South Piedmont Community College’s Small Business Center is an invaluable resource to entrepreneurs and small business owners throughout Anson and Union county.
“We are one of 58 Small Business Centers in the state of North Carolina. We exist to exclusively serve the small businesses of Anson and Union counties,” said Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Renee Hode, who also serves as regional director for the southwest region of the Small Business Center Network.
“We take great pride in understanding the needs of our local entrepreneurs and small business owners, offering programming designed for their unique challenges, and working alongside them to help them succeed.”
The Small Business Center serves aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners seeking to start, grow, or reinvent their businesses. The Small Business Center offers a comprehensive range of no cost services and resources that can assist entrepreneurs and business owners at any stage of development. These services include confidential and personalized business counseling, webinars with business experts, and special events such as pitch competitions and small business summits.
Level Up Business Accelerator
The Small Business Center also offers an ever-expanding selection of training opportunities. One of its most popular is the Level Up Business Accelerator. As the Small Business Center’s flagship program, the Level Up Business Accelerator is designed for businesses seeking to scale and grow their operations. Participants prepare to take their businesses to the next level through a powerful combination of training, peer learning, and consulting.
“It’s incredible the transformation we see in our Level up Accelerator participants,” Hode said.
“They come to us having already achieved a certain level of success; participants are required to have at least one employee besides the owner and at least $125,000 in annual revenue, among other requirements.”
During the four-month Level Up Accelerator, Hode explained, business owners identify process improvements, cost-savings opportunities, new markets and revenue streams, marketing strategies, and more.
“They leave with a solid plan for the next phase of their operation. Their excitement and newfound confidence is undeniable. When they graduate from the Level Up Accelerator, they’re ready to take their business to the next level.”
For more information on the Level Up Accelerator, visit spcc.edu/small-business-center/level-up.
Other training programs offered by the Small Business Center include:
» Launch Unison, a program designed for individuals looking to start a small business
» Food Truck Startup 101
» Trucking Pro: How to Start & Operate Your Own Trucking Business
» Fast Track to Contracts: Government Contracting Boot Camp
» Business Mastermind Group
» QuickBooks Boot Camp
» Nonprofit Boot Camp
For more information on these and other training opportunities, visit the Small Business Center’s website.
53 Ideas Pitch Competition
The Small Business Center also oversees the annual 53 Ideas Pitch Competition. Each year, entrepreneurs pitch their idea for a chance to win up to $10,000 in seed funding.
The impact of South Piedmont’s Small Business Center is evident throughout Anson and Union counties.
“We are seeing more individuals stepping forward with ideas, seeking to take the leap into small business ownership, and more existing businesses seeking support to grow their operations. In fiscal year 22-23, 74 jobs were created as a result of micro businesses receiving assistance from the SBC. More than half of those jobs were a direct outcome of the Level Up Business Accelerator program. We are helping businesses thrive and enabling them to create opportunities for others in our community, whether that is a new job or a valued product or service to support local needs,” Hode said.
For more information, visit spcc.edu/small-business-center.
Last modified: October 4, 2024
