SCORE -- Counselors to America's Small Business -- Celebrates the Accomplishments of Local Entrepreneurs During Small Business Week

This year's Small Business Week celebration honors the estimated 25.8 million small businesses in America that create about 75 percent of all new jobs. The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), salutes small business owners who are the major generator of new jobs in the national economy. During this time, SCORE chapters nationwide will celebrate Small Business Week with small business fairs, seminars, networking events and award ceremonies. In San Francisco, SCORE will join with the local SBA district office and the City of San Francisco in celebrating Small Business Week May 12-16.

SCORE is committed to advancing small business, invigorating the American economy and helping those who take on the challenge of self-employment and entrepreneurship. SCORE provides free and confidential business advice to small businesses through a network of volunteer business owners, managers and executives. Last year, SCORE assisted more than 330,000 entrepreneurs with mentoring, online counseling and educational training workshops and seminars. The San Francisco SCORE chapter assisted almost 3,500 entrepreneurs and aspiring small business owners in the counties of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo.

SCORE's working and retired volunteers donate their expertise to help local entrepreneurs prepare business plans, develop business strategies and gather valuable information about doing business in local communities. All SCORE counseling is free and confidential. Low-cost workshops and seminars are offered on a wide variety of business topics. For more information, visit the San Francisco chapter at http://www.sfscore.org or the national SCORE Web Site at http://www.score.org.