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Carolina Business ~ Why It Works
Hourly Wages for
Selected Occupations
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ntrepreneurs and corporate executives are finding fertile ground to grow a business in the Carolinas, and the national media is taking notice.
Expansion Management magazine recently identified America’s 50 Hottest Cities and included in that prestigious list from North Carolina were:
Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord,
Greensboro-High Point,
Raleigh-Cary and
Winston-Salem.
South Carolina cities were:
Charleston-North Charleston,
Columbia and
Greenville.
Also, Entrepreneur magazine published its 12th annual “Hot Cities” report, profiling the nation’s most dynamic cities for entrepreneurs. Again, the Carolinas were well represented.
Among the top ten large cities identified as the best areas to start and grow a company were these: Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill (#2), and Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill (#3).
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n the top ten midsize cities, Charleston-North Charleston was named #2, while Columbia ranked #8. Overall, South Carolina was named fifth best state for entrepreneurs and North Carolina was named seventh.
An area must have a large number of young businesses and be able to support their growth in order to achieve such a high, overall score from
Entrepreneur.
That’s one more example of how the Carolinas continue to create a climate for business that equals the lifestyle climate which is so important to families. To help, there are services in both Carolinas to assist small business owners and potential entrepreneurs gain valuable experience and assistance before committing too many of their own resources.
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Here’s how a few folks got the job done: |
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Hope and Albert Entwistle had vacationed on Hilton Head Island for more than 10 years and on each visit, observed the growth in the area. “We would find communities tucked away that were selling out quickly,” Mr. Entwistle explains. The couple took their work experience – his as a hotel and restaurant franchise owner, and hers working in a rent-to-own franchise – and decided to move from Louisville, Kentucky, and start their own, upscale rent-to-own furniture and appliance business in Bluffton.
They met with Pat Cameron, a business consultant at the University of South Carolina Beaufort Small Business Development Center. Pat helped them create a business plan and worked with them to prepare financial projections.
Now, their new company, Easy-2-Own Furnishings, helps those working and living in the area buy their own furniture. “People at every income level visit our store because we have good quality furniture, appliances and electronics,” Mr. Entwistle says. They’ve even helped people stage their homes to sell.
At the other end of the state, Veronica Ceballos Wilson, took charge of her destiny and went from working part time for a playground equipment retailer to open her business, Upstate South Carolina Play Sets and Equipment. She received advice from Kim Williams, area manager with SBDC in the Greenville/Clemson region.
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Now, almost six years later, she is surpassing her goals, and in expansion mode. She credits the assistance from SBDC with much of her success.
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In Dunn, North Carolina, Health Care Apparel by Marie is a small, woman and minority-owned business that hoped to enter the government procurement arena after just three months of operation. They contacted the Fayetteville SBTDC Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and received help with their registration and proposals. The counselor also suggested they apply for certifications to increase their ability to bid on opportunities. Recently, the company won a three-year, $429,000 contract to manufacture pillow cases for the North Carolina Department of Corrections. Vice President Stephanie Elliott credits the assistance she received from PTAC as a major contributor to their success.
In Winston-Salem, N.C., The Kucera Pharmaceutical Company was recently awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to continue research and development on the company novel anti-HIV compound, KPC-2.
The grant will support completion of key laboratory studies and increase synthesis of KPC-2 for future animal studies, according to Dr. Ronald Fleming, the Principal Investigator of the grant, and Kucera’s Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Louis Kucera, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine was co-investigator on the grant.
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The company used North Carolina’s SBTDC to learn how to seek money in grant form, and what was available for their needs.
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In South Carolina, John Lenti, state director for the Frank L. Roddey Small Business Development Program, says his team assists more than 6,000 entrepreneurs and current small business owners yearly.
“The 21st Century has created a significant change in the way small businesses are structured and operate,” he explains. “Almost all businesses, regardless of size, have become more reliant on technology for daily operations. Many of the SBDC clients are now serviced via the Internet. A client can now, in an instant, send their business plan and financials to an SBDC counselor who can review and return the comments just as quickly. It doesn’t mean the SBDC no longer sees clients face to face but does mean we have become more efficient and, hopefully, more effective in our services to clients.”
SBDC also is trying to project the needs of what they see as new groups of small business owners. “We expect that, in the future, we’ll see many more veterans, minorities and baby boomers using SBDC services,” Mr. Lenti says. “Each of these groups brings a different set of service demands to the SBDC. We hope to be able to provide assistance to all of our constituents.”
Mr. Lenti believes the new century has ushered in not only technological innovation but an increase in the pace of change in small business operations. University-based programs like the SBDC are more involved with community development than ever before. The SBDC will continue to be an important part of the economic development activity in S.C. for the forseeable future.
In N.C., “The University of North Carolina’s Small Business and Technology Development Center is facilitating a new economic future for North Carolina by focusing on growth-oriented, emerging companies and existing businesses to help drive economic growth and expand prosperity,” says Scott Daugherty, executive director.
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More than 12,000 North Carolinians received in-depth business counseling and management education services during the past year.
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Many people are seeking more moderate climates in a friendly, relaxed setting. And, they want to take their businesses with them or shift careers a bit. That’s why there’s a steady in-migration from all parts of the globe.
What the large corporations already know, the smaller players can take advantage of, including state governments that are responsive to business, and world-class transportation. Located halfway between New York and Miami, the Carolinas are within 750 miles of two-thirds of all U.S. markets. The region is served by an extensive network of interstate highways, border-to-border fiber optics, commercial airlines, rail transportation, a huge UPS hub in Columbia, the deepwater ports of Charleston and Wilmington, and the FedEx expansion in Greensboro.
What makes the Carolinas a magnet for professionals? The key ingredient is quality of life. There are plenty of tax and business incentives, but for many employers, the attractive climate, welcoming atmosphere, cultural and recreational amenities play an equal role in the decision to move. For business owners seeking skilled employees, a key motivating factor is that Carolina people are some of the country’s most productive. The pro-business environment is encouraged through right-to-work legislation and very low union membership.
Entrepreneurs, despite their differences in business background, have one
characteristic in common. They understand that no one person has all the skills
necessary to run a successful business. In both Carolinas, there are experts
available, at no charge, to help them fill in the gaps.
Hourly Wages (mean) For Selected Occupations
Attorney -- SC 41.06 | NC 51.13
Carpenter -- SC 14.35 | NC 14.31
Chemical Engineer -- SC 34.25 | NC 37.60
Computer Engineer -- SC 30.78 | NC 42.00
Computer Programmer -- SC 25.40 | NC 33.50
Dentist -- SC 54.54 | NC 79.42
Electrical Engineer -- SC 35.43 | NC 34.35
Financial Manager -- SC 41.48 | NC 43.28
General & Oper. Mgr -- SC 45.90 | NC 49.32
Marketing Manager -- SC 44.56 | NC 47.26
Pharmacist -- SC 43.73 | NC 45.54
Physical Therapist -- SC 28.19 | NC 31.97
Real Estate Broker -- SC 33.17 | NC 20.21
Registered Nurse -- SC 24.23 | NC 25.85
Secretary -- SC 11.78 | NC 12.89
Truck Driver -- SC 15.27 | NC 17.37
Visit CarolinaLiving.com/resources for information on business periodicals, relocation and general interest periodicals, and business
opportunities.
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Katherine O. Pettit has worked as a writer, magazine editor, printer and
public relations consultant. The Columbia resident has published
more than 250 articles in magazines and newspapers. Her writing
explores a variety of subjects including travel, lifestyles, business
and management.
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