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SC Holds Third Annual Salute to Small Business

Submitted by: John Warner on Apr 18, 2006 at 2:31 am Tagged with: Entrepreneurial Source:

Contact: Rose Dangerfield, SC Department of Commerce, 803.737.0402

April 17, 2006

State Holds Third Annual Salute to Small Business

Recognition of economic impact, winners culminates on April 18

Columbia, SC – Last week Governor Mark Sanford signed a proclamation recognizing April 9 – 15 as South Carolina Small Business Week in recognition of the enormous economic impact small businesses play in the Palmetto State. Activities celebrating the contributions of small businesses will culminate tomorrow, April 18 with the third annual Salute to Small Business at the Marriott in downtown Columbia.

There are more than 329,000 small businesses operating in South Carolina, employing nearly half of the state’s private sector workforce and generating an annual payroll of in excess of $6 billion. Small businesses also provide vital leadership in communities throughout the state and contribute greatly to the stability and growth of the state’s economy.

“From day one, this administration has been committed to making sure small businesses have the tools they need to grow and create jobs," said Gov. Sanford. “With changes like income tax relief and lawsuit reform, we're continuing our efforts to better our state’s soil conditions so this incredibly important economic engine can compete in an increasingly global economy."

Since 2003, a number of state initiatives have targeted helping small businesses grow and prosper. Naming a Small Business Ombudsman, to developing the South Carolina Business One Stop Web site, to the establishment of the Small Business Regulatory Review Committee are just a sampling of activities engaged in by Commerce staff, Department of Revenue, and other state agencies, to help small businesses, both existing and new start-ups, succeed.

The Salute to Small Business will begin at 8:30 am with a breakfast and includes an awards ceremony that will recognize a number of small business achievements, including naming of the Small Business Person of the Year. Sponsors for this year’s event include the SC Chamber of Commerce, the US Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Coalition for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, comprised of the SC Department of Commerce, SCORE, the SBA, SC Export Consortium, the Small Business Development Center, the SC Women’s Business Center, and the SC Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

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