(WEST PALM BEACH, FL)---  Congressman Allen West (R-FL) will speak to close to 50 South Florida small business owners Thursday at the Boca Raton SCORE chapter, a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground. West will be discussing the state of the South Florida economy as it pertains to growing small businesses and what the Federal government can do to set the right economic conditions for growth. SCORE is supported by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) and has a network of 13,000+ volunteers.

Rep. West will be presenting the Boca Raton SCORE chapter with remarks he made in the United States House of Representatives earlier this year recognizing the chapter for being named the National SCORE Chapter of the Year.

Ken Yancey Jr., CEO of National SCORE, will also be in attendance.

What:  Rep. West Visits Boca Raton SCORE

When:   Thursday, October 18th

              9:30 am to 10:30 am

Where:  7999 North Federal Highway, Suite 20, Boca Raton, FL

"Small businesses are essential for creating jobs in our nation and they are no doubt the engine of America's economy," West said.  "As a strong supporter of small businesses in our community, I am proud to congratulate the Boca Raton SCORE chapter on all of its success."

Background:  Boca Raton was named the second best city to open a new small business in 2012 by Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine. article here:  http://images.businessweek.com/ss/10/04/0422_top_ten_startup_cities/3.htm

South Florida ranks 4th in the country for the total number of small businesses according to a new analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. The tri-county area had a total of 170,661 small businesses in 2010, the most recent year for which data is available.

SCORE's mission is to help small businesses grow and achieve their goals. SCORE has 350 chapters across the nation, and the Boca Raton SCORE helped more than 500 businesses in 2011.

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