Services

1:1 PEER COUNSELING

WBC counselors provide one-on-one needs assessment, business planning, marketing and management guidance, as well as access to resources through the WBC Network’s extensive linkages with the full spectrum of public and private business assistance sources.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

You have the vision, but are not sure how to bring it to fruition. The WBC is here to offer assistance through seminars, webinars along with informative workshops. You got this far, let us hold your hand and lead the way! 

IN-DEPTH BUSINESS COACHING AND COUNSELING

Benedict College WBC Network serves as a highly interactive forum for sharing technology and resources across community and cultural lines, enabling local entrepreneurs to familiarize themselves with the latest business practices, to forge meaningful links with mainstream services, markets, and mentors, and to gain access to new business-development opportunities.  Aided by the counselors, community-based entrepreneurs are educated and empowered, enabling them to join as energized partners in the all-important work of supporting the expansion of employment opportunities, and of promoting the economic development and well-being of their community and our state.

ACCESS TO CAPITAL

Speaking the languages of the communities we serve, the counselors at the Benedict College Women’s Business Center have proven to be ideally suited to reach and extend a guiding hand to local entrepreneurs whose challenges are many and resources few.

COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM

Women Working

Established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the U.S. Small Business Administration of 2021, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP) utilizes a Hub and Spoke model to help small businesses, with a focus on those owned by veterans, women, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Announced in the fall of 2021, the South Carolina Association for Community Economic CNPP grant to serve as the Hub organization for South Carolina, working at the center of a network of eight Spoke organizations across the state who deploy community advocates to work with small businesses during the economic recovery.

Benedict College Women’s Business Center (BC WBC) serves as one of the eight Spoke organizations under the SCACED CNPP grant. The BC WBC Community Navigator Program provides education, training, and resources to minority women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the state of South Carolina. These services are geared toward reducing barriers that impede the development of new businesses, recovery, and sustainability of existing businesses.

WBC Community Navigator Services Include But Are Not Limited To:

  • Access to capital and relationships with financial institutions (e.g. loans and available grants)
  • One-on-one business counseling
  • Business plan preparation
  • Government contracting and certification
  • Marketing plan assistance

WBC Statewide Coverage
The Community Navigator Program has allowed the BC WBC to increase its capacity to support small, minority, and women-owned businesses. The BC WBC CORE program and the Mobile and Creative Entrepreneur Demonstration (MCED) Project, also funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and private partners, also provide opportunities for the BC WBC to provide innovative services to socially and economically disadvantaged women-owned businesses in the state. The WBC is mobile and will schedule in-person meetings near you or virtually. In-person meetings will be held at our BC WBC office located on Benedict campus or either at a community partner facility.

Charleston and Greenville counties are not covered by the BC WBC because of the presence of other SBA federally designated centers in those locations, with the exception of the City of North Charleston. If you reside in these areas, please contact I-Hope Women’s Business Center of the Lowcountry or CommunityWorks Women’s Business Center.

Mobile and Creative Entrepreneur Demonstration

Benedict College WBC Mobile and Creative Entrepreneur Demonstration supports business development and growth of minority women business owners located in the City of North Charleston, and Allendale, Dillon, Marlboro, Lee, Bamberg, and Clarendon Counties. MCED provides the business development tools resources, and technical assistance needed to strengthen the capacity of rural minority women-owned enterprises to access capital, training, and technology designed to strengthen internal business structures, support revenue generation and growth, job creation, and retention.

MCED services:

  • Onsite and virtual one- on- one technical assistance and business counseling
  • Connection with responsive and fair lenders
  • Assistance with business plan development
  • One on One in person or virtual bookkeeping and legal business counseling

In person and virtual entrepreneurship business development and trainings to include crisis management and recovery

Coming soon…The MCED program will launch the new Benedict College Boeing WBC Mobile Unit, an 18-foot Ford F550 Box unit that will be outfitted with computer stations, smart board technology, and Wi-Fi access. The Boeing Company donated $250,0000 to the expansion of WBC service delivery to rural minority women-owned businesses with limited access to technology and business development resource. This mobile office will not only be deployed in the MCED targeted areas but throughout the state of South Carolina.

The MCED Creative Entrepreneur Initiative utilizes the services of Dr. Kasie Whitener, President, Managing Partner, and Primary Consultant for Clemson Road Creative, LLC in Columbia, SC. The target audiences for this initiative are minority women visual and performing artists, authors, vocalist, musicians, and other creative entrepreneurs in the targeted MCED areas.  The MCED Creative Entrepreneur Initiative consists of components designed to prepare any creative entrepreneurs with the skills necessary to monetize their creative pursuits.

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program

The Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program aims to help move ONE MILLION small businesses forward.  The program provides an online curriculum designed to give small businesses the personalized tools to succeed in today’s digital world.  This mission presents an ideal opportunity for WBCs to help facilitate the distribution of valuable resources to their small business clients and staff, track insights in their community, and stay up to date with upcoming grant opportunities directed towards clients who engage with content featured on VSBDR.

So in other words, sign up TODAY, complete the courses, and be the first to hear about grant opportunities from Verizon.

I promise that this is an amazing opportunity filled with treasuries free to you so don’t miss out!!!!!

CLICK this link below to start your journey!!!!

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