South Carolina Business Review

Celebrating 60 years of free service to small businesses

By Mike Switzer

Published November 8, 2024 at 6:30 AM EST

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Irina Agoulnik, associate district director for South Carolina in the Southeast region of SCORE in Myrtle Beach.

SCORE, a volunteer small business assistance program from the US Small Business Administration, recently celebrated 60 years of providing mentoring and education services for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Mike Switzer interviews Irina Agoulnik, associate district director for South Carolina in the Southeast region of SCORE, in Myrtle Beach.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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