THE LOWCOUNTRY SMALL BUSINESS COALITION PARTNERS MEETING TUESDAY – August 25, 2009 REVIEW OF THE TCL-USDA RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GRANT’S FIRST YEAR THE SCOPE OF WORK: “….the TCL Small Business Development Hub will provide entrepreneurs and other small businesses strategic support services during the start-up phase of their business operations.” TIMEFRAME - 24 MONTHS: 1 ST – 4 TH Month Hire Coordinator/Equip Hub Facility/Hire for Clerical Position 3 rd - 24 th Month Promote TCL Business Hub throughout 4-county area Office space, clerical help, and advising provided Workshops and Seminars offered 24 th Month Write Final Report of Progress 25 th Month Coalition/Community organization assumes financial responsibility for the project “It is anticipated that the project will ultimately assist in the creation/expansion of 36 small and emerging businesses creating approximately 108 jobs.” 1

THE LOWCOUNTRY SMALL BUSINESS COALITION PARTNERS MEETING TUESDAY – August 25, 2009 REVIEW OF THE TCL-USDA RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GRANT’S FIRST YEAR THE RESULTS: DEVELOPED A SMALL BUSINESS COALITION CONSISTING OF COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS FROM ACROSS OUR FOUR COUNTY GEOGRAPHY THAT HAS;  DOCUMENTED A STATEMENT OF PURPOSE  ESTABLISHED QUALIFICATION CRITERIA FOR SMALL BUSINESS HUB PARTICIPATION  DELIVERED BUSINESS ADVISING SERVICES AND PERFORMED AS GUEST EXPERTS IN FastTRAC® CLASSES  CONDUCTED THE FEASIBILITY STUDY & DOCUMENTED THE PLAN FOR A VIRTUAL BUSINESS INCUBATOR (NEW DIRECTIONS NETWORK )  ESTABLISHED AND USED AN ON-LINE pbworks COLLABORATION TOOL  GROWN TO MORE THAN 35 ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN 11 MONTHLY SMALL BUSINESS COALITION PARTNER MEETINGS THE SMALL BUSINESS HUB DIRECTOR JOINED THE TCL TEAM IN EARLY NOVEMBER, 2008 AND THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE HUB WAS MADE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DECEMBER SMALL BUSINESS COALITION MEETING WITH COVERAGE FROM THE PRESS ACROSS OUR FOUR COUNTY GEOGRAPHY;  Beaufort Gazette, December 16, 2008  Island Packet, December 17, 2008  Jasper County Sun, December 24, 2008  Walterboro Press and Standard, December 24,

THE LOWCOUNTRY SMALL BUSINESS COALITION PARTNERS MEETING TUESDAY – August 25, 2009 REVIEW OF THE TCL-USDA RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GRANT’S FIRST YEAR THE RESULTS: IN MARCH, 2009 A MOU WAS FINALIZED WITH THE UNITED WAY IN JASPER COUNTY FOR SHARED OFFICE/CONFERENCE ROOM SPACE AND A MOVE-IN PLAN WAS DEVELOPED AND REVIEWED WITH SMALL BUSINESS COALITION MEMBERS.  THE HUB OPENED ON JUNE 22, 2009 IN JASPER COUNTY AT 306 THIRD AVENUE RIDGELAND, S. C PHONE & FAX  OPEN HOUSE INVITATIONS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO 260 COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS ACROSS OUR FOUR COUNTY GEOGRAPHY OF JASPER, BEAUFORT, HAMPTON AND COLLETON.  REPRESENTATIVES FROM ACROSS THE GEOGRAPHY ATTENDED, INCLUDING STATE SENATOR CLEMENTA PINCKNEY. ALL IN ATTENDANCE JUDGED THE OPENING TO BE A SUCCESS.  THE Jasper County Sun on July 1, 2009 PUBLISHED A VERY COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE “A central hub for entrepreneurs” ON ITS FRONT PAGE. ON JULY 15, 2009 THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT’S POSITION WAS FILLED. MS. CHRISTAL DELOACH, HERSELF A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, JOINED OUR TEAM AS THE SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANT IN THE RIDGELAND FACILITY. 3

THE LOWCOUNTRY SMALL BUSINESS COALITION PARTNERS MEETING TUESDAY – August 25, 2009 REVIEW OF THE TCL-USDA RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GRANT’S FIRST YEAR THE RESULTS: THE FIRST FastTRAC ® CLASS (NEWVENTURE™) GRADUATED ON MAY 5 TH IN BLUFFTON, WITH VERY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE PARTICIPANTS.  The Bluffton Sun – June 16, 2009 PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE ENTITLED “Entrepreneurs learn ins, out of owning a business” WHICH INTERVIEWED 3 OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND GENERATED INTEREST IN THE CLASS.  TCL CONTINUTING EDUCATION/WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND THE SMALL BUSINESS HUB HAVE ASSISTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EIGHT (8) WIA/INCUMBENT WORKER TRAINING GRANTS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WITH SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THEIR ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS; o BEAUFORT COUNTY CHAMBER (2) o ARTS COUNCIL OF BEAUFORT COUNTY o NATIVE ISLAND BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS ASSOCIATION, INC. o BEAUFORT COUNTY BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE o AGAPE FAMILY LIFE CENTER IN HARDEEVILLE o JASPER COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE o HILTON HEAD-BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TWO (2) FastTRAC® GROWTHVENTURE™ CLASSES GRADUATED IN JULY, 2009 (BLUFFTON & WALTERBORO). FIVE (5) ADDITIONAL SESSIONS ARE SCHEDULED BEGINNING AUGUST 20, 2009 – YEAR END. 4

THE LOWCOUNTRY SMALL BUSINESS COALITION PARTNERS MEETING TUESDAY – August 25, 2009 REVIEW OF THE TCL-USDA RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GRANT’S FIRST YEAR THE RESULTS: GRADUATED/IN-PROCESS FastTRAC® NEWVENTURE™ TCL BLUFFTON MARCH 3 – MAY 5 11 PARTICIPANTS FastTRAC® GROWTHVENTURE™ TCL BLUFFTON MAY 12 - JULY PARTICIPANTS FastTRAC® GROWTHVENTURE™ WALTERBORO MAY 14 - JULY PARTICIPANTS FastTRAC® NEWVENTURE™ (ARTISTS) TCL BEAUFORT AUG 20 - OCT PARTICIPANTS YTD TOTAL 53 PARTICIPANTS SCHEDULED SESSIONS FastTRAC® NEWVENTURE™ TCL BEAUFORT SEPT 15 – NOV 16 FastTRAC® NEWVENTURE™ HARDEEVILLE SEPT 16 – NOV 17 TBD FastTRAC® NEWVENTURE ™ HILTON HEAD-BLUFFTON CHAMBER FastTRAC® NEWVENTURE™ JASPER COUNTY CHAMBER /RIDGELAND SMALL BUSINESS HUB ADVISING SERVICES PROVIDED TO 49 ENTREPRENEURS/SMALL BUSINESSES. HUB FACILITIES FOR MEETINGS/INTERENET ACCESS, ETC. USED BY 6 ENTREPRENEURS/SMALL BUSINESSES. PRESENTED SMALL BUSINESS HUB PROGRAMS TO 21 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS/BUSINESSES. 5

Academic Degree and Certificate Programs  Entrepreneurship Certificate Programs:  Small Business Mgmt.  Early Childhood Dev.  Legal Assisting  Accounting/Bookkeeping  Computer Programming  Heating & AC  Refrigeration  Plumbing  Digital Home Technology  Property – Facility Maint.  Culinary Arts  Health Sciences  Building Construction  Cosmetology Continuing Education FastTrac® Workforce Training USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant Funding Technical College of the Lowcountry Small Business Development Hub Lowcountry Small Business Coalition Coalition Partners  USCB Small Bus Development Center  SC Department of Commerce  Chamber of Commerce Organizations Beaufort County Beaufort Black Chamber Colleton County Hampton County Jasper County Hilton Head-Bluffton  Hardeeville Economic Development  Native Island Bus & Community Affairs  Agape Family Life Center  Beaufort County Council  Beaufort County Public Library  Town of Ridgeland Planning  SCORE  New Directions Network  Hilton Head Area Hospitality Assoc.  Small Business Assistance Corp.  Lowcountry Economic Network  United Way of the Lowcountry  Business Leaders & Organizations  FastTracSC.org  USDA Rural Development  US Small Bus Administration Small Business Hub Director/Advisor Assistant /Admin Support Entrepreneurs Assisted with:  Shared Office Space & Support Services  Business Advising  Business Networking  FastTrac SC Education & Business Planning  Resource Referrals TCL Campus Resources  Library  Interns/Co-op’s/etc.  Entrepreneur Club  Faculty Advisors  Meeting space Small Business Development Hub Advisory Council 6

THE LOWCOUNTRY SMALL BUSINESS COALITION PARTNERS MEETING TUESDAY – August 25, 2009 TCL-USDA RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GRANT NEXT STEPS ENHANCE COVERAGE ACROSS OUR FOUR COUNTY GEOGRAPHY  UNDERWAY WITH FastTRAC® CLASSES SCHEDULED IN BEAUFORT, HARDEEVILLLE, HILTON HEAD, RIDGELAND  MONTHLY SMALL BUSINESS COALITION MEETINGS TO BE ROTATED/SCHEDULED ACROSS ALL COUNTIES IMPLEMENT A BEST-OF-BREED CLIENT/CONTACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM RECRUIT AN EXECUTIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS HUB  DEVELOP GUIDANCE ( i.e. BY-LAWS, OPERATING PROCEDURES, etc.)  INVESTIGATE FORMATION OF A NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (CDC)/COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION (CDFI) TO PROVIDE THE MUCH NEEDED LONG TERM FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. o INVESTIGATION OF AND APPLICATION FOR GRANTS AND APPROPRIATE SOURCES OF FUNDING EXPAND SMALL BUSINESS HUB PROGRAMS DESIGN AND DELIVER A LOWCOUNTRY MICROFINANCE PROGRAM COMBINED WITH BUSINESS ADVISING PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LOWCOUNTRY VIRTUAL BUSINESSS INCUBATOR ESTABLISH COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS WITH OFFERINGS LIKE FastTRAC® FIRST STEP 7