Free Services For Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners

  • Small Business Training & Workshops
  • One-on-One Coaching
  • Business Plan Development
  • Access to Funding Resources
  • Financial Literacy
  • Personal Development
  • I-HOPE Mentor Community
Our business counseling services are:

Effective- We have years of experience helping small businesses succeed

Confidential- All our clients, their businesses, and related information are kept strictly confidential – we will not sell or provide your information to anyone without your permission.

Free- Our business counseling services are provided free of charge to businesses and entrepreneurs

How can we serve you?

Do you have dreams of being a small business owner? A great idea that solves a problem? We can help you turn your idea into a profitable business giving you the ability to support your family and impact our community.

Have you just started your business and need help with your next steps? We can help you with setting up a solid infrastructure, an effective marketing plan, access to capital, and more!

Are you an established business owner in need of some guidance? Want to scale your business to the next level? We can help guide you and GROW your business with resources, certifications, access to capital, and a business accountability coach.

Check Out These Small Business Resources!

SizeUpSC

Powered by the SC Dept. of Commerce, a platform that allows you to receive data to help your company make better decisions around competitive benchmarking, customers, suppliers, even marketing and advertising. 

SourceSC

Powered by the SC Dept. of Commerce , gain exposure for your business and receive exclusive invitations to B2B and outreach events, industry sourcing requests and updates on other business opportunities across the state.

DreamBuilder

Offers online courses that teach you the skills and knowledge to start or grow your own business. Courses are interactive, convenient for your schedule and available in both Spanish and English. Best of all, they’re free.

U.S. Small Business Administration

Federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise. 

Ascent Learning Platform Powered by the U.S. Small Business Administration

This learning platform is on demand courses and FREE to use.  

Ascent is divided into major topics called Journeys, developed by experts in women’s entrepreneurship. Choose any journey to start, skip the ones you already know. Within each Journey, you’ll find Excursions with the tools you need to master a topic. Each excursion includes a time estimate for completion. You’re the boss of when and how to apply these tools to your business.  

South Carolina Business One Stop

One-stop information on starting, running, expanding, and relocating businesses in SC.

South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs

The mission of the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs Small and Minority Business Division is to identify key issues and services that are necessary for the development of minority, small businesses, as well as the best measures for sustainability, programmatic implementation, enhancement, and economic growth. The SC Commission for Minority Affairs is developing a statewide Minority Business Directory to provide information to users who are interested in doing business with minority-owned businesses.  

Success Stories

We would like to celebrate your success by becoming one of our “Success Stories.” We would love to hear about how the I-HOPE Women’s Business Center has helped you with your small business. Please share your success story.

Events & Workshops

We are open and ready to serve you! Join us online for our informative webinars and workshops on key business topics such as Basics of Business, Keys to Business Success, Marketing Strategies that Work, 360 Degree Business Screenings, Business Plans 101, QuickBooks, Free Tools for Your Small Business, and more! 

We also offer One-on-One Business Coaching, both online and in-person.

Upcoming Events
  • dFree™
    • Tuesday, May 7
  • dFree™
    • Tuesday, October 8
  • News and Media Buzz

    Contact

    If you have any questions or need assistance, fill out the form and we’ll get back to you!

     

    To receive free, confidential business advice from our advisors, please register. Registration is fast, easy, and free.

    The I-HOPE Women’s Business Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

     

    Our Partners

    The I-HOPE Women’s Business Center of the Lowcountry is hosted by Increasing H.O.P.E. Financial Training Center (501c3) and is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the US Small Business Administration.

    We are so grateful for the support of our community!