The State of Small Business

By Mike Switzer

Published February 11, 2016 at 5:20 AM EST

President Obama recently gave his annual (and final) State of the Union address. And then many more "state" addresses followed: State of the State, County, City. But what about the state of the Small Business Comunity? Our next guest's Carolina-based bank recently conducted a study to assess that situation.

Mike Switzer interviews Sharon Bryant, South Carolina region executive for First Citizens Bank.

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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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