SCORE Mentors Arrive In Atlantic City, NJ To Help Small Businesses Hurt By Hurricane Sandy

WASHINGTON, June 21, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To help small businesses in Atlantic City, NJ ramp up their recovery efforts from the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy, SCORE has sent in a cavalry of experienced mentors to give on-site disaster-relief counseling.  In addition to going door-to-door to offer personalized, one-on-one advice, this expert troop of volunteers will also be hosting a business roundtable on June 27 at 4 to 6 p.m., at Stockton College, 35 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd, Room 202.

Facilitated by SCORE mentors who have the "been there, done that" experience, the Business Roundtable will engage local business owners and offer critical guidance on how to overcome obstacles and seize opportunities.  While the conversation will be guided by the specific questions of the attendees and the challenges they are still facing, other topics to be covered include identifying the range of financial resources available to small businesses, effective marketing initiatives, and tips on how to prepare for the next natural disaster.  For more information, or to register for this session, call 609-271-8524

Over 350 SCORE mentors are available to assist New Jersey small businesses harmed by Hurricane Sandy, and another six SCORE mentors will be stationed full-time for several months.  Mentors will be at the Atlantic City Free Public Library (1 N Tennessee Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08401) from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays.  They will also be at the Atlantic Cape Community College - Atlantic City branch (1535 Bacharach Blvd, Atlantic City, NJ 08401) from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays.  For more information, or to register, call 609-271-8524 or email [email protected].

As part of its ongoing outreach efforts, SCORE regularly holds Business Roundtables across the country to foster entrepreneurial growth and education.  Each session provides a dynamic forum in which ideas can be exchanged with both peers and SCORE experts to help business owners get answers to a range of questions, learn new approaches and build a useful professional network of other entrepreneurs.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, SCORE has been working with affected business owners and recently launched a set of free resources specifically tailored to aid in the recovery efforts while offering advice on how to prepare for when the next natural disaster hits.  This summer, more than 200 volunteer mentors will be offering 35 workshops on a variety of topics in Sandy-affected areas across North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut as well as in-person, individualized counseling.  A host of online sessions also will be available.  More information and online resources can be found at www.score.org/sandy.

"SCORE is there for the life of a business through both the peaks and the valleys," says Bridget Weston Pollack, SCORE Director of Marketing and Communications.  "By attending these on-the-ground roundtable discussions, business owners will be able to quickly and effectively get the feedback they need to re-build and exchange ideas about what works and what doesn't from both their professional peers and SCORE's expert mentors."

About SCORE

Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 10 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses. More than 11,000 business experts volunteer as mentors in over 340 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.

CONTACT: Nell O'Connor, 212-681-1380,  [email protected], Bridget Weston Pollack, 703-487-3627, [email protected], Shalini Karnani, 703-487-3645, [email protected]

SOURCE SCORE