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City of Columbia's 11th Annual Small Business Week Conference Call For Presenters

The City of Columbia's Office of Business Opportunities is looking for presenters for the 11th Annual Small Business Week Conference to be held in May! Click on the link below for more information and to complete an application!

 

Commercial Retention and Redevelopment (CRR) Program

The Office of Business Opportunities is now accepting applications for the CRR program! Click on the button below to learn more!

 

Small and Minority Businesses Reverse Trade Show

Join Richland School District Two for its inaugural Small and Minority Businesses Trade Show on Tuesday, March 26th! For more information, click on the button below!

 

Bridging the Generational Gap in the Workplace Series

Join the Office of Business Opportunities on March 27th for this informative workshop on how small businesses can retain and acquire Generation Z!

 

Small Business Town Hall

Join the City of Columbia and the U.S. Small Business Administration on Thursday, March 28th for this informative town hall event!

 

CommunityWorks to Host MicroEntrepreneur Training in April

CommunityWorks will have MicroEntrepreneur Training beginning on April 17th! For more information and to register, click on the button below!

 

City of Columbia's Food Truck Fridays

The City of Columbia hosts Food Truck Fridays every Friday from 11:00AM - 3:00PM. Click on the link below to see who will be participating this month!

 

Made With Cola Love Launches to Support Local Businesses and Revitalize Vacant Storefronts

The City of Columbia is partnering with Made With Cola Love is partnering to support small businesses and bring new life to vacant properties in Columbia! Click on the link below to read more!

 

Commercial Space For Lease

The Columbia Empowerment Zone (CEZ, Inc.) has a variety of ready-to-lease and/or ready-to-customize properties ideal for expanding new businesses. Click on the button below to learn more!

 

SBA Upcoming Events

Want to stay in the know on upcoming events from the SC District Office? Click on the button below to learn more!

 

SBA Learning Center

SBA's online learning programs are designed to empower and educate small business owners every step of the way. Whether you're looking to start a small business or expand your current one, SBA's digital learning platform has everything you need to educate yourself on entrepreneurial best practices and available financing options.

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CORONAVIRUS

Information & Resources

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Commercial Lending

Financial assistance to start-up and existing businesses for growth, expansion, retention and the creation of new jobs, and assistance in the redevelopment of commercial corridors that have become significantly deteriorated within the City.

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Education & Advocacy

Business development assistance and courses for start-ups and existing businesses looking to grow and expand covering topics including: marketing, use of social media, business plan development, finances, legal issues, and more.

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Contractor & Supplier Diversity

Training and support for City initiatives designed to increase local contractor’s capacity to compete for government contracts and other procurement opportunities. We are also responsible for the implementation of the City’s Disparity Study Goals and Objectives.

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Title VI
Program

Prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives federal funds or other federal financial assistance which includes coordinating with City of Columbia departments to ensure compliance and reviewing procedures and policies for any potential discrimination.

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Need an Opportunity to Start or Grow your Small Business?

Small businesses drive the U.S. economy by providing jobs for over half of the nation’s private workforce. Yet small businesses also face many obstacles that stall or prevent their growth and development, including access to capital, effective marketing strategies, adequate accounting systems, and comprehensive business plans.

An opportunity is a chance for advancement and progress. The Office of Business “Opportunities” uses several economic development tools to provide creative business opportunities to address many of the obstacles that face small businesses.

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City of Columbia's Minority Business Opportunities Directory

The City of Columbia’s Minority Business Opportunities Directory consists of information from our City of Columbia departments along with our community partners on different goods and services to procure.  Click below for more information!

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OBO Events and Webinars

The City of Columbia’s Office of Business Opportunities provides webinars and events to inform, educate, and empower our small business community.  If you missed one of these events, click on the button to go to our OBO Events & Webinars page!

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OBO Recent News

Business Grants For Women: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs

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  If you are a female business owner, CNN has provided some information on business grants for women!  To read more, click here to go to CNN's Business Grants For Women: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs webpage!

Get Spotted on The Ken Walker Show and Reach 100k

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Ken Walker, in partnership with the City of Columbia's Office of Business Opportunities, has come together to provide a great opportunity for small business owners in Columbia! Want to shine brighter than the State House at night in the hottest online spot in town?  "The Ken Walker Show" newsletter reaches over 100K engaged locals across Faceboook, TikTok, and Instagram - all craving the next cool industry! For just $50.00, your business can: Grab The Spotlight: Get…

SME Electric Vehicles Fundamentals Certifications Training

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The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SC MEP) is offering the SME Electric Vehicles Fundamentals Certifications Training.  This training is designed to validate competency specific to Electric Vehicle production and assembly, as well as in relevant fundamental areas such as safety, quality, measurement, blueprint reading, and robotics. For more information, click here to go to the SC MEP webpage!