NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall visits BCC for small business roundtable

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — North Carolina Secretary of State, Elaine Marshall attended a small business roundtable hosted by Brunswick Community College.

She highlighted the state’s growth in new business creation. 

“For the last 4 years North Carolina has been on Fire for new business. Since 20-21 we’ve been creating between 650 and 700 new business entities every day our doors are open,” Marshall exclaimed. 

She also discussed a survey released by her office and Fayetteville State University last August. 

“What that study showed is that an increase of 5% will create 24,500 jobs a year adding to the economy somewhere between 1.5 and 2 billion dollars. That would certainly be a sweet goal for eastern and western North Carolina,” Marshall stated. 

One survey compared new business creations from 2021 to 2023, to prior years, such as 2018 to 2020. 

“Right here in Brunswick County you grew by 72% better than the statewide average which was 63%. In all, the Secretary of State’s office has filed to create paperwork to open our doors for more than 2 million businesses. I don’t look at that as two million businesses I look at that as 2 million business owners,” Marshall went on to say. 

The roundtable gave small business owners the chance to introduce themselves and talk about the positive and negatives they face.  

Some issues were not taking a small business loan, financial issues, and not having a staff that will stick around. 

As well as including a need for more trade schools.  

“18-year-olds that aren’t going to the military or college. You don’t need to go to college these days. People need to work with their hands. Why go graduate with 250,000 dollars in debt or more and then go back for another 100,000 dollars for a master’s program only to go into a pool that is saturated of people just like you,” a small business owner said. 

Brunswick Community College President Gene Smith says they do have some trade programs such as HVAC, plumbing, and electrical and they’re continuing to grow.