30,000 Small Businesses Started with Help from SCORE Volunteers Last Year

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Apr 02, 2024, 10:22 ET

Volunteer business mentors spent 4.5 million hours in 2023 providing guidance to entrepreneurs.

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- During National Volunteer Month, SCORE – mentors to America's small businesses and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration – is celebrating its 10,000+ volunteers nationwide and their collective impact supporting small business success through mentoring, training and education.

SCORE volunteers work with small business owners across the country, including Virginia and Hank Fields (pictured, left) of White Bison Native Art in Charlevoix, Mich.

Throughout National Volunteer Month, SCORE is celebrating its 10,000+ volunteers nationwide who help small businesses launch, grow and thrive.

"SCORE's volunteers tirelessly share their time and expertise as mentors to our nation's entrepreneurs, fostering vibrant small business communities and bringing the American dream to life, " said SCORE CEO Bridget Weston. "Their dedication is measured not only by each small business they support, but in the economic impact of those businesses locally and nationally."

In 2023, SCORE volunteers:

Started 31,167 new businesses
Created 152,115 total jobs, including 120,948 non-owner jobs
Provided 285,014 mentoring sessions
Hosted workshops for 274,692 local workshop attendees and 269,180 national online workshop attendees
Donated 4.5 million hours of their time

Partnering with entrepreneurs one-on-one, SCORE's volunteer mentors provide experienced advice, best practices, and education on small business topics at no cost. SCORE mentor Ernise Cummings explains why she volunteers: "Mentoring with SCORE provides me with satisfaction that I am paying it forward, helping someone else find their way to small business success."

Volunteering with SCORE makes a difference. Entrepreneurs who receive three or more hours of mentoring report higher revenues and increased business growth. Tonyia Smith, SCORE client and owner of Silver Slice Bakery in Seattle, describes how she has benefitted from working with SCORE: "The experience and knowledge that the mentors have is not found in books. It feels good to know that you are not alone and you'll get the tools, insight, inspiration, knowledge, motivation and understanding to continue on your entrepreneurial journey."

SCORE is actively recruiting volunteers with business expertise to share with our diverse client base: last year, 65% of SCORE clients were women, 46% were minorities and 9% were veterans. Want to learn more about becoming a SCORE volunteer? Register here for "Benefits of Volunteering with SCORE as a Business Mentor" – a live webinar on April 9 and available on-demand after the event – or visit our website.

For a description of our survey methodology, please visit https://bit.ly/SCORE-2023-Client-Engagement-Survey-Methodology.

About SCORE:
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 17 million entrepreneurs start, grow or successfully exit a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free, expert mentoring, resources and education in all 50 U.S. states and territories. Visit SCORE at www.score.org.

Funded [in part] through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

CONTACT:
SCORE
202-968-6428
[email protected]

Visit SCORE's media resources to be connected with expert small business interview sources and news updates.

SOURCE SCORE