The American small business community received 4.65 million hours of free, confidential, expert advice last year from volunteers with SCORE, mentors to America's small businesses and a nonprofit resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. This National Volunteer Month, SCORE is celebrating its dedicated corps of 10,000+ diverse volunteers serving entrepreneurs in all 50 U.S. states and territories, and their indelible impact locally and to the national economy.
In 2022 alone, SCORE volunteers:
• Supported the launch of 30,453 new small businesses
• Helped create 112,570 total jobs, including 82,117 non-owner jobs
• Provided 278,783 mentoring sessions
• Held 9,443 local workshops providing small business education for 211,425 attendees
"Volunteers are the backbone of SCORE, applying their years of business experience and knowledge to foster small business growth and help entrepreneurs succeed and thrive," said SCORE CEO Bridget Weston. "It is incredibly rewarding to see the economic impact as a result of their efforts, but also to know that behind each business is an entrepreneur seeing their dreams come true."
According to SCORE data, entrepreneurs who work with a mentor are five times more likely to start a business – and report higher revenues and increased business growth. "Our SCORE mentor always listens to the issues and challenges that we have, and thoughtfully gives us feedback to help us be our best selves in business," said Heather Mangione, co-founder of Al Fresco Tails in Vineyard Haven, Mass.
SCORE's diverse volunteer corps is both a deep and wide source of expertise on any small business topic. Half of SCORE volunteers are currently employed as executives or entrepreneurs and half are retired; all donate their time and talent to help small business owners succeed by sharing their knowledge and real-world experience of running a business. Mentoring can be provided in-person or virtually, and team mentoring is available to ensure each small business client can access expert guidance for different aspects of their business journey.
"If you have a lot of knowledge that you've gained from running a business or from a corporate background, SCORE is the perfect place for you to make an impact on another person's life," explains SCORE Raleigh mentor Patti Williams. Volunteer benefits include making a positive difference helping others and connecting with peers across the country, but also personal growth and satisfaction. "I am a lifelong learner and that's an aspect of SCORE that I really appreciate," explains SCORE Charleston mentor Mary Butler. "I'm always learning something from either the clients, my fellow mentors or folks in the community."
About SCORE:
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 11 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.