The City of Westminster has created a Commercial Building Improvement Grant Program for all business and property owners within the designated District. Westminster CBI Grant Program
The Tri-County Entrepreneurial Development Corporation (TCEDC)
TCEDC offers expert training and on-one-one mentorship to new and existing businesses. It is a local volunteer non-profit made up of certified SCORE Mentors (Service Corps of Retired Executives) who work closely with Tri-County Tech, with SC SBDC, and with the Oconee Economic Alliance to support free business counseling in the community. For more on TCEDC, visit investoconeesc.com/business-industry/small-business/tcedc/, or contact Dave Eldridge at 727.422.4459.
The SC Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
SC SBDC is a critical business training and counseling resource in the area. Through personal and confidential consultation, SBDC consultants provide free one-on-one management and technical assistance to small business owners who wish to start, grow or maintain their businesses. The SBDC offers marketing analysis, business plan preparation, financial feasibility studies, and other valuable resources to the entrepreneur at little to no cost. SBDC also holds free and low-cost training seminars on a variety of topics throughout the region. For more information, visit scsbdc.com or contact Ben Smith at (864) 710-4717 or bennys@clemson.edu.
Tri-County Technical College (TCTC)
Tri-County Technical College in nearby Pendleton, SC offers an impressive variety of small business-focused courses. In fact, both the TCEDC and the area SBDC work with TCTC to provide a free Business Start-Up Workshop on a monthly basis. The workshop addresses the early steps involved in starting a business, but it is also available for those who are already in business but need to supplement their skills. The free evening program lasts three hours and typically begins at 5:00 p.m. or 5:30. For more information, class schedules, or to register visit www.tctc.edu/smallbusiness or contact:
Tri-County Technical College – Pendleton Campus
7900 Highway 76, Pendleton, SC
Phone: 864.646.1700 or 1.866.269.5677, ext. 1700
Other Business Planning Resources
Oconee County has earned the label “Entrepreneur Friendly” from the Appalachian Council of Governments and offers an interactive Entrepreneur Friendly (EF) Toolkit, as well as a Business Start-Up Guide to serve as a “101” for aspiring entrepreneurs. This Guide is also a helpful resource for existing businesses who wish to stay up-to-date, take advantage of area resources, and potentially grow to the next level in their business.