SMBs Get $1 Million Boost from Palo Alto Software
(PRWEB) July 08, 2013 -- Palo Alto Software has donated $1 million in business planning and financial management products and services to the SCORE Foundation to help entrepreneurs launch and grow their small businesses.
The donation provides SCORE’s volunteer network of more than 11,000 small business mentors with access to Palo Alto Software’s SMB planning and management expertise. Palo Alto Software’s innovative LivePlan software and online entrepreneurship courses are transforming the way entrepreneurs start and run their businesses.
The SCORE Foundation supports SCORE, a nonprofit association dedicated to providing education and mentorship to small business entrepreneurs looking to get their ideas off the ground and into the marketplace, as well as those already in business. SCORE works closely with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and provides free or low-cost counseling services and workshops in more than 340 SCORE offices nationwide.
“SCORE provides an essential service to entrepreneurs,” said Sabrina Parsons, CEO of Palo Alto Software. “Their mission is completely in line with our own, and that’s why we are contributing at this level. We’ve already had more than 100 SCORE offices opt in to utilize our LivePlan software and curriculum. We’re excited to know our products and services are helping SCORE counselors in their mission to launch and grow small businesses in America.”
Thanks to Palo Alto Software’s donation, each SCORE office will be equipped with three one-year LivePlan licenses to help SCORE mentors assist small businesses assemble business plans, craft business pitches, and track and manage their key performance indicators. Palo Alto Software is also giving each office customized webinars on various small business topics and access to its successful Start, Run & Grow Your Business entrepreneurship curriculum — a complete college-level course on business planning originally taught at the University of Oregon by business planning expert and Palo Alto Software founder Tim Berry.
Beyond donating educational products, Palo Alto Software is also going to help SCORE facilitate future business pitch competitions for U.S. entrepreneurs.
“This partnership between SCORE and Palo Alto Software will make the duties of many SCORE mentors easier while helping our organization reach its ultimate goal of providing the best mentoring for American entrepreneurs and small business owners by giving them the tools they need,” said SCORE CEO Ken Yancey. “With more than 100 SCORE offices already using the LivePlan software and curriculum, we’ve seen results that are very promising for the growth of the small business sector.”
About Palo Alto Software
Palo Alto Software, Inc., makers of the #1 selling business planning software in the world, develops and publishes tools, products, and content to help small and midsized businesses pitch, plan, manage, and grow their ventures. LivePlan, the company’s flagship product, is a SaaS (software as a service) solution for business planning and financial management. Palo Alto Software has been the market leader in its category for over 15 years, has served well over 2 million entrepreneurs, and has customers in 180 countries. It was founded in 1988 by business planning expert Tim Berry. Sabrina Parsons has been the company’s CEO since 2007. Parsons successfully expanded its service offering into the cloud with LivePlan. Palo Alto Software is a privately-owned corporation based in Eugene, Oregon.
About the SCORE Foundation
The SCORE Foundation raises funds for SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business." They share news of grants to the association, fundraising progress, Board Annual Reports, and opportunities for people to donate to America's legacy of small business ownership. The mission of The SCORE Foundation is to support and leverage the work of SCORE by soliciting, investing and managing resources for the benefit of SCORE. The SCORE Foundation is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 10 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses. More than 11,000 business experts volunteer as mentors in over 340 chapters serving local communities with entrepreneur education to help grow 1 million small businesses.
For more information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Visit SCORE at http://www.score.org. Connect with SCORE at http://www.facebook.com/SCOREFans and http://www.twitter.com/SCOREMentors.
Caroline Cummings, Palo Alto Software, Inc., http://www.paloalto.com, 541-284-1245, [email protected]
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