Ray Herring, owner of Southern Cuts Butcher Shop in Laurinburg, was one of the Business Roundtable panelists. Photo provided | UNCP
PEMBROKE — Secretary of State Elaine Marshall recently met with more than a dozen business owners at UNC Pembroke's Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub as part of her mission to support local businesses and connect them with state resources.
Marshall, like Joseph White, founder and CEO of Tuff Digital Marketing, which has been operating within the hub since earning a business marketing degree from UNCP in 2019. We hosted a business roundtable event to hear directly from business owners.
White has leveraged the Hub's resources to build a successful career. Currently, his business is one of the top rated marketing agencies in Southeastern North Carolina.
Marshall also used her visit to hear some business owners' challenges and highlight the Rural RISE NC initiative, which connects business owners with mentors, business counselors and funding opportunities.
“This was a great event,” White said. “As entrepreneurs, it's great to have constant reminders that we have support. So the fact that she took the time to be here, it's so helpful for me to go out there and navigate. Now I know there are resources where I can find more information.
Rural RISE NC launched in December 2020 in 14 counties and has since expanded to 72 counties, including Robeson, Hoke, Scotland, and Moore counties. Area economic developers and representatives from small business centers at Robeson, Sandhills and Richmond community colleges also participated in the roundtable discussion.
Since its launch in November 2015, the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub has served the community by helping startups and small businesses launch and grow into successful companies. The hub is part of the university's mission to build on UNCP's foundation, strengthen communities, and serve as an engine and engine for meeting the economic needs of southeastern North Carolina. Tuff Digital Marketing is one of 10 companies in the hub, helping owners like White with business planning, marketing, budgeting, business management, consulting, business formation and networking opportunities .
Marshall said the event is a great way to provide businesses, especially entrepreneurs, with valuable resources to help them succeed. Marshall said that as he traveled across the state, he found there were significant gaps in learning about the resources available to entrepreneurs.
“It was great to see some people take advantage of existing resources and be able to tell other business people that it works and that there are free resources available at local community colleges,” Marshall he said.
“(Robeson Community College) is one of the most underutilized resources in this county,” she said. “Unemployment in Robeson is higher than in other areas, but job creators are here to keep people employed and the economy of this county going. There is great potential here. I want Robeson County to be as good as possible for the quality of life for its residents.”
North Carolina is “enthusiastic” about new business, Marshall said, adding that 172,000 new businesses were formed in 2023, making it the second-highest year on record. Her office approves nearly 700 new companies every day.
“For the first four months of 2024, we are on pace to match last year's total,” she said.
Alfred Ira, a UNCP graduate and owner of Vinyl Kings in the Hub, was encouraged by the data Marshall provided.
“I’m happy to have these conversations and it’s been amazing to see North Carolina businesses growing and the funding they’ve allocated to support us,” Ira said. said. “Hearing other entrepreneurs talk about their struggles gave us a lot of value. It was great for me to have everyone here to help us with our collaboration and resources. I think that was the biggest thing. And what we need more of is those connections and being able to work together to get the results that we need.”
