obo.columbiasc.govCity of Columbia Office of Business Opportunities - City of Columbia OBO

twitter facebook instagram Back to ColumbiaSC.gov Hit enter to search or ESC to closesearch Menu Resources COMMERCIAL & FORGIVABLE LOANS Commercial Revolving Loan Fund (CRLF) Commercial Retention & Redevelopment Program (CRR) Job Retention & Creation TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, EDUCATION & ADVOCACY General Information Business Associations Business Spotlight FastTrac Growth Venture NxLevel For Micro Entrepreneurs Small Business Week Title VI Program CONTRACTOR & SUPPLIER DIVERSITY City of Columbia Programs Columbia Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (CDBE) Local Business Enterprise (LBE) Mentor Protege Program (MPP) Sub-Contractor Outreach Program (SOP) Mayor’s Minority Business Advisory Council Minority Contracting Associations Disparity Study ADDITIONAL RESOURCES COVID Resources Doing Business with the City Events and Webinars Forms Small Business Resources Reports & Studies Events News Contact Us Newsletter search City of Columbia’s Food Truck Fridays The City of Columbia hosts Food Truck Fridays every Friday from 11:00AM - 3:00PM. Click on the link below to see who will be participating this month! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION City of Columbia Celebrates National Small Business Week Click on the button below to check out the sights and sounds from National Small Business Week! CLICK HERE TO WATCH NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK KICKOFF NxLevel For Micro Entrepreneurs and FastTrac Growth Venture Waiting List Are you interested in participating in either the FastTrac Growth Venture or NxLevel For Micro Entrepreneurs course offered by the Office of Business Opportunities? Click on one of the buttons below to learn more and to be added to the course waiting list! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ON THE NXLEVEL FOR MICRO ENTREPRENEURS COURSE CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ON THE FASTTRAC GROWTH VENTURE COURSE Queen City Women In Business C.A.R.E.S. Scholarship Program Are you a woman-owned for profit small business located in South Carolina? Click on the button below to learn more on the Queen City Women In Business C.A.R.E.S. Scholarship program! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE TO APPLY Boost Your Business: Apprenticeships and Workforce Resources for Small Businesses Apprenticeship Carolina will be hosting informative sessions for all business owners (including small business owners) who would like to learn more on their apprentice and workforce resources! For more information, click on the link below! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION The City of Columbia Unveils New Identity The City of Columbia recently unveiled a new brand identity to enstill a better sense of community pride! To view the logo announcement, click on the button below! CLICK HERE TO VIEW ANNOUNCEMENT Made With Cola Love Launches to Support Local Businesses and Revitalize Vacant Storefronts The City of Columbia is partnering with Made With Cola Love is partnering to support small businesses and bring new life to vacant properties in Columbia! Click on the link below to read more! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION Commercial Space For Lease The Columbia Empowerment Zone (CEZ, Inc.) has a variety of ready-to-lease and/or ready-to-customize properties ideal for expanding new businesses. Click on the button below to learn more! CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON SPACES FOR LEASE SBA Upcoming Events Want to stay in the know on upcoming events from the SC District Office? Click on the button below to learn more! CLICK HERE TO GO TO SBA’S EVENTS PAGE SBA Learning Center SBA’s online learning programs are designed to empower and educate small business owners every step of the way. Whether you’re looking to start a small business or expand your current one, SBA’s digital learning platform has everything you need to educate yourself on entrepreneurial best practices and available financing options. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO 1 1 CORONAVIRUS Information & Resources Learn More Commercial Lending Financial assistance to start-up and existing businesses for growth, expansion, retention and the creation of new jobs, and assistance in the redevelopment of commercial corridors that have become significantly deteriorated within the City. Learn More Education & Advocacy Business development assistance and courses for start-ups and existing businesses looking to grow and expand covering topics including: marketing, use of social media, business plan development, finances, legal issues, and more. Learn More Contractor & Supplier Diversity Training and support for City initiatives designed to increase local contractor’s capacity to compete for government contracts and other procurement opportunities. We are also responsible for the implementation of the City’s Disparity Study Goals and Objectives. Learn More Title VI Program Prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives federal funds or other federal financial assistance which includes coordinating with City of Columbia departments to ensure compliance and reviewing procedures and policies for any potential discrimination. Learn More Need an Opportunity to Start or Grow your Small Business? Small businesses drive the U.S. economy by providing jobs for over half of the nation’s private workforce. Yet small businesses also face many obstacles that stall or prevent their growth and development, including access to capital, effective marketing strategies, adequate accounting systems, and comprehensive business plans. An opportunity is a chance for advancement and progress. The Office of Business Opportunities” uses several economic development tools to provide creative business opportunities to address many of the obstacles that face small businesses. Learn More City of Columbia’s Minority Business Opportunities Directory The City of Columbia’s Minority Business Opportunities Directory consists of information from our City of Columbia departments along with our community partners on different goods and services to procure. Click below for more information! Learn More OBO Events and Webinars The City of Columbia’s Office of Business Opportunities provides webinars and events to inform, educate, and empower our small business community. If you missed one of these events, click on the button to go to our OBO Events & Webinars page! Learn More OBO Recent News Queen City Women In Business C.A.R.E.S Scholarship Program Kalenna Ginyard | news | No Comments Queen City Women in Business (QCWIB) C.A.R.E.S. Scholarship program is now accepting applications! If you are a North Carolina/South Carolina woman-owned for profit small business interested in becoming a supplier to major organizations? This program is for you! For more information click on the following link to the QCWIB Facebook page and to apply, click on the link to the QCWIB C.A.R.E.S. Application page or contact Dr. Stephanie Kirkland! City of Columbia Unveils New Identity: Together, We Are Columbia Kalenna Ginyard | news | No Comments On April 16th, the City of Columbia unveiled a new brand identity to instill a better sense of community pride and optimism. To read more on the City’s new logo, go to the City of Columbia webpage! From Inc Magazine: South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley Just Taught A Powerful Lesson on Leadership Kalenna Ginyard | news | No Comments Check out this article from Inc. on South Carolina Women’s Basketball coach Dawn Staley and how her championship run taught a powerful lesson on leadership! To read this article click here! © 2024 City of Columbia OBO. All Rights Reserved. twitter facebook instagramResources COMMERCIAL & FORGIVABLE LOANS Commercial Revolving Loan Fund (CRLF) Commercial Retention & Redevelopment Program (CRR) Job Retention & Creation TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, EDUCATION & ADVOCACY General Information Business Associations Business Spotlight FastTrac Growth Venture NxLevel For Micro Entrepreneurs Small Business Week Title VI Program CONTRACTOR & SUPPLIER DIVERSITY City of Columbia Programs Columbia Disadvantaged...