Florence Chamber, FMU Kelley Center & Grand Strand SCORE Start Collaborative Venture

A great collaborative effort with SCORE Grand Strand, local Chamber of Commerce and local University. 

Shared by South Carolina District Director, Jim Helfgott

According to the Office of Advocacy, US SBA, small businesses constitute 99.4%
of South Carolina businesses profile (2021 data). Appropriate education and
support for business owners, 43.9% of which are women, are essential for the
stability and growth of small businesses. On January 3, 2022, the Florence
Chamber of Commerce (SC), the Grand Strand SCORE (Myrtle Beach, SC), and
Kelley Center for Economic Development at Francis Marion University (Florence,
SC) entered a collaborative venture to provide high quality education for small
business owners. There is a clear synergy between these three organizations based
on their history of dedicated services for local small businesses. Kelley Center for
Economic Development has been dedicated to the economic growth of the Pee
Dee Region through small business support/incubation and various regional
economic development initiatives since 2016. The Florence Chamber of Commerce
is driven by the mission to "promote and enhance a favorable business climate
and improve the quality of life to make Florence the best community in which
to live and operate a business.” The SCORE Grand Strand chapter, founded in
1984, provides education and mentoring to over 11,000 businesses with over
400 clients per year in the Myrtle Beach Area. Last year Grand Strand SCORE
opened a branch office in Florence, SC, and expanded its services to nine
counties in South Carolina: Horry, Georgetown, Marion, Williamsburg, Dillion,
Chesterfield, Darlington, Marlboro, and Florence. In 2022, the Grand Strand
SCORE, Kelley Center for Economic Development and Florence Chamber of
Commerce will offer a strong curriculum of business education for businesses in
all stages of developmental growth.