Workshop to Pair Lenders with Small Business Owners

COLUMBIA, S.C. – August 22, 2011 – The South Carolina Department of Commerce, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and a number of state economic development partners will host a day-long workshop this month to help small business owners with strategies on financing their businesses and meet lenders. The event will be August 31, at the Columbia Conference Center.“Small businesses are the backbone of South Carolina’s economy and we are intensely focused on ways to help them meet with success. Sessions like this bring important resources right to small business owners,” said Bobby Hitt, Secretary of Commerce.Attendees will have the chance to hear directly from lenders and small business service providers about how business owners can best position themselves to access capital. Small business owners will also learn from fellow entrepreneurs on how to improve their business strategies and prepare for marketing challenges.“This is an example of how the Richmond Fed joins with people in our region in educational opportunities that improve the quality of life in our communities,” said Matt Martin, Charlotte Regional Executive for the Richmond Fed.The morning sessions will involve lender panels and a seminar on advice for small businesses. The afternoon session will involve an actual matchmaking event using a “speed dating” style concept to connect business owners with multiple lenders quickly.Sponsors of the event include: the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, the S.C. Bankers Association, S.C. Chamber of Commerce, S.C. Credit Union League, Small Business Development Center, National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), the Small Business Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.The workshop will be at the Columbia Conference Center, 169 Laurelhurst Avenue, and will run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Registration will be held that morning at 8:30 a.m. Alternatively, attendees can register online at www.regonline.com/scsmallbusmatchmaking. There is a $15 registration fee. For more information, contact Ted Campbell at the South Carolina Department of Commerce at [email protected] or (803) 737-2329. -###-