Town of James Island, Lowcountry Local First Announce New Small Business Support Partnership

NEWS RELEASE // TOWN OF JAMES ISLAND // AUGUST 1, 2022:

A new partnership between the Town of James Island and Lowcountry Local First is now offering localized business training and strategic small business support. The annual partnership includes a Community Storefront Challenge and the business training and support of the nonprofit organization’s Good Enterprises Initiative.

“We are thrilled to see the Town step up in such a way to show its support of current and future entrepreneurs within its community,” says Lowcountry Local First’s Executive Director, Jacquie Berger. “Through this strategic mix of training, direct services and access to affordable commercial space, we’re helping to ensure James Island is a truly welcoming and inclusive place for small business.”

The Community Storefront Challenge will incubate business owners who seek opportunity in a brick-and-mortar establishment and to provide economic opportunity for those who live in the Town of James Island. Selected businesses will receive affordable rent and select business support services.

The Good Enterprises Initiative is a catalyst for reshaping the entrepreneurial ecosystem to one that provides equitable opportunity for business ownership, to transform lives and communities. Three programs make up this initiative, including the Community Business Academy (12-week entrepreneurial training course), Business Acceleration Services (year-round suite of support services for graduates of the academy), and Credit to Capital (for graduates who are ready to pursue financing options with local partners and institutions).

“This new partnership with Lowcountry Local First signifies to our community that the Town is open for business,” says Town of James Island’s Mayor Bill Woolsey. “We’ve always valued what makes this small, tight-knit community so special and our existing and future local-independent businesses are a huge part of that unique identity. This year-long partnership provides an invaluable mix of business training, relationship-building and small business attraction that will help to build lasting economic prosperity for our island’s residents.”

The fall semester of the Community Business Academy launches in late August and will be held at the James Island Art Center on Wednesday evenings. The 12-week program provides hands-on training by experienced entrepreneurs in business planning and management for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs. Interested participants should complete an inquiry form online to get started. Scholarships are available and all experience levels are welcomed. The academy will also be offered in Spanish as part of Lowcountry Local First’s ongoing, regional offerings for entrepreneurs, with applications now being accepted:

Community Business Academy
Wednesdays, Aug 24 – Nov 9, 2022, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
James Island Art Center: 1248 Camp Rd
James Island, SC 29412
Program inquiry form

Academia Empresarial de la Comunidad
Los martes, aug 23 – nov 8, 2022, 7 – 9 de la noche
Local Works: 1859 Summerville Ave, Suite 800
Charleston, SC 29405
Formulario de consulto

Questions? E-mail Raquel Padgett, Raquel@LowcountryLocalFirst.org.