In June 2008 the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL) was awarded a two‐year United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Grant of $89,995 to develop support services and build a broad community based public‐private partnership specifically focused on the creation and growth of small businesses across Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties.
Beginning in October 2008, a small group of community and business leaders initiated work to establish the Lowcountry Small Business Hub (the "Hub") as the starting point to organize our efforts. Since its inception the Hub has played a key role in the expansion of that initial group to a force of more than 50 community, public, and private organizations dedicated to cooperatively delivering resources, education, and coaching to sustain and grow our region's small businesses. In less than a year of working collaboratively with members, the Hub has:
- In partnership with Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL) sponsored eleven 10‐week business development sessions between March 2009 and January 2011, assisting more than 100 local entrepreneurs in developing business plans, thereby increasing their odds for success.
- Opened the Ridgeland Hub facility to provide small business support services including a wireless network, computers, telephones, copy‐FAX‐scanners, and professional hosted shared office and conference room space.
- Negotiated eleven (11) locations where small businesses can conduct meetings at no charge in office buildings located in Beaufort and Jasper counties.
- Sponsored and Implemented a Virtual Business Incubator program.
- Investigated the requirements and design of a Virtual Business Incubator.
- Provided advisory assistance to more than one hundred (100) small business owners and helped them leverage the resources of Hub partners like SCORE, USCB's Small Business Development Center, and the US Small Business Administration.
With grant funding for the Hub set to expire in June 2010, the members launched a planning process to validate the need for the Hub, ensure the continuation of the Hub's current programs, develop new initiatives to create a permanent and sustainable organization and governance structures. We are now established as a non-profit corporation, supported by membership dues and sponsors, and in July 2010 were awarded an additional USDA Grant for $99,990.
