Nineteen people from around the Lowcountry participated May 10 in a new Entrepreneurial Boot Camp offered by the Center for a Better South in Walterboro.
The class, taught by Earl Gregorich of the Columbia office of the S.C. Small Business Development Centers, offered insights to participants in starting small businesses and organizations, including how to deal with paperwork to register a business, finding funding, fundamentals of business plans, sales, marketing and more.
“Now I can move forward with confidence,” one participant said. Another added, “I feel ready to apply for my LLC company and actually begin to move forward, versus contemplating how to make it happen. The comfort level of having a support team is liberating to move into action.”
Also during the class, participants heard about an array of resources, such as business counseling, available through the SBDCs, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“I didn’t realize there were so many resources available for potential business owners,” one participant said..
Andy Brack, president of the Center for a Better South, said 75 people in the S.C. Promise Zone have been trained since the organization started its training academy in February.
“Not only have we provided grant-writing and business training to 75 people, but we have almost 100 on waiting lists, which shows how people throughout the area yearn for information so that they can start growing economic success in the Promise Zone,” he said.
The Center plans in June to offer training to help communities and neighborhoods use tools of asset based community development to improve their areas. More information will be shared as sessions are finalized.
Below are some photos of participants in the May 10 class, held at the Colleton Museum in Walterboro.
