COUNSELING AND TRAINING


SBA Resource Partners 
The SBA funds and administers resource partners -- organizations that provide free and confidential small business counseling. Assistance includes, but is not limited to: start-up advice, business plan help, marketing, financing advice, technical and management support, government contracting, and patents and trademarks. The resource partners also give small business seminars throughout the year on a variety of topics. For upcoming workshops, check out the Events Calendar on your right. No matter where you live in South Carolina, there is a resource partner near you. Below is a list of SBA resource partners.

  • SCORE: Counselors to America's Small Businesses
    SCORE is a volunteer nonprofit association with more than 40 years helping small businesses succeed. SCORE matches clients with the expert counselor best-suited to their needs. The SCORE counselors are current or former business owners and executives who have achieved high levels of success. In South Carolina, SCORE has locations in Aiken, Anderson, Beaufort, Camden, Chapin, Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville, Greenwood, Hartsville, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Orangeburg, Spartanburg, Summerville and Sumter. SCORE operates under a cooperative agreement with the SBA.
  • Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
    The goal of the Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) is to meet small business needs for managerial and technical assistance at little or no cost to the entrepreneur. In South Carolina, the SBDCs are partnered with four of the state's major universities: the University of South Carolina, Clemson, S.C. State and Winthrop, giving them access to the resources and brainpower of the universities' business schools. There are SBDCs located in Aiken, Beaufort, Charleston, Clemson, Columbia, Florence, Greenville, Greenwood, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Orangeburg, Rock Hill, Spartanburg and Sumter. The SBDCs are partially funded by a cooperative agreement with the SBA.
  • Women's Business Center
    The South Carolina Business Initiative (formerly known as the South Carolina Women's Business Center) provides business and technical assistance to both start-up and existing businesses. Although its focus is women-owned businesses, the organization helps all small businesses seeking assistance. Funded in part by a grant from the SBA, the South Carolina Business Initiative is located in Columbia, with satellite offices in Charleston, Darlington and Greenville. (NOTE: The Business Initiative is currently on hiatus in all areas except Darlington.)


Other SBA Small Business Resources


Outside Small Business Resources