SCORE Celebrates Earth Day Every Day By Supporting Green Small Business Creation and Growth

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SCORE, – www.score.org- America's premier source of free and confidential small business advice, continues its commitment to the success of green small businesses across the nation this Earth Day, April 22, 2012 and beyond.  According to the first-ever survey of green goods and services jobs by the U.S. Labor Department, in 2010 at least 3.1 million Americans were employed in green jobs - a sector that now accounts for about 2.4 percent of the nation's total employment.  President Obama has announced a goal of creating 5 million green jobs and his stimulus plan provided $80 billion to help boost this sector.  As green business continues to grow in the U.S., SCORE offers assistance to all those citizens seeking to start or improve a green small business venture or any enterprise looking to become greener.

"The green sector has become a vital segment of the U.S. economy and as such we stand ready to equip the country's small businesses with the tools they need to keep up with this growing movement," said SCORE Director of Marketing and Communications, Bridget Weston Pollack.  "Our network of 13,000+ mentors offers one-of-a-kind, personalized guidance for how entrepreneurs can improve their particular enterprise, including embracing new, more sustainable ways of doing business." 

Owner of Green Grocer Chicago and SCORE Client, Cassie Green, says her SCORE mentors offered invaluable advice while starting her business in 2008; "My SCORE mentors helped me focus on creating a carefully considered and well-reviewed plan for my business from the get-go.  It has been so much easier and more efficient to lay the foundation of establishing green practices from the beginning than it would have been to have to go back and modify what we'd already started." Green was recently honored with the 2012 Green Award by Chicago Magazine.

Office Depot, continuing its longtime support of SCORE, has sponsored a Green Business Toolkit aimed at encouraging and aiding small businesses in taking steps towards greater environmental sustainability in their practices.  To access the free Green Business Toolkit, visit: www.score.org/resources/go_green

SCORE will also present a 2012 SCORE Award for Outstanding Green Small Business on August 16, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  To learn more about the SCORE Awards, visit: www.score.org/score_awards

About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 9 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses. More than 13,000 business experts volunteer as mentors in 364 chapters serving local communities with entrepreneur education to help grow 1 million small businesses.

For more information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Visit SCORE at www.score.org. Connect with SCORE at www.facebook.com/SCOREFans and www.twitter.com/SCOREMentors.

For more information, contact SCORE's public relations manager at 1-800/634-0245 or [email protected].

Contact Information
Shalini Karnani Bonjour
800/634-0245
[email protected]

SOURCE SCORE