCORE volunteer, Bill takes genuine satisfaction in helping small businesses obtain the knowledge and funds they need to succeed. He has been incredibly focused on assisting area small businesses survive and prosper during these challenging times.

-SCORE Rhode Island Leadership Team