When he launched his decorative fountain business more than two years ago, Brian Ray said it would have been easy to get overwhelmed with everything from licensing to getting products to the market.

“Just about everything is an obstacle,” he said.

Because starting a business is complex, Ray tapped the expertise of an experienced small-business mentor through a nonprofit organization called SCORE Fox Valley. It’s a national organization comprised mainly of retired CEOs and managers that offers free business advice to startups or grow established companies.