For The Life of Your Business:
Free Mentoring,Training, & Resources for
Entrepreneurs
What is
?
SCORE is America’s
Small Business Resource
Free & Confidential
Mentoring
• One-on-one mentoring in
person & online.
• We help small biz grow
• Workshops, seminars &
events in your community.
• Business tools & templates
at www.score.org.
• Success stories such as Jelly
Belly and Vera Bradley
• 10 million served since 1964
• 370,000 assisted this year
We Help Small Businesses
SCORE is a non-profit
resource partner of the
United States
Small Business Administration
SCORE: An Overview
About SCORE
SCORE was formed in 1964 as a resource partner of the Small Business
Administration whose mission is to help aspiring and existing businesses
succeed. Since then, we’ve helped over 10 million people in pursuit of
their business goals.
Facts
• 11,000+ volunteer across 340 chapters
• 1 million hours of service donated by volunteers
• Since 2009*:
o 204,680 Businesses Started
o 251,356 Jobs Created
o 238,892 Businesses Increased Revenue
*Source: Gallup & Price Waterhouse Cooper SCORE Client Outcomes Survey 2009 - 2012
Small Business…Huge Impact
SCORE offers
over 340
chapters
across the
nation plus
online
mentoring
and resources
Small Business…Huge Impact
SCORE offers
over 11,000
volunteer
business
mentors with
expertise in
over 62
industries
Small Business…Huge Impact
In 2012, SCORE helped
Create over
37,000 new
businesses
Create over
82,000 new
jobs
Over 50,000
businesses
increase revenue
Small Business…Huge Impact
Of SCORE’s 2012 Clients:
53% were
women
32% were
minorities
13% were
veterans
How Does SCORE Help?
SCORE Provides Experienced Advice
Sound business planning
Product and service review
Financial insights
Marketing and promotion recommendations
Resource planning
Strategies for starting and improving vendor
relationships
 Guidance on customer care and loyalty programs
 …and much, much more






Who Does SCORE Help?
PreStartups
Startups
Opening
Research &
Planning
Firms in
Business for a
Year or More
Growth
Who We Serve
Building Entrepreneurship
Aspiring and Existing Small Biz Owners
• Early stage entrepreneurs, who are considering to start a
business but who need help defining their ideas, building their
plan and obtaining financing
• Start-up businesses, who are seeking to establish their
business and manage their finances
• Established businesses, who are seeking to grow their
business and increase their revenue or customers
How SCORE Mentors Help You
If you are in the pre-startup or startup phases:
 Confidentially review your business ideas
 Explain how to apply for licenses, etc.
 Provide info on finding legal and CPA
services
 Help you create a detailed business plan
 Advise you on business negotiations
 Coach you through pre-finance
preparations
SCORE mentors
often work in teams
to meet your needs.
How SCORE Mentors Help You
Mentors can also help prepare you for new growth.






Confidentially review your business situation
Identify your served markets vs new markets
Assess product portfolio
Assist with SWOT analysis
Identify business options
Develop your growth strategies
How SCORE Can Help You
• Mentoring: Free face-to-face mentoring in each of its 340+ chapters
and also provides online advice through www.score.org.
• Workshops: Educational sessions on a myriad of topics for
entrepreneurs, ranging from business planning to marketing and
financing.
• Roundtables: Facilitated peer sessions in discussing critical business
topics.
• Online Resources: Wide collection of articles, templates,
assessments, blogs, and other tools that can be used to learn and
implement new strategies.
SCORE is here to help you
find success as an entrepreneur.
Mentoring
Free. Personalized. Confidential.
Expert Advice For the Life of Your Business
Aspiring and existing entrepreneurs can get FREE, confidential, business
advice from expert advisors committed to helping them succeed.
Every SCORE chapter offers expertise in a variety of fields and
industries. Whether you’re just starting out, in business, or ready to
sell or retire, SCORE can help – providing guidance and resources to
help with your decisions. Turn to SCORE for assistance with 1
question - or 1,000.
We’re here to help you succeed.
We’re here - for the life of your business.
Mentoring
Free. Personalized. Confidential.
Expert Advice For the Life of Your Business
Benefits of Mentoring:
• SCORE mentors provide the specific resources you need through
personalized, 1-on-1 mentoring.
• Avoid timely and costly mistakes by learning from someone who’s
“been there, done that”.
• Feel confident knowing you have an experienced resource available
for simple questions or more complicated strategy development.
• SCORE helps businesses start and succeed. In 2012 we helped
create over 37,000 new businesses. The next success story can be
yours.
Workshops
Simple Steps for Starting Your Business
Learn the Basics.Test the Feasibility of Your Idea
A series of pre-business workshops designed to help clients get
to a “go or no go” decision for the business. In-class exercises,
post-session homework and mentoring are a part of the
workshop process.
•
•
•
•
•
Session 1: Business Basics
Session 2: Business Concept
Session 3: Marketing Plan
Session 4: Financial Projections
Session 5: Funding Sources & Next Steps
1st Session
FREE
Workshops
Simple Steps for Growing Your Business
Customized Training for Those Already In Business
An interactive program that provides entrepreneurs the knowledge and tools
they need to switch their strategy from start-up mode to growth mode. This
program offers 4-components that help in-business clients identify
opportunities for growth and develop strategies for success.
• Assessment: This first element helps identify opportunities/ challenges.
• Mentoring: Work with an expert to develop a customized plan to achieve
goals; We provide continuous input during the plan implementation.
• Workshops: Clients participate in the courses they need as determined
from the assessment and mentoring.
• Roundtables: Participants can connect & learn from each other.
Workshops
Simple Steps for Growing Your Business
Customized Training for Those Already In Business
Work with a SCORE Mentor to create a personalized growth plan for
your business to include one or more of the following business
training workshops:
• Session 1: Business Assessment and Goal Setting
• Session 2: Marketing Your Business
• Session 3: Managing Your Time,Your People and Your Resources
• Session 4: Growing Your Sales
• Session 5: Financial Management
• Session 6: Managing Operations
Business Roundtables
Sharing Experiences. Learning Together.
Connecting In-Business Clients to Foster Success
A facilitated discussion event led by a SCORE volunteer or invited
guest expert. These events provide local small business owners with a
supportive peer group and provide value through access to SCORE
resources and services.
• Provides access to the collective wisdom of entrepreneurs in the local
community
• Offers perspectives from a variety of business owners
• Helps emerging firms overcome obstacles and seize opportunities
• Presents an opportunity for attendees to grow their business network
• Can be customized for partners as needed
Online Resources
Templates.Tips. Blogs. Workshops.
Tools for Business Success Available 24/7
Get access to over1,800 templates & tools, 1,000 blog posts, and 100 English
and Spanish language workshops to help you start and grow your business.
• Templates & Tools - Articles, assessments, outlines, templates, and other resources
that you can use to learn and implement new strategies
• SCORE LIVE Webinars - Live ,1-hour presentations by mentors and partners on a
variety of small business topics and trends
• Online Workshop – A business training module archived on score.org
• SCORE Blogs - Business experts in a number of industries share information on
emerging trends and topics facing today’s small business owner
• SCORE Newsletters - Subscribe to get the latest business information, tips and
resources delivered to your inbox
Online Resources
Entrepreneurs’ Favorite SCORE Resources
60% of SCORE clients say these
SCORE-mentored tools are very
important to the growth of their
business.
•
•
•
•
Source: Gallup SCORE Client Outcomes Survey 2010.
Marketing Plan
Business Plan
Cash Flow Analysis
Financial Strategy
Why SCORE Works
You Don’t Have to Go It Alone
Mentoring provides improved chances for startup and success
through one-on-one business coaching.
Workshops provide training on
critical topics in an environment where
you can learn from experts and likeminded entrepreneurs.
Online Resources can be your
playbook to provide step-by-step
outlines for small business strategies.
Why SCORE Works
You Don’t Have to Go It Alone
Our team of SCORE
mentors offers over 300,000
total years of business
experience in over 60
industries.
We’re here for the life of
your business – providing
free advice for as long as you
own your business.
Get Started Today
Don’t Wait.
Contact us today to
 Start or grow your business
 Become a SCORE volunteer
Call or visit us online:
 800-634-0245
 www.score.org