Minority-owned small businesses can apply for e-commerce program

COLUMBIA, S.C. — You can find a method in Columbia on the lookout to enable minority-owned little corporations jumpstart their e-commerce.

This week, enterprise entrepreneurs can implement to be a aspect of the Sokoni Launchpad E-commerce Improvement Plan.

The USC Columbia Technologies Incubator, Sokoni and Wells Fargo have partnered to make the system. Sokoni is a system by 37 Oaks, which has an on line college dependent out of Chicago.

Kate Stewart, software and communications director at the USC Columbia Technological innovation Incubator, and her group have opened programs for the next cohort of software.

According to the 37 Oaks site, the 6 thirty day period plan “presents compact, merchandise-primarily based company house owners the opportunity to sell products and solutions on our e-commerce market seven 37 Oaks University classes month-to-month 1:1 coaching classes and back-close administrative, advertising, functions, warehouse & logistic aid.”

The method is open specially for minority-owned firms in the Columbia region. 

“We observed that need that was out there and it was not currently being served, so we stepped in to serve to make positive we’re approaching almost everything from a various and inclusive standpoint,” Stewart reported about the mission behind focusing on minority-owned organizations.

Stewart claimed highlighting numerous corporations in the Columbia spot is crucial, simply because sometimes they go unnoticed.

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“These enterprises are in this article in Columbia and no one particular understands about them,” she stated.

Teresa Tidwell-Smith owns the candle-organization Significant Embraces. She participated in the plan last yr and productively graduated. 

Tidwell-Smith commenced her candle business enterprise immediately after paying out 30 yrs in the travel field. 1st as a flight attendant, she inevitably became a travel agent. When the COVID-19 pandemic strike and her consumers weren’t able to travel, she captured the scents of their favourite places in candles.

“Launching a product or service, I had no thought what I was accomplishing to begin with,” Tidwell-Smith stated. “So when I identified Sokoni and realized it was connected to USC, it was a earn -earn.”

Tidwell-Smith was equipped to split into e-commerce many thanks to the software. She claims this helped teach her what she would not have recognized how to do on her possess. For minority-owned businesses, she suggests this application is significantly practical.

“It’s pretty important for the reason that it helps the town. It aids absolutely everyone, our citizens, our cities actually see the large array of talent we have listed here in Columbia,” Tidwell-Smith said.

“As all people knows, it is 2022 and on-line and e-commerce and everything with your phone or computer systems or electronic media is thriving,” Stewart mentioned.

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This has certainly proven correct for Meaningful Escapes. Tidwell-Smith has expanded her enterprise in the previous calendar year. It is now a distribution centre, supplying her product to other corporations.

Whether or not you make candles, foodstuff, hair products, or nearly anything in between, all minority-owned modest corporations in Columbia can implement on the Technological innovation Incubator’s website. 

The purposes shut on Friday.