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SCORE Mentors are experienced entrepreneurs & professionals who volunteer their experience & knowledge to help small business professionals start & grow businesses. We offer free, confidential business advice, low-cost or no-cost business training, and numerous business templates & tools.
The nonprofit was founded by Maria Kelly, who saw a television news segment about the Ceres Community Project in California and felt galvanized to start a similar program in Charleston.
Encouraged by her high school students who said they’d love to participate, she left her job as a teacher with Charleston County School District to start Amor Healing Kitchen in 2018.
In the six years since, Kelly has grown the nonprofit to the point where it delivers 500 to 600 meals to the homes of Charleston locals facing chronic illnesses every Friday.
Initially uncertain about bringing her unique service idea to Charleston, the support and guidance from SCORE provided her with the confidence and strategic insights necessary for her business to flourish.
“My SCORE mentors were instrumental in taking BagValet from concept to reality,” Amanda reflects. Their advice was crucial in navigating the challenges of scaling a start-up, offering both encouragement and critical feedback that spurred continuous innovation and growth.
Unlock the secrets to small business success and learn from the experts with our collection of recorded webinars- watch now.
As an entrepreneur, learn to leverage AI (Artificial Intelligence) to simplify your marketing efforts and, promote your products & services? Join this webinar to gain understanding of some basic AI tools to improve your marketing game. We will also discuss how to avoid common pitfalls of using AI.
Presented by Earl Gregorich CBA Outreach, Marketing Specialist US SBA, SC District
Presented by Truist Bank, this session will help show you how to build, manage, and protect your business for years to come.
So you need to take the steps to start that new business? Learn the easy way with Score's Lean Canvas tools and incorporate the new AI tools to make it even easier!
As we celebrate our amazing volunteers this month, it is also an ideal time to think about how you can give back.
Statistics show that entrepreneurs that work with SCORE mentors start businesses, create jobs and increase revenue. The work you will do at SCORE will make a measurable impact on our local community and - more importantly - someone’s life.
SCORE proudly celebrates 60 years of helping America’s small businesses launch, grow and thrive. Since 1964, more than 17 million entrepreneurs have received support from SCORE, a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Today, SCORE has a nationwide network of more than 10,000 volunteers serving all 50 U.S. states and territories, guiding entrepreneurs on their path to success.
SCORE empowers all entrepreneurs to succeed.
We believe that anyone can start a small business with the right support. We also know that the path to success may vary based on where you are in your business journey.
SCORE is here to help with curated resources for all entrepreneurs.
Since 1964, SCORE has educated and mentored more than 11 million small business owners and entrepreneurs. We're looking for people with diverse backgrounds and experiences to serve in a variety of roles — from knowledgeable business mentors to local community advocates.
Copyright © 2025 SCORE Association, SCORE.org
Funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.
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