Lehigh Valley Chapter Chair Girish Sud addresses an audience of SCORE mentors, clients, and sponsors at the Discover SCORE event at Northampton Community College. (photo courtesy SCORE Lehigh Valley)

Small businesses are the backbone of the Lehigh Valley economy. One regional organization, made up of experienced mentors and business leaders, is helping small businesses and entrepreneurs learn, earn, and grow.

SCORE Lehigh Valley is the local chapter of a nationwide organization dedicated to the needs of growing small businesses. Its dedicated group of about two dozen volunteer mentors with decades of real-world business experience provide free, confidential support and resources to start-up companies and entrepreneurs in Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon counties.

The Lehigh Valley chapter hosted its annual Discover SCORE event on Sept. 12 at the Northampton Community College Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Bethlehem, bringing together more than 50 mentors, clients, sponsors, guests, and people interested in learning more about SCORE’s services.

This graphic shows the economic impact of the local SCORE chapter in 2021. (photo courtesy SCORE Lehigh Valley)

It was the chapter’s first in-person event since the pandemic, but that watershed event did not deter Lehigh Valley SCORE from carrying out its mission to help small businesses address the challenges they face.

“We provide real value at the grass-roots level,” said Girish Sud, chapter Chair for Lehigh Valley SCORE. “We foster vibrant small business growth in the Lehigh Valley and our services to that community were uninterrupted during the pandemic.”

Most small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs don’t have the resources that larger companies do to hire consultants and management experts, Sud said. SCORE’s volunteers can step in to provide those services at no cost. SCORE also offers workshops, webinars, and a library of resources for small businesses.

The Lehigh Valley chapter was established in 1965, one year after the national organization was founded.

SCORE also serves as a resource partner for the U.S. Small Business Administration, connecting local businesses with SBA programs and services.

For information about Lehigh Valley SCORE, whether you are looking to avail yourself of SCORE services or become a volunteer business mentor, visit lehighvalley.score.org.