The Small Business Center (SBC) of Sampson Community College (SCC) is gaining momentum in the Sampson County area to help spread awareness of the services they offer. With over thirty years of development, the goal of the SBC is to assist in the launch of new small businesses and help improve established ones. All the services offered by the SBC are at no cost.
With an extensive catalog of online webinars and in-person seminars, the SBC offers a variety of free classes including start up assistance, marketing, and basic accounting instruction. Numerous courses are offered each month, providing a wide array of availability at one time.
The SBC also offers one-on-one confidential counseling, provided at the discretion of the business owner. It includes scheduled on-site visits, forecasting, relationship facilitation with professionals and other organizations, assessments of skills and needs, and referrals. With these meetings, the SBC can tailor each business plan and strategic decision to the specific business and their audience.
Bart Rice, Director of Business and Industry at SCC, stated that the SBC’s objective is to “…increase the success rate and the number of viable small businesses in North Carolina by providing high quality, readily accessible assistance to prospective and existing small business owners which will lead to job creation and retention.”
In Fall of 2022, the SBC hired Lizbeth Sanchez, owner of Lizbeth Sanchez Photography of Clinton, as part of their outreach program to begin catering to a broader audience in Sampson County. Born in Mexico, Sanchez grew up in Deep Run, NC and relocated to Sampson County in 2006. She began taking photography classes at SCC to help develop her small business. Because of this connection, she was introduced to the SBC and soon brought on as a consultant.
Sanchez explained, “I am honored to be part of the SBC team. We are willing to help grow Sampson County small businesses. Having a small business requires discipline and prayer. I am blessed to help build up our community’s confidence as a counselor so they can feel secure in moving forward.”
When asked about what she is most excited to accomplish, Sanchez stated that it’s to get the Hispanic community in Sampson County more informed and involved with the SBC. With her bilingual expertise, she will be able to reach small businesses that are often under-represented due to a language barrier.
“I’m excited about coming up with creative ideas to improve the SBC,” Sanchez commented.
“I look forward to being able to plan new workshops and seminars that will help the already established small business continue to grow and build a good foundation for the upcoming small business.”
One outreach initiative the SBC employs is the “Business to Business” event they host monthly at a local business in Sampson County. The next meeting will be hosted at Royal Gifts 117 Wall Street, Clinton, NC 28328 on March 23, 2023 at 9AM.
If you would like more information on SCC’s Small Business Center, please visit www.sampsoncc.edu/sbc. If you would like more information on the statewide initiative across NC Community Colleges, please visit https://www.ncsbc.net/.
About Sampson Community College
Sampson Community College is a member of the North Carolina Community College System, located in Clinton, NC in Sampson County. The college offers many programs to include two-year degrees, college transfer, continuing education and workforce development options and early college education.
