NC is ranked in the top 5 for business start-ups in new year

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - You don’t have to go far in Eastern Carolina to find some “coming soon” signs.

“We’re seeing a return back to our smaller communities investing into our main street economies, and what that means through grants through government passing regulations providing incentives. There is a focus in Eastern North Carolina to revitalize our communities,” said Emily Yeager, ECU Crisp Small Business Resource Director.

Forbes Advisor says North Carolina is one of the top 5 best places in the country to start a business, with tons of resources to help.

“One of the things that we really try to do is be a connector for people saying we want to start a business or I want to grow my business and a connector to other partners and what I call an entrepreneur ecosystem,” said Yeager.

Injoy Thrift Store, which already has some locations in Eastern Carolina, is about to open its fourth store and is now taking donations.

“We started a few months ago. We’ve really acquired the property, renovated some, and kind of built it from the ground up. We’re currently building shelves and setting up countertops, building everything,” said David Stewart, Injoy Thrift Store’s General Manager.

Stewart says it did take them a while to find just the right spot for this new location.

“When they had the concept of Greenville was actually the location they wanted to start in, but they couldn’t find the right location or just the time of it all, so they went to other locations, and now they’ve done a circle,” said Stewart.

They’re getting to achieve their goal, and the Director of ECU’s Small Business Resource Center says others can, too.

“Building that confidence is key, and one way to do that is to just take that leap and go ahead and plug into the resources that are here,” said Yeager.

With the new business coming to the area, that also means new jobs. In fact, Injoy is looking for new employees.

There are also a lot of free resources for businesses, such as free one-on-one guidance at ECU’s Small Business Technology and Development Center, along with a free series that is coming up hosted by ECU to help anyone interested in starting an art-focused business.

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