Local business mentoring organization awarded for its efforts

SCORE of Southwestern Illinois No. 423, a nonprofit association that helps small businesses, received the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce’s Business Excellence Award on Jan. 26.

The Business Excellence Award is the top honor bestowed by the chamber.

SCORE offers free business mentoring services to small and medium size businesses across the country. Its advisers are made up of both retired and active business executives and entrepreneurs. In addition to its mentoring, SCORE offers training and other tools that are needed by small businesses.

The Southwestern Illinois Branch has about 20 advisers that are working with about 80 businesses throughout Southwestern Illinois. Herb Roach of O’Fallon serves as the local chapter’s president and was recently selected to be one of Illinois representatives at the National Convention.

SCORE of Southwestern Illinois Branch has counseled numerous businesses in the greater Belleville area.

“In 2016, SCORE Branch No. 423 teamed up with local businesses and organizations to host a variety of workshops,” the chamber said. “These workshops included, ‘Simple Steps to Starting a Business in Illinois,’ a digital media workshop at Lindenwood University-Belleville, and an all day workshop for small businesses with several area chamber of commerce directors as guest speakers during Small Business Week.”

SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The SW Illinois Chapter of SCORE is located in Benjamin Hall of Lewis & Clark Community College, one mile north of its main campus in Godfrey, Ill. The specific area that is served by the local chapter includes the following counties in southwestern Illinois: Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Edwards, Fayette, Greene, Jefferson, Jersey, Madison, Marion, Monroe, St. Clair, Wabash, Washington and Wayne.

This story was originally published February 7, 2017 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Local business mentoring organization awarded for its efforts."