SCORE with the Help of Sam's Club to Reward the Best Small Businesses in America
More than $600K in prizes offered through the American Small Business Championship
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SCORE has launched the fifth annual American Small Business Championship – a national competition celebrating the best small business owners from across the nation, made possible with funding from Sam's Club. The open call for applications kicks off today, and will reward two small businesses from every state and the District of Columbia with an all-expenses-paid trip to a training and networking workshop, national and local publicity, and mentoring from small business experts at SCORE.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8087651-score-sams-club-american-small-business-championship/
From those 102 small business honorees, three Grand Champions will each win a grand prize of $15,000. A judging panel of small business experts will select the Grand Champions based on how effectively they utilize the initial prizes to grow their business operations or revenue.
"This program is designed to help small business owners achieve greater levels of success and sustainability through education, training, engagement with SCORE mentors and the possibility of adding funding to their business," said SCORE Vice President of Development Resa Kierstein. "We are delighted that Sam's Club has continued their support of this program, which allows us to showcase the small business owners that make up the landscape of this country."
The 2017 Grand Champions were:
- Competitive Edge Athletic Performance Center – A minority-owned multi-sports facility in Woodbridge, VA, training youth to excel in both athletics and academics
- Grillo Essentials – A woman-owned, environmentally-friendly upstate New York business selling all-natural insect repellents and educating the community about Lyme disease
- One Community Auto – An Albuquerque, NM-based business founded by a disabled U.S. Air Force veteran to help nonprofits raise money through car donations
"Over the past few years, we've been proud to support SCORE and the American Small Business Championship," said Tracey D. Brown, Senior Vice President, Operations and Chief Experience Officer for Sam's Club. "We know our collaboration with SCORE has helped entrepreneurs flourish as they take their businesses to new heights. Through the years, we've not only seen the positive impact on and great achievements from small business owners, but also the growth of SCORE and the American Small Business Championship, and we look forward to another great year."
Apply to be a Champion
U.S. small business owners can apply to be a Champion through February 7, 2018 at www.championship.score.org. Champions will be announced in late March and the Grand Champions will be revealed in September.
About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 10 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE's 10,000 volunteer business experts provide 350,000+ free small business mentoring sessions, workshops and educational services to clients in 300 chapters nationwide. In 2017, SCORE mentors volunteered 2.2 million hours to help create 55,000 new businesses and 130,000 full-time, part-time and contractor jobs.
Visit us at www.score.org, and follow @SCOREMentors on Facebook and Twitter.
About Sam's Club
Sam's Club®, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products, savings and services to millions of members in more than 650 clubs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. To learn more about Sam's Club, visit the Sam's Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com, and interact with Sam's Club on Twitter and Facebook.
Contact Information:
SCORE
Betsy Dougert
703-487-3677
[email protected]
Sam's Club
Media Relations
1.800.331.0085
SOURCE SCORE
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