The Sandhills Chapter of SCORE (Counselors to America's Small Business) presents the second in its popular Business Basics seminar series Tuesday, Jan. 29.

This seminar, titled "Great Beginnings," starts at 6 p.m. in room 103 in Van Dusen Hall at Sandhills Commu-nity College.

The Business Basics series of six seminars is jointly sponsored by SCORE and the Small Business Center of Sandhills Commu-nity College.

To register for the seminar, call the Small Business Center of Sandhills Commu-nity College at (910) 695-3938. There will also be registration available beginning at 5:30 on the evening of the seminar.

"Great Beginnings" is designed to make entrepreneurs knowledgeable about the issues of starting a small business so that those first steps allow them to "move out smartly," a SCORE news release said. Subjects to be covered include Small Business Administration resources available, business plan essentials, accounting, record keeping, tax issues, legal structure options, financing options and risk mitigation (such as insurance).

The seminars in the Business Basics series are being presented on consecutive Tuesday evenings through Feb. 26 to accommodate the intended audience of current and prospective small business owners. Business owners who attend all of the five seminars, Jan. 29 through Feb. 26, will be eligible to receive a $75 cash award from SCORE to apply to advertising expenses for their business.

SCORE is a nationwide nonprofit association of experienced business people who provide free, confidential business counseling to small business owners. The Sandhills Chapter is active in counseling, mentoring and presenting free business seminars.

Anyone wishing to speak to SCORE counselors about a business must first register as a client at www. ed misscore.org/0364.

In addition to counseling by appointment, the Sandhills chapter of SCORE has drop-in service, for those who have registered, from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Fridays at the Moore County Chamber of Commerce building on U.S. 15-501 in Southern Pines. The phone number is (910) 692-3926.

More information on SCORE's counseling activity and a complete description of each seminar can be found at the Sandhills SCORE website, www.sandhillsscore.org.