Sam's Club underwrites SCORE's 2016 American Small Business Championship

 

 

WASHINGTON - SCORE, a national nonprofit dedicated to mentoring small business owners, is teaming up with Sam’s Club to launch the 2016 American Small Business Championship. The competition is open to small business owners and entrepreneurs from coast to coast with one winner receiving a $25,000 grand prize.

 

"We are excited to work with Sam’s Club for the second year in a row and honor even more small businesses across the country for their hard work and dedication," stated Ken Yancey, SCORE CEO. "The Championship is truly unique because it not only provides funds, but also access to training and mentoring so that Championship winners can take their success to the next level."

 

"Every entrepreneur has a unique story of sacrifice and perseverance. At Sam's Club, we hear these stories first hand from our business members every day. By working with SCORE again, we hope we can set them up with the training and resources they need to successfully manage their small business," said Don Frieson, EVP operations at Sam's Club. "We look forward to celebrating America's Small Business Champions because we know small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the cornerstone of every community."

 

The American Small Business Championship will award 102 small businesses, two in every state and the District of Columbia, for their dedication to the success of their business. The Small Business Champions will receive a $1,000 Sam's Club gift card, an all-expense-paid trip to a regional training event, SCORE mentoring for one year and promotion throughout the year showcasing each Champion's story.

 

One Grand Champion will be selected from the group of 102 Champions to win $25,000. A judging panel of small business experts will name the Grand Champion based on how effectively they utilize the Sam’s Club gift card and the SCORE regional training events.  

 

The $595,000 grant from Sam's Club to SCORE not only supports the 102 Champions with resources and training, but also allows SCORE to host three regional training events for an additional 1,500 small business owners throughout 2016. The regional training events will take place in Phoenix, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. from March through May 2016.