Client Services

The CarolinaCard

The CarolinaCard is your official University ID card. It is not transferable (to another person) and must be returned upon request.

Your first student/faculty/staff CarolinaCard (your permanent ID card) is issued at no cost. (One additional ID card will be provided free of charge in instances where an original social security number has been issued subsequent to originally issued ID card.)

To verify your identity, you must provide one of the following at the time your card is made:

• United States Drivers License
• Military ID
• Passport

In order to obtain a Carolina card and Blatt PE card, you must first have a letter certifying your affiliation with the USC/Columbia Technology Incubator (Call 803-545-4423 or contact us to obtain your letter).

Blatt PE Center

Located on Wheat Street, the Blatt PE Center is available to all USC students, faculty, staff with a valid USC-Columbia ID Card.

Blatt Cards are to be picked up at the Blatt PE Center 4 days after your request has been submitted here.

Mentoring & Consulting

The Incubator offers mentoring services by its staff, members and by entrepreneurs in residence. All Incubator companies are required to meet the director at least monthly for company progress reviews.

Mentoring services are provided in several areas including: Strategic planning, assessment in marketing, PR, and a host of other areas

Performance management: Employee assessment, team building, coaching

Performance review and elevator pitch preparation under supervision of potential investors (Angel or VC)

Education, networking and advisory services: Business knowledge and experience through the Moore School of Business faculty and staff

Access to numerous service providers (Attorneys, Accountants, Consultants…) – List available on demand.

Access to the Incubator companies network to share ideas and exchange best practices

Contacts and mentors with the City of Columbia, Richland County and Lexington County

Chamber of Commerce membership: preferred rates for Incubator companies.

Access to the City of Columbia, Richland County, Lexington County

Access to MBA students

Access to grant writing workshops

Access to the following internal services:

• Business coaching
• Business workshops and seminars
• Business services: office equipment, services and supplies
• Network management
• Mentoring and business leader access
• Panels for reviewing fundraising initiatives
• One full-time program logistician
• Translation services
• Part-time management, marketing, accounting and human resource help
• Letter writing
• Facility maintenance
• Phones
• Fax
• Help with city licensing
• Internet access
• Client services; office equipment, services, supplies, etc.
• Conference and video conference rooms
• Graduate student consultants to clients

Access to USC’s…

Access to business knowledge and experience through the Moore School of Business faculty and Staff

Access to free marketing and management studies: if selected, your company will be partnered with a group of 2 to 4 students who will look over and study possible solutions to help you improve your business. For incubator businesses to be part of this project: the applications need to be at the beginning of each semester (November/December and July/August). Once the applications are submitted, the companies will go through a selection: the students choose the projects that they are interested in.

Access to PR and Promotion teams through the Carolina Agency: The Carolina Agency team works on a semester basis. They provide Public Relations and advertising solutions to incubator companies (logo design, brochures, website…). This service is available upon request, and the companies are selected by the Carolina Agency Coordinator, Jeffrey Ranta. The projects will be worked on throughout the semester (Do not forget that the students working for you take other classes and have many other assignments).