SCORE is one of the nation’s largest small business support and mentorship programs.
South Carolina’s Low Country SCORE chapter announced that it will continue its pilot program for minority-owned businesses grants serving businesses in Jasper, Beaufort, Colleton, and Hampton Counties.
The Lowcountry chapter awarded 11 grants to entrepreneurs as part of its 2021 Minority Small Business Support grant cycle. Recipients receive up to $2,500 and are assigned entrepreneurial mentors and networking opportunities to help them get their businesses off the ground.
Luana Graves Sellars, CEO and founder of Sankofa Communications and grant recipient, said she recommends that every business owner consider applying.
“Whatever your needs are, it’s a gamechanger for you to make that application and connections with SCORE," said Graves Sellars.
Michelle Gaston, SCORE Lowcountry's minority outreach coordinator, said the chapter received over 80 applications last year, and they are partnering with the counties to provide financial literacy education prior to this year's application cycle.
“Most folks did not know how to write a business plan. Or if they did write the Word portion of the plan, they did not have a handle on how to prepare the financial portion of the business plan. So we want to bring the community together and go where people are, so we can teach them how to prepare a business plan.”