(SARASOTA, Fla., May 3 2017) In conjunction with National Small Business Week, SCORE announced that their Advisory Council selected Manasota SCORE as Chapter of the Year in the Mid-Sized Market category, and number two Chapter of the Year overall.
Manasota SCORE’s local community impact includes helping 217 new businesses get started and creating 654 non-owner jobs, as reported in The SCORE Foundation’s FY 2016 survey conducted by Price WaterhouseCoopers. Total services provided by the chapter grew 51%, for a total of 9,589 chapter services.
Dennis Zink, Chapter Chair for the past three years, says, “Our growth continues to be spectacular, with 115% increase in total services YTD through April 2017, and mentor requests have eclipsed the 54-year all-time record this past month.”
Manasota SCORE sustained growth in clients representing every stage of the business cycle over the past four years, with an increase of 19% in the last fiscal year. A renewed focus on increasing the number of in-business clients raised that client base to over 45%.
Mentoring services increased by 21%. The chapter’s mentoring quality metrics exceed the national averages, leading to client engagement ratings in the top 10%.
Education services increased by over 63%, and 91% of workshop attendees surveyed would recommend the workshops to others. Partnering with both Sarasota and Manatee county library systems, the Success Strategies for Business Owners Meetups have expanded their reach; podcast highlights make their business education offerings available well beyond the attending audiences. Monthly volunteer meetings now include education by internal and external experts, helping mentors and those they serve expand their business knowledge.
Along with strengthening services in south Sarasota County, one key contributor to attracting new clients and raising the number of client services has been the Been There, Done That! with Dennis Zink business education podcasts. To date, the 55 podcasts, featuring local and national experts, have been downloaded more than 15,000 times throughout the United States and in over 75 countries.
Growth in the number of chapter volunteers has continued as well, resulting in an increase of 80% over the last two years, as 35 new volunteers joined the organization, with 16% of new members being women or members of a minority.
For information about volunteering with the organization, attending workshops and events, or engaging SCORE business mentoring services, visit www.manasota.score.org.
About Manasota SCORE
SCORE is a national, nonprofit organization, started in 1964. SCORE’s more than 300 chapters have over 10,000 volunteer members, retired and active business executives who donate their time providing education and free, confidential mentoring services for people who are starting a new or growing an existing business.
Manasota SCORE has nearly 80 volunteers providing education and mentoring services in Sarasota and Manatee counties. The organization conducts business startup and development workshops and hosts CEO roundtables and Success Strategies for Business Owners MeetUp sessions. They also provide online resources, including business templates, study courses in English and Spanish, and podcasts. For more information or to contact Manasota SCORE, call 941.955.1029 or visit www.manasota.score.org.
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