Tom’s Creek Market Xchange owners and staff, along with Carl Blackstone with the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Richland County Councilman Derrek Pugh, Columbia City Councilman Tyler Bailey, and City of Columbia manager Teresa Wilson cut the ribbon to kick off Small Business Week.
April 28-May 4 is 2024 National Small Business Week. Richland County, the City of Columbia, and the Columbia Chamber of Commerce held a celebration Monday, April 29 at Tom’s Creek Market Xchange at 912 Lady Street, to kickoff the week.
“This week serves as an opportunity to highlight our small business community and their efforts to create jobs, drive innovation, and create competitiveness,” Ayesha Driggers, the director of the office business opportunities for the City of Columbia, said. “Helping small businesses grow has been and continues to be a top priority for the City of Columbia.”
Driggers said council passed a proclamation at the April 16 meeting proclaiming this week as Small Business week. Council members also passed a proclamation honoring and recognizing Tom’s Creek Market Xchange, a 2024 business spotlight honoree.
Richland County Councilman Derrek Pugh, who is the chair for the office of small business ad hoc committee, also announced a resolution from Richland County regarding small business week.
Richland County councilman Derrek Pugh announces a resolution from Richland County Council.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our community,” Pugh said. “It’s important for us to understand how important it is for us to support them. It’s safe to say our city and county are thriving. It’s also growing. We want to make sure that in Richland County we support our growing businesses by continuing to provide opportunities for our small businesses.”
According to Pugh, there are 4,200 small businesses operating in Richland County, a 26 percent increase from last year.
According to Columbia Councilman Tyler Bailey during the past year 44 percent of the new businesses in the city were women-owned, and 50 percent were owned by minorities.
Bailey also announced a new initiative started by the Columbia Empowerment Zone in partnership with Dominion Energy, called BRITES, business represents incentives through energy savings. The program tries to aid businesses in reducing energy costs.
Tom’s Creek Market Xchange’s owners and staff receive a proclamation from Ayesha Driggers with the City of Columbia. Photos by Josh Cruse
Carl Blackstone, president and CEO of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, mentioned that 99.4 percent of businesses in South Carolina were small businesses.
“Without small businesses, we would be failing,” Blackstone said. “Obviously, big businesses do a lot for our state. They create jobs. They create wealth. It all starts with small businesses.”
The theme for this year’s week is “Leveraging opportunities for growth and success.”
The 11th annual Small Business Week conference was held Wednesday, May 1 at the Embassy Suites on Greystone Boulevard as part ot the activities this week.
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