Virtual Summit Provides Actionable Insights for Entrepreneurs

The 2025 National Small Business Week Virtual Summit featured free, educational workshops and panels focused on issues facing small business owners.

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2025 National Small Business Week Virtual Summit brought together more than 20,000 registrants and 7,000 attendees for two days of expert insights and networking with industry leaders. Held May 6-7, the event was co-hosted by SCORE – the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors – and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Recordings of the sessions are available on-demand at no cost on SCORE's website.

Throughout the summit, entrepreneurs connected with like-minded business owners, received real-time guidance from industry mentors, and gathered resources specifically designed for small business success. Sixty entrepreneurs received free, one-on-one virtual mentoring sessions from SCORE mentors during the event, gaining instant answers from experts on critical business issues.

Insights from experts
Sessions covered topics such as AI, e-commerce, cybersecurity, finance and more. At the AI sessions, experts shared best practices for how entrepreneurs can take advantage of new tools. John Lawson, president of ColderIce Media, shared his insights in The Small Business AI Advantage: Practical Tools to Grow Your Business. John suggested that entrepreneurs start small to test how AI works for your business. "Commit to a two-week trial period of implementation on different things, and then measure the results," advised John. "Track both the time and the stress that was saved by implementing these AI tactics."

Real-life examples
Alongside industry experts, successful small business owners shared what they've learned from their own experiences. Natasha McCray, owner of 1818 Farms in Mooresville, Ala., described her experience with e-commerce and how her business has benefitted from user-generated content, saying, "Customer reviews are one of the most important things you can have on your website." Hear more from Natasha and other small business owners in Expanding Your Business Through E-Commerce, available on-demand.

Brice Sokolowski, inventor and founder of Vaucluse Gear LLC, spoke about the challenges of managing retail payment options during Money Matters: Mastering Payment Methods for Small Business Success: "As an entrepreneur, you can think you're doing things alone, but you've got SCORE on your side, you've got financial institutions helping you…all of these resources are here."

Mentoring makes a difference
SCORE mentor Mark Dobson led a session about how to develop a quality business plan. Mark encouraged small business owners to invest in this foundational work and partner with a mentor to improve the odds of your business succeeding. "Owning a business is empowering," said Mark. "You now control your own destiny."

To learn more about SCORE, request a mentor or volunteer to be one, visit SCORE.org.

About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 17 million entrepreneurs start, grow or successfully exit a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free, expert mentoring, resources and education in all 50 U.S. states and territories.

Funded [in part] through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

CONTACT:
SCORE
202-968-6428
[email protected]

Visit SCORE's media resources to connect with expert small business interview sources and news updates.

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SOURCE SCORE