WASHINGTON — As the nation’s largest network of volunteer business mentors, SCORE is celebrating its positive impact on America’s small businesses this National Volunteer Month.
SCORE volunteers helped start more than 59,000 new businesses last year by providing free, expert business mentoring and support to America’s small businesses in all 50 states and U.S. territories.
Unfortunately, 18% of small businesses fail in the first year and 50% fail after the first five years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s where SCORE comes in, providing mentorship, training and resources to help small businesses launch, grow and thrive.
Hyacinth Tucker received support from SCORE mentor Al Horowitz for her business The Laundry Basket LLC, a tech-enabled, on-demand laundry and drycleaning platform.
“I deeply appreciate Al’s unwavering support, patience, and ability to break down complex challenges into manageable steps,” Tucker explains. “His expertise and encouragement gave me the confidence to take bold steps. He truly cares about my success and continuously challenges me to think bigger while staying grounded in the fundamentals.”
Each year, SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide 4 million hours of critical, timely mentoring and education to help small-business owners navigate funding options, find customers, respond to economic challenges and adapt daily operations.
“For 60 years, SCORE has been supporting small-business owners at every state of their journey,” says SCORE CEO Bridget Weston. “We’ve helped millions of entrepreneurs start, grow and overcome challenges of all kinds. None of that would be possible without our incredible network of volunteer mentors who generously donate their time and expertise to help others succeed.”
Small-business owners certainly benefit from SCORE’s work, but so do the mentors themselves.
“Volunteering with SCORE allows you to make a lasting difference while enriching your own life through meaningful work and connections,” says SCORE mentor Bennett Ockrim.
“It’s an opportunity to connect with other passionate professionals within your local chapter and across the country, forming a sense of community and collaboration,” says SCORE mentor Lauren Galvez. “Beyond that, it’s a chance to further grow your expertise by working through the business challenges your mentees face and sharing perspectives with fellow mentors.”
To learn more about SCORE, request a mentor or volunteer to become one, visit SCORE.org.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].