Volunteer business mentors provide guidance and support for entrepreneurs at any stage of business.
WASHINGTON, April 1, 2025 -- SCORE volunteers helped start 59,447 new businesses last year by providing free, expert business mentoring and support to America's small businesses in all 50 states and U.S. territories. As the nation's largest network of volunteer business mentors, SCORE celebrates its positive impact on America's small businesses this National Volunteer Month.
Each year, SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide 4 million hours of critical, timely mentoring and education to help small business owners navigate funding options, find customers, respond to economic challenges and adapt daily operations.
In 2024 alone, SCORE volunteers:
- Helped start 59,447 new businesses
- Created 143,623 total jobs, including 84,176 non-owner jobs
- Provided 300,740 mentoring sessions
- Hosted workshops for 321,923 local workshop attendees and 284,309 national online workshop attendees
"For 60 years, SCORE has been supporting small business owners at every stage of their journey," said SCORE CEO Bridget Weston. "We've helped millions of entrepreneurs start, grow and overcome challenges of all kinds. None of that would be possible without our incredible network of volunteer mentors who generously donate their time and expertise to help others succeed."
Making a difference
Unfortunately, 18% of small businesses fail in the first year and 50% fail after the first five years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's where SCORE comes in, providing mentorship, training and resources to help small businesses launch, grow and thrive.
Small business owner Hyacinth Tucker received support from SCORE mentor Al Horowitz for her business The Laundry Basket LLC. "I deeply appreciate Al's unwavering support, patience, and ability to break down complex challenges into manageable steps," explained Hyacinth. "His expertise and encouragement gave me the confidence to take bold steps. He truly cares about my success and continuously challenges me to think bigger while staying grounded in the fundamentals."
The benefits of volunteering
Small business owners certainly benefit from SCORE's work, but so do the mentors themselves. "Volunteering with SCORE allows you to make a lasting difference while enriching your own life through meaningful work and connections," said SCORE mentor Bennett Ockrim.
SCORE mentor Lauren Galvez cites SCORE's vast network of volunteers as one of the highlights of her experience. "It's an opportunity to connect with other passionate professionals within your local chapter and across the country, forming a sense of community and collaboration," said Lauren. "Beyond that, it's a chance to further grow your expertise by working through the business challenges your mentees face and sharing perspectives with fellow mentors."
To learn more about SCORE, request a mentor or volunteer to be one, visit SCORE.org.
For a description of our survey methodology, please visit https://tinyurl.com/2024SCOREImpactMethodology.
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.
Funded [in part] through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
CONTACT:
SCORE
202-968-6428
media@score.org
Visit SCORE's media resources to connect with expert small business interview sources and news updates.
SOURCES
https://www.chamberofcommerce.org/small-business-statistics/
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