UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

Center for Retailing

The center, part of the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, provides many valuable programs and services including:

• For Columbia merchants, the center developed a slide show and gathered GPS information to be used in a geographic information system map for the businesses.
• The center hosted a networking reception to introduce retailing students to potential employers.
• The center was awarded a work force development grant of $1 million to teach job skills to displaced workers and adults in Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties.

Contact the Center for Retailing at 803-777-3805 or visit http://www.hrsm.sc.edu/retail.

O'Connell Center for Entrepreneurship-- USC Aiken

The Walter F. O'Connell Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at USC Aiken provides opportunity for the study and promotion of entrepreneurship and is a leading force in the resurgence of small business formation. Its function is economic development, marketing research and professional development. Through the center's internship program, area businesses receive assistance from a USC Aiken student intern on special projects or assignments. For more information, call 803-641-3340. 

Small Business Development Center-- USC Aiken

The USC Aiken Small Business Development Center provides assistance to small businesses as part of the SBDC Consortium of South Carolina. Consultations provide information on how to start a business, loan package preparation, feasibility studies, cash flow analysis and other technical assistance beneficial to small business owners. The Small Business Development Center also holds management-training seminars on various topics. For more information, call 803-641-3646 or go to http://www.usca.edu/sbdc.

Small Business Development Center-- USC Beaufort

The Frank L. Roddey Small Business Development Center of South Carolina, hosted at USC Beaufort, is a consortium of four colleges and universities which operate a state office and 14 regional offices thoughout the state. These centers offer a variety of services and management training courses tailored to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. SBDC consultants at each site provide managerial and technical assistance to those wishing to start or expand an enterprise. For more information, call 843-521-4143 or visit its Web site.

Small Business Development Center-- USC Columbia

Housed in the Moore School of Business, USC's Small Business Development Center aids start-up ventures and helps nearly 3,500 business owners every year through consultations, referral services and a variety of workshops and seminars. For more information, contact 803-777-4907 or visit http://scsbdc.moore.sc.edu.

Technology Incubator

The USC Technology Incubator program is designed to spur economic development by giving new businesses access to USC resources, reduced rent in the incubator's downtown Columbia offices, and assistance in finding service providers, such as lawyers and accountants. Learn more about the incubator by contacting 803-545-4379 on the Web at http://incubator.research.sc.edu/.

USC Salkehatchie Leadership Center

Located in Allendale County, USC Salkehatchie's Leadership Center provides several school and community programs including:

• The Center for Leadership Development which provides 12 leadership programs that serve more than 150 people annually. The programs serve both youth and adults ranging from basic leadership training for emerging leaders to advanced training for existing leaders. Basic to these programs is the emphasis on community involvement and connectivity. Specifically, the center provides: junior leadership training to 80 high school students each year in Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell and Hampton counties and classes annually for over 75 adult leaders and emerging leaders in county and regional programs.
• The Center for Community Development serves as a resource center for community development. The center has served as the facilitator in assisting governments, communities, organizations and agencies in working together to access needed resources and find solutions to problems. One result from this effort includes obtaining a $2.5 million USDA Enterprise Community grant for community and economic development in Allendale County and the creation of Allendale County ALIVE. Another result: assisting in the creation of the Boys and Girls Club of Allendale County that is presently serving over 200 youth.
• The Center for Business Development serves as a catalyst for economic development for the region. The center provides small business training and technical assistance to current and prospective business owners. Some accomplishments include: obtaining $2.4 million in grant funding from USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grants to support the Leadership Institute and to establish the USC Salkehatchie Entrepreneurial Development Center (now the Center for Business Development) and working with area businesses to obtain $869,000 in financing for business startups or expansions.

Contact the USC Salkehatchie Leadership Center at 803-584-3446, Ext. 190, or on the Web at http://uscsalkehatchie.sc.edu/leadership/index.html for more information.