Gov. Haley shows her support for S.C. small businesses
Gov. Nikki Haley’s presentation concluded the first-ever Successful Entrepreneurship Series. Leighton Cubbage, chairman of Serrus Capital Partners, introduced her, saying, “Gov. Haley embodies servant leadership and believes in growing business in South Carolina. She sees that Serrus Capital Partners is creating jobs, and she wants to keep that momentum going. As busy as she is, it’s astonishing that she traveled to Greenville to speak to a room of 75 local entrepreneurs.”
During her presentation, the governor recounted the story of her exposure to entrepreneurialism at an early age and how she aims to support small businesses operating in South Carolina.
“My parents didn’t want me to know limitations of age or gender.”
After leaving India and immigrating to the United States, Haley’s family began running a small business out of their home. Thirty years later, that small business had morphed into a multimillion-dollar company. Her parents always stressed the importance of customer service and never limited her involvement in the company, allowing her to take care of the company’s books at age 13.
“In South Carolina, we’re in the customer service business.”
Haley still believes in the power of great customer service. In 2011, she implemented a policy requiring government employees to answer the phone saying, “It’s a great day in South Carolina.” But she said the important part of that greeting was what came next: “How may I help you?” She encourages leaders to learn more by going where they’re uncomfortable – and if they don’t know something, the best way to learn is to listen.
“What I love about entrepreneurs is that they’re survivors. We survive, and we win. And we win because we’re creative.”
Haley says her that while building her team, she surrounded herself with smart people who aren’t afraid to try things. She encourages them to experiment, and be creative when developing solutions. That creativity has led to 18,500 people coming off of welfare in the past several months and being placed into jobs with a 94 percent retention rate.
“New jobs make a town. You see magic happen when you put jobs in place.”
Haley keeps a state map on a bulletin board in her office with pins indicating where jobs have been created. And while bringing big businesses to the state is essential, she also recognizes that 95 percent of South Carolina’s economy is made up of small businesses. Her goal is for the supply chains of those large businesses to be made up of local companies that can provide necessary products and services.
“My customers are my constituents and my businesses.”
Haley says the way in which she sets goals and implements initiatives in South Carolina is no different from how owners run their businesses every day. When large businesses relocate or build facilities in our state, Haley gives the CEO her personal cellphone number. She is a firm proponent of following up without being pushy, and tells CEOs that after a year, they’ll say relocating to South Carolina was the best decision they’ve ever made. She says every single CEO has agreed.
At the conclusion of the governor’s presentation, Cubbage announced a future Successful Entrepreneurship Series for 2014. Anyone interested can visit Successful-Entrepreneurship.com for more information.
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An evolution of Ecoplosion, the Successful Entrepreneurship series is a program developed by industry influencers and experts. The series’ curriculum aims to inspire innovation and encourage individuals to develop ventures that benefit the community. Thought leaders representing a continuum of markets share their experiences, testimony and insight, and offer proven advice on how to successfully foster business ventures. Topics include marketing, social media, financial and accounting basics, human resources, leadership and international business.
