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South Carolina's Fourth Annual Salute to Small Business

Submitted by: John Warner on Apr 11, 2007 at 11:00 pm Tagged with: Entrepreneurial Source:

Event to Be Held at Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center

COLUMBIA, S.C., March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the South Carolina Coalition for Small Business & Entrepreneurship, and the U.S. Small Business Administration have joined together to present the Fourth Annual Salute to Small Business April 11 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. In addition to providing a forum for South Carolina small businesses to meet one-on-one with state legislators and large corporations, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will announce the state's Small Business Person of the Year award.

The event will take place from noon to 6 p.m. and is open to the public. The SBA's awards luncheon kicks off the event at 1 p.m., followed by small business training workshops, and a legislative reception at 5 p.m. The workshops being offered are: Show Me the Money: The Myths and Realities of Grants, Venture Capital and Angel Investors; 8A Contractors; and two small business matchmaking sessions where business owners sign up to meet one-on-one with corporate and government representatives about developing business relationships.

Companies can register by calling event planner Donna Croom at (803) 749-9011 or 360meetings@bellsouth.net. The cost is $60 for the day which includes the luncheon, two workshops, and the reception. A la carte registration prices are $35 for the luncheon, $10 per workshop (maximum two), and $20 for the reception. Pre-registration is required for all events.

"The Fourth Annual Salute to Small Business is now a fully integrated event that brings the governor and the legislature, service providers, and small business into a closer collaboration than ever before," says John Lenti, chairman of the S.C. Coalition for Small Business & Entrepreneurship. "This collaboration has occurred because of the synergy created between the governor and legislature with Coalition members. This is a win-win situation for all, especially small business."

"Small businesses are the lifeblood of our state. In fact, 89 percent of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce membership is comprised of small businesses," said S. Hunter Howard, Jr., president and chief executive officer of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. "As the unified voice for business and industry, the Chamber serves as a catalyst for enhancing the state's global competitiveness. Small businesses are at the heart of that goal."

About S.C. Coalition for Small Business & Entrepreneurship

The Coalition, comprising not-for-profit organizations, as well as state and federal agencies, is designed to support entrepreneurs, small business start-ups, and existing businesses, including those in rural South Carolina and woman- or minority-owned firms. The Coalition provides small businesses with a group of services designed to increase their competitiveness in the global market. In addition, the Coalition is designed to increase wealth and job creation across the state. With the support of Governor Mark Sanford and the state legislature, Coalition members combine efforts to create a supportive environment for entrepreneurs and small businesses in the state.

The coalition members include the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the South Carolina Small Business Development Center, the South Carolina Export Consortium, the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP), the South Carolina Women's Business Center, the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Small Business Administration District Office. The Coalition does not change any of the missions of the individual organizations, but rather formalizes the already existing relationships among these groups. The act of formalization provides the state's entrepreneurs and small businesses with a statewide, seamless way of receiving a total package of assistance in order to increase their competitiveness and bottom-line success.

Source: SC, Inc.

CONTACT: Dana Todd of SC, Inc., +1-803-463-5278, or dtodd@scmep.org