Service Corps of Retired Executives
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- For the live album by Dream Theater, see Score (album).
The Service Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE, is a US national volunteer group that provides advice, support, consulting and training to small businesses. SCORE is a subsidiary/partner of the Small Business Administration.
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[edit] Overview
The SCORE Association provides free counseling to new and existing small business owners via a nationwide network of volunteers. Volunteers are largely comprised of retired business owners, executives and corporate leaders.
Local SCORE chapters also provide low-cost business workshops and seminars for both start-up and in-business entrepreneurs. Workshops typically include several "core" classes which illustrate fundamentals for new businesses (such as how to start a business, how to create a business plan, how to determine a competitive advantage, and more) as well as a number of specialized classes (such as accounting, Quickbooks, fundamentals of selling, marketing, internet marketing, and more).
[edit] History
In 1953, the Small Business Act was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created. The law said the federal government “should aid, counsel, assist and project the interests of small business.” Counseling small business in management practices was written into law. In the same year, Maurice du Pont Lee of Wilmington, Delaware gathered a small group and formed a consulting and advisory service for small businesses. By 1963, more than 50 independent groups across the country were providing low-cost or no-cost business counseling.
In 1964, SBA Administrator Eugene P. Foley officially launched SCORE as a national volunteer group with 2,000 members, uniting independent efforts into a national force.
Today, the SCORE Association is comprised of over 10,500 volunteers and 14 employees. There are currently 389 SCORE chapters and 800 branches.
SCORE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
