South Carolina's small businesses are booming, driving 70.9% of the state's new job growth in the past year.

What you need to know: Recently Mastercard hosted a Empowering Small Business: Strategies for Success event in Greenville, where local business owners, policymakers and industry leaders came together to discuss the realities of running a business today, the challenges they face and the opportunities they see for growth.

Their conversations made it clear: Resilience and innovation are powering South Carolina's growth.

Why it's important: Small businesses aren't just part of the economy. Representing 99.9% of all U.S. businesses, they are the economy.

• "We're constantly thinking about how we can help small businesses, because that's the key to not just our economy, but also how we grow together in our communities," says John Levitsky, Mastercard U.S. co-president.

The details: Energy filled the room as the evening kicked off with a roundtable conversation between small business owners, Mastercard leaders and representatives from the local community bank, First Bank.

Business owners had the chance to share their business challenges, expand their network, and share insights for growth. Mastercard and First Bank covered important topics like access to capital, cybersecurity and AI, explaining that the right resources can boost efficiency, safeguard operations and spark innovation.

Mastercard solutions, including Digital Doors and Navigator, sparked interest among entrepreneurs based on the rise of e-commerce and the need for insights and intelligence to compete in a complex marketplace.

First Bank provided valuable education around small business financial inclusion, lending programs and financial products tailored to the needs of small business owners.

• "It was a rich conversation hearing from other small business owners, Mastercard, and First Bank here in Greenville," says Jade Fountain, director of operations at Generational Performance Solutions. "It was also nice to hear about the support in the community from bankers and Mastercard, and the different offerings for small businesses."

Here's more of what they said:

1. Community connections are irreplaceable.

First Bank's EVP of Retail Banking, Bill Bunn, said deep relationships set local banking apart. Mentorship and one-on-one guidance are lifelines for small business owners navigating growth and uncertainty.

• "Everything we do is community and relationship-based — that's our competitive edge," says Bunn.

2. Digital tools unlock growth — and risk.

Most small businesses have gone digital to reach more customers and boost productivity — but this shift comes with exposure that business owners should be prepared for with cybersecurity software.

Key numbers: Nearly half of all cyberattacks target small businesses.

• Growth brings opportunity, but also risk. Mastercard leader, Ginger Siegel, SVP, small business products, says building digital resilience through strong cyber practices is as critical as scaling operations — emphasizing that Mastercard's cybersecurity and fraud protection services assess over 32M online risks daily.

3. AI can empower but not replace.

About 45% of small businesses now use AI, but these tools are most effective when guided by real people.

Mastercard is investing in agentic AI to help drive operational efficiencies so business owners can concentrate on connecting with customers and growing their business.

• "Sometimes it's the person who has a totally different business than you who might teach you something, and that's awesome," says Greenville realtor Kathleen Welch.

Later, the event featured mainstage panel discussions on how the private sector can champion small business growth in South Carolina, and where new avenues exist for collaboration.

During Mastercard's panel, Levitsky shared a simple truth: When small businesses grow, communities thrive. He highlighted Mastercard's commitment to creating tools that help business owners secure capital, reach new customers and hire skilled employees.

• "Mastercard has invested $7 billion over the last five years in cyber-defenses and we're customizing it so small businesses can take advantage of this, many times for free," says Levitsky.

Senator Jason Elliott of South Carolina and Carlos Phillips, chief executive officer of Greenville's Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the importance of partnership, technical education and workforce development.

• "We are making technical schools affordable, and we will continue to do so in addition to working with local employers to make sure tech schools are focused on producing the skills employers are looking for," says Sen. Elliott.
• "It's about focusing on more than bachelor's and master's degrees. How can we prepare someone to be an HVAC tech or a plumber? The talent in those professions and skills are decreasing," says Phillips.

As the mainstage conversations concluded, guests were left with vital information about the new resources and connections they can turn to for support, and the tools across payment solutions, acceptance, cybersecurity and more, that Mastercard offers to help their business thrive.

• "I didn't know the depth of what Mastercard provides; I learned a ton about their education programs," says Jared Little, owner of Southern Libations bar and event spaces in Greenville, including The Rutherford, where Mastercard hosted this event.

The takeaway: The Greenville Empowering Small Business Success event is just one way Mastercard shows its commitment to small business growth. Hearing directly from the community matters, enabling Mastercard to shape their product and partnership roadmap to better equip small businesses.

Current resources include:

• Digital Doors: Helps get your business online, protected and equipped with the right digital and financial tools.
• Small Business Navigator: A new offering including education, insights, and planning tools for small business owners.
• Mastercard Strive USA: Philanthropic small business development program, helping businesses get access to capital, go digital, and grow networks.
• Small Business AI: A conversational generative AI coach helping guide small businesses.

Join Mastercard's Small Business Community today.