Over 200 SCORE Experts Offer Assistance To Small Businesses Harmed By Hurricane Sandy in NY, NJ, CT, NC, VA & MD

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Jun 17, 2013, 03:47 ET

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As businesses up and down the East Coast work to get back on their feet in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, SCORE is kicking off National Small Business Week by launching a new set of free resources specifically tailored to aid in the recovery efforts while offering free, customized advice on how to prepare for when the next natural disaster hits from experienced SCORE volunteers. Over 200 volunteer mentors with decades of experience will be on hand to advise and counsel these small business owners one-on-one. Additionally, SCORE will offer 35 workshops on a variety of topics in Sandy-affected areas across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. A host of online sessions and other resources also will be available.

SCORE mentors, who have the "been there, done that" real world experience, will fan out across the Northeast corridor to lead workshops and in-person, individualized counseling. Mentors will offer in-depth advice on a variety of topics, including how to find appropriate financing options, how to assess which re-building efforts can be done in-house versus through hiring a contractor, and how to create successful marketing initiatives once businesses are back on their feet.

The first live webinar, "The 10 Steps to Prepare Any Organization for Disaster" will take place on Tuesday, June 25 from 2 – 3 p.m. EDT. Co-sponsored with Agility Recovery, the session will provide straightforward and easy to implement steps that could spell the difference between surviving a disaster and giving into one. This interactive workshop will bring participants up-to-speed on best practices for how to assess potential risk, prepare supply chains, create an effective crisis communications strategy and ensure that insurance coverage meets today's threats. To register for this session, visit https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/872700176.

Additional webinars include:

July 18, 2013, 2 p.m. EDT: Social Media's Role in Disaster Recovery
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/786922744

August 20, 2013, 2 p.m. EDT: The Impact of Preparedness on the Bottom Line
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/864213640

More information and online tools can be found at www.score.org/sandy.

SCORE's overall approach, which partners experienced business professionals with entrepreneurs and existing small business owners, has proven to be highly effective for local communities as well as the larger American economy. In 2012, SCORE clients started a total of 37,054 new businesses despite a still-turbulent economy. Equally important, SCORE client businesses created 82,207 jobs.

"Through it all, SCORE is there for the life of a business," says Ken Yancey, CEO of SCORE. "By utilizing the online resources and connecting with a mentor, small business owners will be able to get customized, one-on-one advice, to help them navigate the challenges of re-building while also preparing them for a successful future."

About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 10 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses. More than 12,000 business experts volunteer as mentors in over 340 chapters serving local communities with entrepreneur education to help grow 1 million small businesses.

For more information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Visit SCORE at www.score.org. Connect with SCORE at www.facebook.com/SCOREFans and www.twitter.com/SCOREMentors.

Contact:
Bridget Weston Pollack, 703-487-3627, [email protected]
Shalini Karnani, 703-487-3645, [email protected]
Nell O'Connor, 212-681-1380 [email protected]

SOURCE SCORE