National Small Business Week is May 4-10

By Mike Switzer

Published April 2, 2025 at 6:30 AM EDT

Melissa Lindler, district director of the South Carolina District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration in Columbia, S.C.

According to our next guest’s agency, 43% of our state’s workforce is employed by the small business community which makes it the largest employment segment in South Carolina. This and more will be celebrated soon in our capital city as National Small Business Week arrives May 4th through 10th. Mike Switzer interviews Melissa Lindler, district director of the South Carolina District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration in Columbia, S.C.

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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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