City of Columbia OBO

SC Department of Commerce Presents eVAC Magnetics Supplier Day Event
2025-01-28 07:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Sumter, SC, Sumter, SC, United States
The South Carolina Department of Commerce and eVAC Magnetics will host an in-person supplier day event on Tuesday, January 28th from 7:30AM – 4:00PM. During this event, participants will have the opportunity to meet with eVAC Magnetics procurement personnel and learn more on their supplier needs. This is a free event, but registration in advance is required. For more information, click HERE to register!
For more information or any questions, click on one of the SC Department of Commerce staff members below to send an email:
Tammie Greene
Yaunna Hunter
Asahia Scott

From Bonding to Bidding: How Surety Bonds Enhance Contracting Opportunities
2025-01-30 10:00 - 12:30 | Richland County Administration Building, 2020 Hampton Street (4th Floor Conference Room), Columbia, SC, 29204, United States
The Richland County Office of Small Business Opportunity (OSBO) will be hosting From Bonding to Bidding: How Surety Bonds Enhance Contracting Opportunities workshop on Thursday, January 30th beginning at 10:00AM. The special guest facilitator is Peter C. Gibbs, founder and president of Foundation Surety & Insurance Solutions.
During this workshop, participants will learn the ins and outs of surety bonds and how they can open doors to new business. For more information and to register, click here to go to Richland County OSBO’s registration page!

Gather and Grow Downtown: Handshakes and Headshots - The Value of Your Relationships and Free Professional Headshots
2025-02-05 08:00 - 09:00 | Segra Park – Columbia Fireflies Stadium, 1640 Freed Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
The Columbia Chamber of Commerce will host the Gather and Grow: Downtown event on Wednesday, February 5th beginning at 8:00AM!
The theme of this event is Handshakes and Headshots: The Value of Your Relationships. Whether a firm handshake or confident headshot, every connection tells a story to strengthen your social capital and improve your ability to connect with the right people.
Ron Harvey of Global Core Strategies & Consulting, LLC will be the featured speaker during this event and free professional headshots will be taken! For more information and to register, click HERE to go to the Columbia Chamber registration page!

Bookkeeping Basics for Small Business Owners
2025-02-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Online Webinar
Midlands SCORE will present the Bookkeeping Basics for Small Business Owners workshop on Thursday, February 13th beginning at 1:00PM!
This online webinar will help small business owners understand bookkeeping basics and ensuring your small business long term success!
For more information and to register, click here to go to the Midlands SCORE webpage!

2025 SC Automotive B2B Supplier Matchmaker Event
2025-02-25 09:00 - 16:30 | Hyatt Regency Hotel, 220 North Main Street, Greenville, SC, 29061, United States
The South Carolina Department of Commerce will be hosting the 2025 SC Automotive B2B Supplier Matchmaker Event on Tuesday, February 25th at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Greenville, SC.
During this event, participants will have the opportunity to meet with leading OEMs and Tier 1 companies in the automotive industry! There will also be one-on-one meetings (prescheduled) with top automotive industry decision makers, access to educational sessions and a meet and greet reception, and more!
For more information and to register, click here to go to the SC Department of Commerce Eventbrite page!

Free AI Project Tools for Small Businesses
2025-03-11 16:30 - 17:30 | Standing Pines RV Resort and Campground, 2800 Bethlehem Road, Hartsville, SC, 29550, United States
The South Carolina Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will be hosting the Free AI Project Tools for Small Businesses hybrid workshop on Tuesday, March 11th beginning at 4:30 PM in Hartsville, SC!
The special presenter for this workshop is Amy Bashor, Founder and CEO of Standing Pines RV Resort and Campground in Hartsville. During this workshop, participants will learn about free AI tools that small businesses can use. For more information, click HERE to go to the SBDC website for information and to register!

Foundations for Success: Building and Growing Your Small Business
2025-03-12 10:00 - 12:30 | Earlewood Park Community Center, 1113 Recreation Drive, Columbia, SC, 29203, United States
The City of Columbia’s Office of Business Opportunities will be hosting the Foundations for Success: Building and Growing Your Small Business workshop on Wednesday, March 12th beginning at 10:00AM at the Earlewood Park Community Center!
Tosha Dash of S.H.E. Dreams Consulting will provide insight and resources to female entrepreneurs and small business owners on how they grow their small business! This event is free but registration is required. For more information and to register, click here to go to the OBO Eventbrite webpage!

Finance Forward: Unlocking Access to Capital for Your Business
2025-03-20 10:00 - 12:30 | Richland County Administration Building, 2020 Hampton Street (4th Floor Conference Room), Columbia, SC, 29204, United States
The Richland County Office of Small Business Opportunity (OSBO) will be hosting their 2025 Business Academy, Finance Forward: Unlocking Access to Capital for Your Business on Thursday, March 20th beginning at 10:00AM!
During this conference, participants will hear from representatives from Capital Funding Solutions, SC Community Loan Fund, CommunityWorks, and Security Federal Bank on tools and resources to receive funding for your small business!
Registration is open and lunch will be provided. For more information and to register, click here to go to the Richland County OSBO webpage!

SCAGPO Reverse Trade Show
2025-03-25 08:00 - 17:00 | SC
The South Carolina Association of Government Purchasing Officials (SCAGPO) will be hosting their Reverse Trade Show in Lexington and North Charleston, SC in March and April!
This is a great opportunity for small businesses to meet with agency procurement professionals to do business with their respective agencies! The dates and locations are as follows:
March 25, 2025 – Lexington Municipal Complex, 111 Maiden Lane, Lexington, SC 29072
April 23, 2025 – Charleston Area Convention Center, 5001 Coliseum Drive, North Charleston, SC 29418
For more information or any questions, please contact Jo Marie Brown at reversetradeshow@scagpo.org!

Benedict College Women's Business Center Offering Free Webinars in April
2025-04-01 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-04-03 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-04-17 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
The Benedict College Women’s Business Center will be offering free webinars for the month of April. these webinars will be held beginning at 2:00PM via Zoom. For more information and to register, click on one of the webinar titles. Here are the webinars for April:
April 1 – Basic Financial Literacy for Business Owners
April 3 – Defining Your Ideal Customer
April 17 – How to Avoid Underpricing When Starting Out
For more information, feel free to contact the Benedict College Women’s Business Center at (803)705-4641 or visit their website benedictcollegewbc.com!

Harnessing AI for Sales and Marketing: Practical Tools to Drive Efficiency & Effectiveness
2025-04-02 08:00 - 21:00 | Heyward Career Center, 3560 Lynhaven Drive, Columbia, SC, 29204, United States
The Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Gather and Grow presents Harnessing AI for Sales and Marketing: Practical Tools to Drive Efficiency & Effectiveness on Wednesday, April 2nd beginning at 8:00AM at the Heyward Career Center.
The guest speaker is Alex Moore, Senior Partner of Stratagon will provide tools and resources to attendees on artificial intelligence (AI). For more information and to register, click HERE to go to the Chamber’s events page!

South Carolina SBDC Presents Business Finance Basics
2025-04-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
The South Carolina Small Business Development Center (SC SBDC) will host the Business Finance Basics webinar on Wednesday, April 8th beginning at 12:00PM!
In this course, you will learn key elements of business finance basics to manage your cash flow, explore ways to expand your business, and understand insurance for your business.
Miranda Teague and Cheryl Meeks from Truist Bank will facilitate the session and will provide valuable take-away resources to help you and your business.
For more information and to register, click HERE to go to SC SDBC’s events page!

Columbia Chamber Procurement Small Business Month
2025-05-07 08:00 - 09:00 | Segra Park – Columbia Fireflies Stadium, 1640 Freed Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
The Columbia Chamber of Commerce will be hosting two Procurement events during the month of May! On May 7th, there will be a Gather and Grow event which focuses on how small businesses can take advantage of procurement opportunities with federal, city, county, state, and private sector entities! On May 22nd the Chamber will host a Procurement Matchmaker Event sponsored by Goodwill which will help connect vendors with procurement needs with small businesses seeking opportunities!
To sign up to be a vendor at the May 22nd event, click HERE for more information.
To register for Part 1 of this series, click HERE!

Scout Motors Indirect Supplier Day
2025-05-08 08:30 - 16:00 | SC
The South Carolina Department of Commerce and Richland County Economic Development will be hosting the Scout Motors Indirect Supplier Day on Thursday, May 8th beginning at 8:30AM.
Small business owners will have an opportunity to meet with Scout Motors procurement representatives and learn more about their current supplier needs. For more information, click HERE to go to the SC Department of Commerce Eventbrite page!

City of Columbia's 12th Annual Small Business Week Conference
2025-05-09 09:00 - 15:30 | Marriott Columbia, 1200 Hampton Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
The City of Columbia’s Office of Business Opportunities will be hosting the City of Columbia’s 12th Annual Small Business Week Conference on Friday, May 9, 2025 at the Marriott Columbia, 1200 Hampton Street, Columbia, SC 29201. During this conference, we will have breakout sessions, keynote speakers, and more.
The U.S. Small Business Administration will also host their annual statewide awards ceremony and matchmaking event in the afternoon!
Early bird tickets start at $25.00 until April 24th. After, the price will be $35.00 For more information and to register, go to our Small Business Week Conference Eventbrite page!
If you have questions on the Small Business Week Conference, contact Kalenna Ginyard, OBO Program Compliance Specialist at (803)545-3950.
For any questions on SBA’s matchmaking event, contact Angela Brewer, SBA Business Opportunity Specialist at (803)765-5907.

Isuzu Supplier Day Event
2025-05-13 08:00 - 16:00 | Greenville, SC
The South Carolina Department of Commerce and the Greenville Area Development Corporation are partnering with Isuzu North America Corporation to host a two-day supplier day event.
This event will be held May 13 & 14, 2025 in Greenville starting at 8:00 A.M. For more information and to register, click HERE to go to the Eventbrite page!

Build Smart: Get Bonded & Grow
2025-05-13 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
DESA, Inc. and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be hosting the Build Smart: Get Bonded & Grow virtual workshop on Tuesday, May 13th beginning at 4:00PM.
Peter C. Gibbs will be the featured speaker for this event. This workshop offers the tools, knowledge, and expert guidance you need to navigate the bonding process and open doors to greater opportunities. For more information and to register, click here to go to DESA’s Zoom registration page!

Woodforest Bank Presents Conquering Credit: Understanding Credit & Financial Empowerment
2025-05-20 18:30 - 20:30 | Virtual Event
Woodforest Bank will be presenting a virtual class on Tuesday, May 20th entitled Conquering Credit: Understanding Credit & Financial Empowerment. This course will provide tips, resources and best practices to help you understand credit and create a pathway to financial empowerment.
For more information and to register, click HERE to go to Woodforest’s registration page!

Timmons Group and Richland County OSBO Community Breakfast
2025-06-03 08:00 - 10:00 | Truist Capital Center, 1201 Main Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
The Richland County Office of Small Business Opportunity (OSBO) and Timmons Group will be hosting a community breakfast on Tuesday, June 3rd beginning at 8:00AM at the Truist Capital Center, 1201 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201.
During this event, participants will meet with representatives from Timmons Group, OSBO staff, and have the opportunity to connect with other like-minded small business leaders in the Columbia area!
For more information and to register, click HERE to go to OSBO’s Eventbrite page! You can also contact Niki Bayne at (704)498-8502 or Cliff Lawson at (803)636-2964

Supplier Readiness Roundtable
2025-06-12 10:00 - 12:30 | Busby Street Community Center, 1735 Busby Street, Columbia, SC, 29203, United States
Queen City Women In Business (QCWIB) will be hosting the Supplier Readiness Roundtable on Thursday, June 12th at the Busby Street Community Center!
Participants at this event will hear from representatives from Self-Help Credit Union, QC WIB, U.S. Small Business Administration, and the City of Columbia’s Office of Business Opportunities. During this informative workshop, participants will:

Discover how QCWIB/ProcuraFind is partnering with Self Help Credit Union to reach more small businesses!
Learn how to get started with these companies!
Discover what companies look for in suppliers!

For more information and to register, click here to go to the QCWIB webpage!

Juneteenth Small Business Workshop
2025-06-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Busby Street Community Center, 1735 Busby Street, Columbia, SC, 29203, United States
The City of Columbia’s Office of Business Opportunities and the SC Juneteenth Freedom Fest will be hosting the Juneteenth Small Business Workshop on Wednesday, June 18th beginning at 6:00PM at the Busby Street Community Center, 1735 Busby Street, Columbia, SC.
Representatives from Woodforest Bank, Palmetto Citizens FCU, Wells Fargo, SC Community Loan Fund and others will provide informative information and resources to the small business community! For more information and to register, click here to go to the SC Juneteenth Freedom Fest website!

Beyond the Bid: Strategies for Success with Richland County
2025-06-26 10:00 - 12:30 | Richland County Council Chambers, 2020 Hampton Street, Columbia, SC, 29204, United States
The Richland County Office of Small Business Opportunity (OSBO) will be hosting Beyond the Bid: Strategies for Success with Richland County on Thursday, June 26th beginning at 10:00AM.
Jennifer Wladischikin, Director of Procurement for Richland County will be the facilitator for this event. Participants will learn more about Richland County’s procurement opportunities and will have a live demonstration of the new E-Procurement portal! Lunch is included!
For more information and to register, click HERE to go to Richland County OSBO’s registration page. Participants must register by Wednesday, June 25th at 12:00PM.

Brand Up-Market Out: Session 2 - Market Out
2025-07-09 17:45 - 19:00 | Online Webinar
The South Carolina Small Business Development Center (SC SBDC) will be hosting the Brand Up-Market Out: Session 2 – Market Out virtual webinar on Wednesday, July 9th beginning at 5:45PM.
During this webinar, participants who are facing issues with defining their brand will learn from facilitator Stacey Mullins actionable strategies to boost your online presence, attract your ideal audience, and turn followers into customers! For more information and to register, click HERE to go to the SC SBDC events page!

Columbia Empowerment Zone Open House
2025-07-10 11:00 - 14:00 | David Dunn Suites, 712 Richland Street, Columbia, SC, United States
The Columbia Empowerment Zone will be hosting a open house at 712 Richland Street. Door prizes and light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Mattrina Raeford at (803)553-6175.

1 Million Cups with Ron Harvey
2025-07-23 09:00 - 10:00 | USC Technology Incubator, 1225 Laurel Street, 4th Floor, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
1 Million Cups will be hosting another event on Wednesday, July 23rd beginning at 9:00AM at the USC Tech Incubator, 1225 Laurel Street, 4th Floor in Columbia!
This week’s presenter is Mr. Ron Harvey, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of GlobalCore Strategies and Consulting. Ron is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of others through his leadership development initiatives and participants will receive a wealth of knowledge from a successful entrepreneur!
For more information on 1 Million Cups and their upcoming events, click HERE!

Richland Library EiR Presents: The Complete Entrepreneur, Part 2
2025-07-23 18:00 - 19:00 | Richland Library Main – Auditorium, 1431 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, United States
Richland Library’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR), Tom Ledbetter will lead an interactive session exploring the physical, emotional, psychological, and relational impacts of undertaking a small business venture. For more information and to register, click HERE to go to Richland Library’s webpage!

SBA Loan Opportunities for Small Businesses - Programs, Eligibility and How to Apply
2025-07-31 13:00 - 14:00 | Online Webinar
The U.S. Small Business Administration will be hosting a webinar titled SBA Loan Opportunities for Small Businesses – Programs, Eligibility and How to Apply on Thursday, July 31st at 1:00 P.M. During this webinar, participants will learn about the three SBA loan programs, eligibility requirements, and how to navigate the application process. For more information and to register, click HERE to go to Midlands SCORE’s webpage!

Mastering Social Media for Business Growth
2025-08-14 08:00 - 17:00 | Busby Street Community Center, 1735 Busby Street, Columbia, SC, 29203, United States
The City of Columbia’s Office of Business Opportunities will be hosting the Mastering Social Media for Business Growth workshop on Thursday, August 14th at the Busby Street Community Center beginning at 10:00AM!
Our featured presenter for this workshop is social media expert, Mr. Ken Walker! Ken is very popular with his social media posts promoting local businesses and things to do in the Columbia area. This workshop is designed for small and medium sized businesses that want to strengthen their online presence, create impactful content, and understand how to use data to drive results!
For more information and to register, click HERE to go to the OBO Eventbrite page! For more information, contact Kalenna Ginyard, OBO Program Compliance Specialist at (803)545-3950 or email our office at OBO@columbiasc.gov!
