About SCORE

About Us
Portland Chapter 0011
601 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 950
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 326-5211
Monday - Friday 9 am - 4 pm

SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business, is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the education of entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of the nation's small businesses. It is a resource partner of the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).

SCORE has been serving small businesses since 1964 with over 10,500 member volunteers operating in over 390 chapters nationwide. The Portland Chapter has over 80 volunteers (working and retired) who are business owners, executives, educators and professionals who donate their expertise as counselors, mentors and workshop presenters.

SCORE Portland was organized in 1964 as a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to the support and development of Greater Portland's small businesses.

Our members are a diverse group of professionals and entrepreneurs who volunteer their time and expertise to help you start and grow your business. We provide free, personalized counseling to help you start and operate a successful small business. We also provide workshops for a modest fee for new businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs.

The one-on-one counseling helps business to identify management problems, determine causes, and propose solutions to these problems. Counselors can also assist in other areas by evaluating business, marketing, operating, and growth plans, review distribution methods, marketing, advertising, financial and in other business processes.

You can expect to find at the SCORE Portland office:

    * Free pre-business, start-up business and existing business counseling by appointment
    * Free mentoring relationships between counselors and clients in long-term business advising sessions
    * Low-cost, local workshops on a variety of business subjects
    * Free staffed Business Resource Center with reference and marketing research materials, high-speed Internet access and software programs to support small businesses. No appointment is needed.
    * Access to counseling in other locations outside downtown Portland

It is not necessary to be in business to receive counseling. You could be in the "I think I want to start a business, but I don't know what to do" phase, or "is the business I have in mind viable?" phase. You may already be in business and just need some advice on financial management or growth planning. Let our SCORE counselors guide you through the frequently overwhelming aspects of starting and running a successful small business.

Contact Portland SCORE to get face-to-face counseling & advice. Or, tap into SCORE's national network of virtual volunteers and ask for small business advice online 24/7. Either way, counseling is free & confidential.