Center for Opportunity and Entrepreneurial Advancement - COEA

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Center for Opportunity and Entrepreneurial Advancement - COEA

COEA equips entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses through training, resources, and hands-on programs.

06/15/2026

What can entrepreneurs learn from spending a morning at Soda City Market?

Quite a bit.

This past Saturday, Launch in 60 Marketplace participants explored one of the Southeast's most popular open-air markets to observe how product-based businesses package and display products, engage customers, and create shopping experiences that stand out.

Along the way, participants gathered practical packaging ideas, observed customer buying behavior, and gained a better understanding of how products are positioned in a crowded marketplace. They also discovered that packaging doesn't have to be perfect or retail shelf-ready to begin testing a product and generating sales.

For entrepreneurs preparing to enter the marketplace, sometimes the most valuable lesson is seeing what's possible.

06/12/2026

Can a stranger buy from you today?

That was the challenge posed to participants during Session 5 of Launch in 60 Marketplace.

Entrepreneurs were asked to step into the shoes of a customer and evaluate their products from a fresh perspective. Could someone who has never met them understand what they are selling, who it is for, and how to make a purchase?

Charlene Mack shared her custom photo blanket and pillow set, which sparked a great discussion about product clarity and customer understanding. At first glance, you can quickly tell what the product is and the special occasion it celebrates.♥️🙌🏽

We were also pleased to welcome Casi Sims, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Coordinator for the Mid-State Region with the South Carolina Department of Commerce. Her visit provided an opportunity to see firsthand the creativity, talent, and progress of the entrepreneurs participating in the program.

Thank you to the South Carolina Department of Commerce for supporting Launch in 60 and investing in rural entrepreneurship. We are excited to see these entrepreneurs continue to grow as they prepare for the marketplace.

06/11/2026

Looking for resources to help you start or grow your business?

Join COEA, the SBA, South Carolina Department of Commerce, and Orangeburg Regional Innovation Center for a conversation about programs, opportunities, and support available to entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Registration is now open:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-Vu1ULxQQ5SdzkueEfQEzg #/registration

06/09/2026

📢 Orangeburg County Entrepreneurs: We Want to Hear From You

The Center for Opportunity and Entrepreneurial Advancement (COEA) is conducting a survey to better understand the opportunities, challenges, and business development needs of current and aspiring entrepreneurs in Orangeburg County.
Whether you currently own a business, are planning to start one, or are exploring a business idea, your feedback can help inform future programs, services, and support opportunities designed to strengthen entrepreneurship and small business growth throughout our community.

⏱ Survey Length: 5 minutes

🔗 Survey Link: https://forms.gle/bSj6D6Gdp3yJQC1K7

🎁 As a thank-you, participants may enter a drawing for one of three $25 gift cards.

📅 Survey closes June 23, 2026.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post with entrepreneurs, small business owners, and aspiring business owners throughout Orangeburg County.

Together, we can build a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem and create more opportunities for business success in our community.

06/03/2026

🌟 Marketplace Spotlight: Mother Nature's Healing Co.

Latea Ashby made a decision to live differently. Then she did what so many of us only think about. She built something from it.

What started as a personal commitment to wellness and intentional living became Mother Nature's Healing Co.

Today, Latea offers handcrafted sea moss products, wellness teas, specialty beverages, and sea moss-infused lemonades created with care, purpose, and intention.

We are proud to spotlight Latea as she continues to grow her business and introduce her products to new customers throughout the region.

Learn more about Mother Nature's Healing Co. at mothernatureshealingco.com.

Through Launch in 60 Marketplace, COEA is proud to showcase entrepreneurs who are taking action on their ideas and building businesses that reflect their passions, experiences, and goals.

05/29/2026

Many entrepreneurs spend a lot of time thinking about customers, products, and sales.

Not enough time is spent thinking about who will be in your corner when challenges arise.

Last night, Kimberley Brown, Community Development Loan Officer with the South Carolina Community Loan Fund, shared a simple framework entrepreneurs can remember: BAIL

Banker.
Accountant.
Insurance Agent.
Lawyer.

Every business will face decisions, risks, opportunities, and setbacks. The question is whether you have the right people around you when those moments come.

Which member of your BAIL team do you wish you had connected with sooner?

05/26/2026

Across South Carolina, people are still choosing to build.

They are opening businesses, creating opportunities for their families, and investing in communities that have too often had to grow without the same level of visibility, resources, and support as larger markets.

The latest Kauffman Foundation report, released in May 2026, shows South Carolina outperforming national averages in startup survival, opportunity entrepreneurship, and early job creation.

That matters.

Because behind every business statistic is a person taking a chance on an idea, a skill, or a vision for something better.

Starting a business takes courage. Sustaining one takes support.

That is why strong entrepreneurial ecosystems matter, especially in rural communities. Access to trusted guidance, practical business education, mentorship, and long-term support can shape whether a business survives beyond the early stages and grows into something that creates jobs, opportunity, and lasting community impact.

The entrepreneurs are here. The talent is here. The opportunity is here.

https://indicators.kauffman.org/report/early-stage-entrepreneurship-national-2025

05/22/2026

Session 2 of Launch in 60 Marketplace is in the books.

Last night our cohort sat down with attorney Richard V. Waring JD, MBA, CDE for a real conversation about what it means to protect a business. Legal foundations. Business structure. Contracts. Trademarks. Liability. Cottage food compliance. The things too many entrepreneurs find out about the hard way.

He left the room with a question none of us could shake:
"While you are solving a problem, be sure that you are not creating a problem."

This is why COEA exists. Rural entrepreneurs deserve access to the kind of knowledge and support that helps them build businesses the right way from the beginning.

Seven entrepreneurs showed up last night ready to learn. We are proud to be in the room with them.

Follow along as we document their journey.

Address

960 Middleton Street
Orangeburg, SC
29115

Website

https://launchsc.org/

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