news

On April 16th, the City of Columbia unveiled a new brand identity to instill a better sense of community pride and optimism.  To read more on the City's new logo, go to the City of Columbia webpage!

  Check out this article from Inc. on South Carolina Women's Basketball coach Dawn Staley and how her championship run taught a powerful lesson on leadership!  To read this article click here!

  The City of Columbia's 11th Annual Small Business Week Conference will be held on Wednesday, May 1st beginning at 9:00AM.  This event will be full of breakout presentations, informative information, and resources for small business owners and entrepreneurs! In addition to this conference, the U.S. Small Business Administration will host their awards ceremony and matchmaking session beginning at 11:30AM!  For more information and to purchase a ticket, click here to go to OBO's Small…

City of Columbia's Community Development department is currently accepting applications from contractors interested in participating in the SHINE program.  For more information about the upcoming SHINE projects, contact Adam Scott at (803)545-3329 and Mike Swearingen at (803)545-4198.

  If you are a female business owner, CNN has provided some information on business grants for women!  To read more, click here to go to CNN's Business Grants For Women: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs webpage!

Ken Walker, in partnership with the City of Columbia's Office of Business Opportunities, has come together to provide a great opportunity for small business owners in Columbia! Want to shine brighter than the State House at night in the hottest online spot in town?  "The Ken Walker Show" newsletter reaches over 100K engaged locals across Faceboook, TikTok, and Instagram - all craving the next cool industry! For just $50.00, your business can: Grab The Spotlight: Get…

The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SC MEP) is offering the SME Electric Vehicles Fundamentals Certifications Training.  This training is designed to validate competency specific to Electric Vehicle production and assembly, as well as in relevant fundamental areas such as safety, quality, measurement, blueprint reading, and robotics. For more information, click here to go to the SC MEP webpage!

  The U.S. Department of Labor published a final rule to provide guidance on whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act.  To read more, click here!

The City of Columbia and Made with Cola Love are coming together to launch the Made with Cola Love organization to support small businesses and bring new life to vacant properties in Columbia, SC! The pop-up shops will feature a diverse range of retail, food and beverage, and lifestyle businesses.  Each business will operate a one-month pilot popup, creating a dynamic environment. Made with Cola Love will host a launch party from 6:00 - 9:00PM on Tuesday,…

The City of Anderson, SC is hosting the Statewide Startup Business Pitch Competition beginning March 7, 2024!  Interested applicant who would like to learn more to contact Brittney Gamble at bgamble@cityofandersonsc.com!