Deluxe Corporation Foundation Donates Funding to SCORE to Boost Small Business and Job Creation

Grant Supports Development of New Counseling Methodology for SCORE Mentors

SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business,” The SCORE Foundation and the Deluxe Corporation Foundation announce the development of a new program, the Deluxe/SCORE Counseling Methodology. The Deluxe Corporation Foundation will underwrite funding for the creation and implementation of this initiative. A Deluxe site manager will present a check at the SCORE National Leadership Conference in Salt Lake City on August 19, 2009.

Each year, about 6 million people attempt to start a business in the United States. Of those, about 25 percent fail in the first year, while about 50 percent fail after five years. Studies show that a person with five or more hours of business mentoring is more likely to start a business with greater economic impact in areas such as revenue and job creation.

SCORE and The SCORE Foundation will work with the Deluxe Corporation Foundation to develop a standard mentoring methodology that can significantly increase business survival rates and create new jobs. The program will provide specific training, templates and processes that SCORE mentors can use to help aspiring entrepreneurs start new businesses.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy,” said Lee Schram, president of the Deluxe Corporation Foundation. “Deluxe is committed to helping small business owners prosper so we are honored to partner with SCORE to provide their volunteers the latest in effective counseling tools and industry insight.”

All SCORE volunteers will be trained in the new methodology, which will feature homework for clients, follow-up guidelines and mentoring techniques. The methodology can be used for face-to-face mentoring, plus chat and video-based mentoring through services like Skype. In addition, SCORE will research and track client data, including:

Demographics
Social groups
Geographic area
Industry
Experience

Entrepreneurial resources used to support business creation and development
"SCORE is dedicated to helping more small businesses get started and stay in business,” says SCORE CEO Ken Yancey. “Through the generous contribution by the Deluxe Corporation Foundation, SCORE will prepare its volunteer experts to give entrepreneurs an excellent mentoring experience that leads to a path for success."
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