Hilton Head Business

CHANGES COMING TO BUSINESS LICENSING

Lowcountry business owners — large and small — are confronting an inescapable fact of life: simplification is complicated.

A wholesale change to how South Carolina manages business licensing and taxation is creating confusion, conversation and a stepped-up need for communication.

ELSEWHERE’S IN OLD TOWN SELLS SPORTS CARDS & NOSTALGIA

There’s a certain thrill that still remains. 

Steven Krzyzyk is 51 years old. A Navy veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, Krzyzyk owns Elsewhere’s in Old Town, a Bluffton-based sports memorabilia and gift shop. 

He’s seen the industry of sports cards boom nationwide. 

ROGER FREEDMAN’S ADVENTURE HILTON HEAD IS AN ADRENALINE RUSH

As an international businessman, Roger Freedman was a dealmaker with interests in skyscrapers, insurance, manufacturing, radio and TV stations, and more.

Deals come and go. But one stuck in his head, his heart and his portfolio: Partnering with his younger brother more than a quarter-century ago to buy Hilton Head’s Broad Creek marina.

CAROLINA VETERINARY CRITICAL CARE OFFERS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

Pet owners in Bluffton and Hilton Head Island now have an additional option for emergency veterinary care. 

Carolina Veterinary Critical Care opened Jan. 1 in Bluffton. Since then, owner Matthew Tenwolde has been kept quite busy caring for Lowcountry pets, offering emergency care late at night, early in the morning and on weekends.

BLUFFTON SELF HELP AND THE LITERACY CENTER MERGE

“Samantha” was a single mom of three children, working two jobs, struggling to make ends meet. She would visit Bluffton Self Help to utilize the food pantry to provide fresh, healthy food options for her family. 

But when her car broke down and she needed help seeking rental assistance, she ended up talking with Bluffton Self Help’s Education and Resource Center manager, Barbara Bowers. Her life changed with financial planning and one impactful conversation that went some-thing like this:

COLUMBIA-BASED MANUFACTURER PRODUCES TOP-SELLING BOATS

Their success is counterintuitive to the rest of their boating industry competitors. Just about every manufacturer is angling to make bigger boats to serve the ever-growing saltwater boat market.

Vic Roof Sr. had already had a Hall of Fame-level marine career, having created the Sunbird Boat Company. The brand was one of the best-selling boats in the 1980s and the company was sold to Outboard Marine Corporation. 

BOEING SPREADS ITS WINGS ACROSS THE LOWCOUNTRY

The Lowcountry, known for historic communities, thick marshlands, diverse wildlife and oceanfront playlands, is also the home of a major global aircraft manufacturer. 

Boeing South Carolina in North Charleston, combined with a sister plant in Everett, Washington, has produced more than 1,000 Boeing 787s, which are designed for long-haul and international flights. The company touts its production as “From Freezer to Flight” because the carbon fiber used in the planes arrives in a freezer. 

HERE’S A QUICK GUIDE TO MAINTAINING A STRONG PROFILE

Your credit score is a measure of your past ability to make payments on time and manage your credit. It helps lenders determine how risky a borrower is. Credit scores range from 300 to 850. About 46% of Americans have scores of 740 or higher. 

800 to 849: Fico scores in this range are considered exceptional and will give you the best loan offers at the lowest cost.  

TIPS FOR REDUCING FINANCIAL RISK AS A STARTUP FOUNDER

Starting a business is inherently risky, but if there’s one thing you don’t want to take a chance on as a new entrepreneur, it’s your funding. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20% of new businesses fail within the first two years of being open, 45% within the first five years, and 65% within the first 10 years – usually due to financial reasons. Sometimes you must spend money to make money but developing smart financial strategies can help you mitigate or eliminate high-risk areas.