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2026 Buy Local Holiday Markets in Charleston, SC Continue Reading

Something that has brought me hope this year has come from participating on a BCD COG Advisory Committee for the Lowcountry Rapid Transit (LCRT) Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Phase 3 planning process. Now that's a mouthful of alphabet soup — but ultimately it is being in a room of... Continue Reading

Earlier this year, Lowcountry Local First (LLF) launched the first Kiva Hub in the state of South Carolina. By operating the Lowcountry Kiva Hub, LLF is helping small businesses and entrepreneurs who have trouble accessing more conventional forms of capital from banks and CDFIs. In addition to... Continue Reading

Why West Ashley's Boom Is Squeezing Out Its Small Businesses West Ashley is not struggling. By every headline metric, it's thriving. The area is one of the fastest-growing parts of the Charleston region. Home prices are climbing and the redevelopment of Ashley Landing alone represents what city... Continue Reading

Note: Public comments on the proposal are due Sept. 21, 2026. Scroll to the bottom for instructions. A billion-dollar private equity firm. A casino making $744 million a year. The federal government wants to call these... small businesses. If you own a shop, a restaurant, or a service business... Continue Reading

Thank you to all of our new and renewing members! Continue Reading

Local-Level Opportunities & Noteworthy Updates Join us in September! Lend your voice at two important upcoming Small Business Advocacy Sessions: The City of North Charleston is busy in planning mode as they rewrite their zoning code in the creation of its new UDO (unified development... Continue Reading

Thank you to all of our new and renewing members! Continue Reading

Thank you to all of our new and renewing members! Continue Reading

What is Independents Month? Independents Month, celebrated throughout July, is part of AMIBA’s national Choose Indie Local program. It’s a dedicated time to honor and uplift the locally owned, independent businesses that build economic opportunity, local character and a sense of... Continue Reading

Local-Level Opportunities & Noteworthy Updates VIEW 2026 LOCAL BUSINESS SURVEY RESULTS Congratulations to the City of North Charleston for being a 2026 National Civic League All America City winner, and to the Town of Mount Pleasant for being inducted into their Hall of Fame for past... Continue Reading

2026 Tri-County Small Business Advocacy Survey The results are in — and Lowcountry Local First is listening. In May-June 2026, we surveyed 116 qualified local business owners across Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley Counties to get a clear, honest picture of how small businesses in our... Continue Reading