SCORE Palooza 2012 Brings FREE Small Business Education, Insight and Networking to New Orleans

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SCORE -www.score.org- counselors to America's small business, a non-profit association and premier resource for free and confidential small business advice announces the second annual SCORE Palooza event, August 14, 2012 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in New Orleans, Louisiana. SCORE provides expert business mentoring at 365 chapters across the country through a network of 13,000+ volunteers and SCORE Palooza is an annual kickoff event to provide a day of FREE educational workshops and peer-to-peer networking for small business owners in the local area where the event is held. Entrepreneurs at all stages – from point of business idea conception to decades owning and operating a business – are encouraged to attend to get the advice and information necessary to starting or growing their small business.

Those just starting out on their small business path can take part in a five-session workshop series designed to start their business concept on the path to success.  These interactive sessions include: Start-up Basics, Your Business Idea, Marketing Your Business, Financial Matters and Funding and Next Steps.

Attendees looking to grow their current business venture will have the opportunity to attend five informative breakout sessions presented throughout the day. These sessions are:

Customer Engagement - Presented by Constant Contact
Managing Cash Flow for Small Businesses - Presented by VISA Small Business
Using Social Media to Improve Your Online Marketing - Presented by Deluxe Corporation
Marketing to Your Community - Presented by AOL Patch
Smart Expansion - Presented by Regus

In addition to having access to SCORE mentors and industry leaders throughout the day, SCORE Palooza participants will also enjoy a luncheon panel discussion featuring Rieva Lesonsky, Founder and CEO of GrowBiz Media, Brian Moran, formerly of the Wall Street Journal, Michael Hecht, President and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. and Ron Cates, Development Director, Southwest Region, Constant Contact.

"We are proud and excited to bring this fantastic, FREE, small business growth event to the city of New Orleans," says SCORE Foundation President Mark Dobosz.  "Thanks to the work of our partners and our volunteer SCORE mentors, we're able to bring a day full of practical advice and plans of action to small business owners in this region."

If you are a small business owner interested in attending this event, find out more and register here: http://www.score.org/Palooza.  Follow tweets from the event using #SCOREPalooza.

About SCORE:
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 9 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year SCORE helps launch 58,000 new businesses and create 71,000 jobs. SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses annually.

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: Shalini Karnani Bonjour, Communications Manager, +1-800-634-0245, [email protected]

SOURCE SCORE Association