SCORE can help you start, grow or successfully exit a business. Small business owners who receive three or more hours of mentoring report higher revenues and increased growth.
Enter your ZIP code to find a free SCORE business mentor today.
“We truly believe that the SCORE organization and its volunteer members were an integral part of the success of our café. We would not be in business today had we not had their assistance. I always encourage people to contact SCORE if they dream of owning their own business.” - Lance LeBlanc, La Divina Italian Cafe
Become a SCORE Volunteer
GivingTuesday is a global day of generosity that will take place on December 3, 2024. Whether through a financial contribution or volunteering at your local SCORE chapter, you can make a real difference. This GivingTuesday, give the gift of time. Volunteer with SCORE and help small businesses in your community thrive. #GivingTuesday
At SCORE, our client’s success is our success. Last year alone, SCORE’s dedicated and diverse team of volunteers nationwide provided more than 4.65 million hours of expertise and advice, resulting in the creation of 30,453 new small businesses and 112,570 total jobs in the American economy.
Helping 17 Million Entrepreneurs achieve their dreams
SCORE proudly celebrates 60 years of helping America’s small businesses launch, grow and thrive. Since 1964, more than 17 million entrepreneurs have received support from SCORE, a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Today, SCORE has a nationwide network of more than 10,000 volunteers serving all 50 U.S. states and territories, guiding entrepreneurs on their path to success.
The Startup Roadmap: Your Guide to Successfully Starting a Business
SCORE offers free online learning: Our self-paced learning provides an opportunity for you to learn valuable business skills.
Getting Started with
E-commerce
The Getting Started with Small Business eCommerce learning course guides your journey from brick and mortar to click and order.
Simple Steps for Starting Your Business: Startup Basics
If you’re thinking about starting your own business, this module will teach you the basics. You will learn whether business ownership is right for you.
Online Marketing for Small Business Owners
How to brand your business, top tips for choosing the right domain name, best practices for building your website and ways to leverage social media for growth.
Simple Steps for Starting Your Business: Marketing Plan
In this module, you’ll learn how to market your business by doing a competitive analysis, identifying target markets, outlining a marketing message and more.
Simple Steps for Starting Your Business: Financial Projections
In this online module, you'll learn the importance of financial planning, how to build your financial model, how to understand financial statements and more.
The Startup Roadmap: Marketing Your Business
Learn about how SCORE's Startup Roadmap details how to market your business, find your first customers and how serves a need they have.
The Startup Roadmap: Accounting, Insurance and Legal Considerations
In this module of the SCORE Startup Roadmap, you’ll establish your administrative and operational structure and processes to helps ensure that your startup runs effectively and efficiently.
Leverage these free templates and resources to propel your business toward success, while complementing your journey with the guidance of a SCORE Mentor, ensuring a well-rounded strategy for achieving your business goals. With the right tools and expert guidance, your business can thrive and reach new heights.
The Startup Roadmap outlines each step in starting a business with detailed information and resources. And with SCORE, you don’t have to do it alone.
SCORE for All is the bridge that makes the journey to success more direct and sure-footed for entrepreneurs who need more support.
Download our easy-to-use business planning, finance, sales, marketing, and management templates to help you plan for a new business or grow your existing business.
SCORE for All reflects SCORE's dedication to inclusivity by addressing the unique challenges faced by diverse entrepreneurs. This initiative provides tailored resources and mentorship to empower individuals from various backgrounds, ensuring equitable opportunities to succeed in business. Through personalized support, SCORE for All helps entrepreneurs overcome barriers and thrive, fostering innovation and economic growth in communities nationwide
Have a quick business question and need it right away? You can use our online chat to connect 1:1 with a mentor. Simply click on the chat bubble that appears on the bottom of every page. Chat mentors are available:
Mondays - Thursdays, 9 am - 5 pm ET.
“As a SCORE Peoria mentor, I enjoy working with entrepreneurs around the US. In many sessions, I am reminded of my own grueling days and nights during the startup period and later as my partner and I planned the succession of our business. As a LiveChat volunteer, I continuously learn from our visitors’ questions, tapping into SCORE’s vast expertise. Collaborating to serve SCORE clients, both as a member of my chapter and on LiveChat, aligns perfectly with my own values and the SCORE mission.”
