The 12th Annual State of Small Business in the Savannah Area, sponsored by Carver State Bank , will be presented on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 during The City of Savannah’s Mayor Small Business Conference.
The conference begins at 8:00 a.m. with a continental breakfast. The Mayor of Savannah will then welcome the participants at 8:30 a.m.
The State of Small Business will be held from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at the Savannah Civic Center, 301 W Oglethorpe Ave, Savannah, GA
The event is presented by The City of Savannah and sponsored by Carver State Bank.
Small Business Week in Savannah is also supported by the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, with Savannah Business Journal as the media sponsor and Brittany Curry, with Inky Brittany as Graphic Recorder.
Savannah area business leaders from different sectors will each have three minutes to present a brief overview of the current state of affairs in the Savannah area as it pertains to their industries. They will then offer their key insights into what this means to the small business owner.
The conference is free and open to the public, but participants must register for the event at www.savannahga.gov/msbc.
The State of Small Business in the Savannah Area was founded in 2012 by Marjorie Young of Carriage Trade Public Relations® and Joe Marchese of Marchese Construction to help local small business owners gain valuable insight into various industries in the Savannah area. The goal is to provide information that empowers business owners to make informed decisions about their growth within the community.
The following presenters are scheduled to speak during The 2025 State of Small Business in the Savannah Area:
SPEAKER: Moncello Stewart, president of the Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce
TOPIC: Black Business Ownership
(((VIDEO)))SPEAKER: Rhett Mouchet, Associate Broker, Colliers International Savannah
TOPIC: Commercial Real Estate Trends
SPEAKER: Charles “Bo” Bowen, Entertainment and Business Attorney, Founder of The Bowen Firm.
TOPIC: Film Industry in Savannah
(((VIDE0)))SPEAKER: Alfonso Ribot, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Savannah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
TOPIC: Hispanic and Latino Entrepreneurship in Savannah
SPEAKER: Victoria Saxton, President & CEO, Small Business Assistance Corporation
TOPIC: Small Business Access to Capital in the Savannah Region
(((VIDEO)))SPEAKER: Bill Lucas, Founder of Bill Lucas Insurance
TOPIC: Health Insurance / Employee Benefits & Small Business
SPEAKER: Dr. Scott C. Scheidt, chief security officer, Seimitsu IT Services and High-Speed Broadband Fiber
TOPIC: CyberSecurity
SPEAKER: Jesse Dillon, Chief Operating Officer, SEDA
TOPIC: Growth in the Savannah Area
(((VIDEO)))SPEAKER: Stephen Plunk, Director of Government Affairs & Community Relations, Tourism Leadership Council.
TOPIC: Local Tourism
SPEAKER: Michael Toma, Ph.D., Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Economics, Georgia Southern University in Savannah
TOPIC: Small Business Statistical Overview
CONFIDENCE INDEX SURVEY: Phillip Scroggin, Sol Insights
There will be a Q&A session after the presenters.
MEDIA CONTACT
Marjorie Young
Carriage Trade Public Relations®, Inc.
marjorie@carriagetradepr.com
912.844.9990
www.carriagetradepr.com