Now is the Time to Start Your Own Business
Abdalla Straker
Issue date: 3/3/09 Section: Features
Have you ever dreamed about owning your own business? Many of us have, but the declining economy, has put a damper on the American Dream with business closing left and right.
President Barack Obama's pledge in his first address to Congress, to do "whatever it takes," to help small businesses, makes now the perfect time for students to consider self employment.
According to media reports, the Obama plan will make it cheaper and less risky for business owners and banks to receive a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan with lower borrower fees and a temporary loan fund to help current SBA borrowers stay on top of their payments.
If you have ideas that you think could generate income, take advantage of one of South Carolina State University's services. SC State's Small Business Development Center, (SBDC) located on the third floor of Belcher Hall in Room 353.
The SBDC was established in 1979 as a unit of the College of Business and Applied Professional Sciences and developed into aid in the development and growth of new and existing small businesses, and to promote entrepreneurship.
It serves the Orangeburg county and a number of others areas in South Carolina. Senior speech pathology major, Ensley Graves, sought the help of the SBDC after starting her own clothing business called 1820.
She recalled that SBDC Economic Development Manager, Sylvia Dunning took the time to give her the tools that would help to make her business a success.
"Since my business opened on June 28, 2008, I have had a mixture of rapid growth and slow periods," she said, "but, I am thankful that I can proudly call my business a success today."
Graves said she attributes much of that success to her "second family" at the SBDC.
Dunning made periodic visits to Graves store to provide constructive criticism. She also provided her with a tax calendar to ensure that she kept up with important tax filling dates.More recently, the SBDC helped her to implement marketing strategies to increase her sales.
SBDC's services include:
(1) Assistance in the preparation of business plans
(2) Financial Management and Marketing
(3) Small Business Accounting
(4) Financial Planning and Loan Packaging
(5) Turnaround Management
(6) 8a application assistance
Contact Pamela Free at the SBDC at 803-536-8444 or pfree@scsu.edu
Editor in Chief Dervedia Thomas also
contributed to this report.
President Barack Obama's pledge in his first address to Congress, to do "whatever it takes," to help small businesses, makes now the perfect time for students to consider self employment.
According to media reports, the Obama plan will make it cheaper and less risky for business owners and banks to receive a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan with lower borrower fees and a temporary loan fund to help current SBA borrowers stay on top of their payments.
If you have ideas that you think could generate income, take advantage of one of South Carolina State University's services. SC State's Small Business Development Center, (SBDC) located on the third floor of Belcher Hall in Room 353.
The SBDC was established in 1979 as a unit of the College of Business and Applied Professional Sciences and developed into aid in the development and growth of new and existing small businesses, and to promote entrepreneurship.
It serves the Orangeburg county and a number of others areas in South Carolina. Senior speech pathology major, Ensley Graves, sought the help of the SBDC after starting her own clothing business called 1820.
She recalled that SBDC Economic Development Manager, Sylvia Dunning took the time to give her the tools that would help to make her business a success.
"Since my business opened on June 28, 2008, I have had a mixture of rapid growth and slow periods," she said, "but, I am thankful that I can proudly call my business a success today."
Graves said she attributes much of that success to her "second family" at the SBDC.
Dunning made periodic visits to Graves store to provide constructive criticism. She also provided her with a tax calendar to ensure that she kept up with important tax filling dates.More recently, the SBDC helped her to implement marketing strategies to increase her sales.
SBDC's services include:
(1) Assistance in the preparation of business plans
(2) Financial Management and Marketing
(3) Small Business Accounting
(4) Financial Planning and Loan Packaging
(5) Turnaround Management
(6) 8a application assistance
Contact Pamela Free at the SBDC at 803-536-8444 or pfree@scsu.edu
Editor in Chief Dervedia Thomas also
contributed to this report.
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