Resources
Resources...
* Help you work smarter, not harder.
* Educational seminars / opportunities, such as Business 4 Breakfast and access to 24/7 learning opportunities through Business Training Team.
* Bid notifications to grow your business.
* Use the Chamber to access free help through the Small Business Development Center, SCORE and the Lowcountry Small Business Hub.
Doing Business with Government
The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce is a proud partner with our local governments providing bid notification to our members. Beaufort County, Beaufort County Schools, the City of Beaufort and the Town of Port Royal understand that by providing opportunities for local businesses benefits everyone.
The Chamber periodically partners with our governments to offer seminars on how to do business with local, state and federal governments. These are not on a set schedule so please see the Chamber calendar or call at 843.525.8500.
Beaufort County - http://www.bcgov.net/departments/Finance/purchasing/Current-Bids.php
City of Beaufort - http://www.cityofbeaufort.org/Departments/Finance/Default.aspx
Town of Port Royal – http://www.portroyalsc.org/
Town of Bluffton - http://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/governing/Pages/requestforproposals.aspx
Town of Hilton Head Island - http://www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/government/procurement/
Town of Yemassee - http://www.yemassee.net/contact.html
Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority - http://www.bjwsa.com/vendors/bid-opportunities.html
State of South Carolina - http://www.procurement.sc.gov/
Federal Business Opportunities - http://www.fedbizop.gov
Naval Facilities Engineering Command - https://smallbusiness.navfac.navy.mil
Beaufort Regional Chamber Academy
The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Business Training Team to provide chamber members with the opportunity to participate in a variety of webinars to help improve and build your business through Beaufort Regional Chamber Academy. Available topics include Grow Your Business, Improve Office Software Skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Learn QuickBooks, Provide Customer Service Training for Employees, Launch Your Email Marketing Campaign Successfully, Understand Local Internet Marketing, Get Involved in Social Media Marketing, Learn Strategies for Traffic to Your Website, and many more.
For more information visit, beaufortregionalchamberacademy.com
Starting a new business is an exciting endeavor with many details and steps.
The Business Resources section of the website provides a number of resources for businesses to develop business plans, marketing ideas and a list of financial institutions can be found in the business directory. This section titled, "Getting Your Business Started” provides guidance in licensing and permitting.Business Licenses
All jurisdictions in Beaufort County require a business license. If your business is a storefront without delivery services, you will likely need only one business license issued from the governing jurisdiction in which your business operates. If you are unsure if your business location is in one of the five municipalities or unincorporated Beaufort County,or if you need more than one license, please contact Beaufort County for clarification. Contact information is listed below.Beaufort County Business License
City of Beaufort Business License
Town of Port Royal
Town of Bluffton
Town of Hilton Head
Town of Yemassee
Permits – general business
Many businesses require various permits. When seeking business license information, be sure to ask about any permits, local or state, that may be needed.Permits – building
Beaufort County and its municipalities have worked hard to maintain the beautiful sense of place that draws so many here. Protecting the history and the environment however, means that businesses seeking to build or change an existing structure are likely to deal with codes and ordinances to protect what exists. When doing any building or modifications in Beaufort County, the Chamber highly encourages using local engineers, architects, lawyers and construction companies, etc. Local businesses know the rules and regulations and can save businesses costly mistakes. For lists of local businesses, please see the Chamber directory. Permits for new buildings and changes to existing buildings are required.If operating a home business, please check the zoning with your local government entity to ensure the business can operate legally. There are many state and local ordinances in place to protect product and worker safety as well as the integrity of the neighborhoods.
State Links
South Carolina
S.C. Attorney General
S.C. Department of Commerce
S.C. Business One Stop
Internal Revenue Service
Consultants on Demand
The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Consultants on Demand program allows members an opportunity to seek help with specific business concerns and allows Chamber members that provide consulting services an opportunity to meet potential clients.
How Consultants on Demand works: members seeking assistance get three one-hour coupons good for services with one of our participating business experts.
The member requesting the coupons can use the coupons with any of the business experts on the Beaufort Regional Chamber list, including using all three with one person.
Consultants on Demand offers support in many business areas, including:
Advertising / marketing
Employment benefits/ human resources
Employee motivation
Business planning & management
Business accounting / taxes
Finance / banking
Financial planning
Sales management
Business ethics
Time management
Life coaching
Image coaching
This program is designed with a specific limitation on the amount of hours a business member can tap a business expert as a resource without “tapping out” the business expert. Likewise, the business member is assured that during the Consultants on Demand consultations, he or she will not experience a sales pitch but will only receive counsel and all matters will be kept confidential. If the Consultants on Demand vouchers are used and the business needs further assistance, the Beaufort Regional Chamber encourages the business member and the business expert to seek out their own agreement for services. Consultants on Demand vouchers are good during one year of membership. Upon renewal the member is eligible for three new coupons. Please fill out the form below to request your Consultants on Demand coupons.
Additional Links
US Small Business Administration
Contact Pat Gartland, Southeastern Regional U.S. Small Business Advocate with further questions.
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Service Corps of Retired Executives (S.C.O.R.E.)
Small Business Assistance Corporation (SBAC)
Facts about your state
Information on minorities in business
Information on women in business
Workforce Links
Work Keys training, national program information
S.C. Department of Commerce Workforce Resources
Workforce South Carolina
Ready S.C. Initiative
S.C. Labor Market Information
University of South Carolina at Beaufort (USCB)
Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL)
South Carolina's Pathway to Success
Together for Beaufort Workforce Resource Guide
Lowcountry Regional Education Center
Subsidized Transitional Employment Program Brochure
Other Organizations Providing Resources
Beaufort County Association of REALTORS
Better Business Bureau (Savannah)
Lowcountry Economic Network
Main Street Beaufort USA
Lowcountry Council of Governments
South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
South Carolina Employment Security - Labor Market Index
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Federal Government Contracting Opportunities
National Association of Women Business Owners
National Federation of Independent Businesses
Kaufmann Foundation
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Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce Mailing address: PO Box 910 Beaufort, SC 29901 Physical address: 701 Craven Street (29902) P: 843.525.8500 | Email us |
