“Is this a video of you?” Nope, That’s a Phish

It’s no secret that cybercriminals love social media. Bad guys use platforms like Facebook and Instagram to impersonate your real friends and followers. Using this disguise, the scammers try to trick you into sharing sensitive information.

Here&a...

HIRING: Recruitment event scheduled for January 23

Vehicle versus pedestrian accident under investigation

The Bluffton Police Department is currently investigating a vehicle versus pedestrian accident that occurred early morning on New Year’s Day.

Officers were called to the area of 300 Buck Island Road around 5:45 a.m. for the report of a vehicle ve...

Early Wednesday morning shooting under investigation

Bluffton Police Department officers are investigating shots fired at a residence located at 218 Simmonsville Road in which unknown suspect(s) fired multiple rounds at the house.

The residents were inside the house; however no one was injured during the inc...

SCAM ALERT: BPD phone number used in scam

The Bluffton Police Department wants community members to be aware of a phone scam that is currently happening in the area. 

Officers have received a report from a community member who stated the Bluffton Police Department’s phone number...

South Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week

Governor Henry McMaster has proclaimed the week of November 29 through December 5, 2020, as South Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service along with the agencies that com...

Jobs

SERVE WITH HONOR. LIVE WITH PRIDE

The Bluffton Police Department is hiring. This is your opportunity to work in a community that values your service.

A recruitment event is scheduled for January 23, 2021 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Learn more about the department,...

Volunteer

Explorer Program

Innovator Startup Opportunities

Are you an entrepreneur with a business idea or an early stage startup on the brink of taking your business to the next level?

Existing Business Growth Programs

Now, more than ever, the DRCI is here to help take established businesses to the next level. In addition to our work with entrepreneurs, we’re here to help businesses of all sizes and stages continue to grow.

Membership Options for You

Become part of our vibrant business community and gain access to the resources, programs and services proven to help entrepreneurs, startups and established businesses of all sizes thrive.

Mentors Making a Difference

We believe in the power of a great mentor – which is why we created a Mentorship Program unlike any other in the region. We actively work to pair innovators with a mentor for their specific industry and needs.

DRCI WELCOMES HARDEEVILLE TO EXPANDING BUSINESS PROGRAM

The Don Ryan Center for Innovation (DRCI) has announced an expansion of the organization’s business-building programs and services into the City of Hardeeville. The DRCI will now be working closely with Hardeeville businesses to provide important...

No Monkeying Around: The Lowcountry's Startup Guru is Serious About Business

As seen in the new Lowcountry publication LocalBiz, David discusses his passion for building successful companies and discusses the questions you need to ask yourself to ensure they are preparing and creating a roadmap of success...

Read the article here.

The Don Ryan Center for Innovation Launches Women's Networking and Mastermind Group

The Don Ryan Center for Innovation has announced the launch of a new women’s professional group, launching in January 2021.

The group, Networking Entrepreneurial Women (NEW) Masterminds of the Lowcountry, was created to provide professional women throughout the Lowcountry with an opportunity to network with other women professionals and have access to a wide range of ...

Incubator for Innovation

Don Ryan Center for Innovation Expands Opportunities for Startups and Growing Businesses

Read the full article in Hilton Head Monthly's December issue.

David Nelems Discusses Staring a Business during COVID

VP of Innovation of the Don Ryan Center for Innovation David Nelems gives a few tips for people that are thinking about starting a business during this challenging time.

Watch the video interview.

Berl Davis Named Chair of Don Ryan Center Board

Read the article in the Bluffton Sun.

David Nelems Sits Down With Lowcountry CEO

Do you know how the DRCI started? David Nelems, VP of Innovation discusses the genesis of the center, and why the Town of Bluffton Government strives to provide programming and resources to help businesses in Beaufort County thrive.

Bluffton Joint Information Center Update

August 7, 2020 Updates on COVID-19.

Bluffton JIC: August 7, 2020- COVID-19 Update

Opening Up The Books

Building Resilient and Financially Strong Businesses Through the DRCI and the Small Business Economic Resiliency Program

The effects of the COVID-19 crisis on small businesses continue to impact business owners and entrepreneurs throughout our region – with businesses not only terribly impacted by the disruption brought on by the pandemic, but now facing unique ch...

DRCI offers free membership, flex space at The HUB and comprehensive resource guide

As part of the Small Business Economic Resiliency Plan approved by the Bluffton Town Council in April, the Don Ryan Center for Innovation (DRCI) is offering FREE membership for a year.

As part of the Small Business Economic Resiliency Plan approved by the Bluffton Town Council in April, the Don Ryan Center for Innovation (DRCI) is expanding its mission, and taking on an important role in helping to assist small businesses through the ec...

Don Ryan Center for Innovation: SBA Loans for Small Businesses 101

Small businesses have been hit hard by mandatory closures and safety measures required to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Small businesses have been hit hard by mandatory closures and safety measures required to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). But businesses have a growing number of resources and relief programs to turn to. The U.S. Small Business Administrati...

Free webinars offer insight, tips for all businesses

The Don Ryan Center for Innovation will host two free Zoom webinars in May, geared to provide strategic business insight and tips for professionals throughout all industries. The webinars will be held May 7 and 12 from noon to 1 p.m.

The Don Ryan Center for Innovation will host two free Zoom webinars in May, geared to provide strategic business insight and tips for professionals throughout all industries. The webinars will be held May 7 and 12 from noon to 1 p.m.

The first webinar is &...

Don Ryan Center for Innovation: How to Manage your Credit and Finances in a Crisis

It’s been a tough few weeks for, well, the world as we navigate a new normal amid the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s been a tough few weeks for, well, the world as we navigate a new normal amid the coronavirus pandemic. While the current situation may cause worry, staying calm and taking actions to protect your health and financial well-being will help yo...

Don Ryan Center For Innovation Offers Two Upcoming Free May Zoom Webinars For Businesses On May 7th

The Don Ryan Center for Innovation will be hosting two free Zoom Webinars in May, geared to provide strategic business insight and tips for professionals throughout all industries.

Staff Report From Low Country CEO

The Don Ryan Center for Innovation will be hosting two free Zoom Webinars in May, geared to provide strategic business insight and tips for professionals throughout all industries.  The two free Zoom Webinars will...

Greenbug is reclaiming the Lowcountry’s yards

Their idea for cedar-enhanced personal sprays blossomed into something bigger when the couple connected with the Don Ryan Center for Innovation in Bluffton, joining as innovators in 2012.

Elongator inventors rev up the auto industry

“It opened up a lot of doors. David had a lot of connections with a lot of these state agencies, and we found this manufacturer because of the Don Ryan Center,” DeSimone said. “We never would have gotten there without them.”

Work anywhere

Advances in technology have made it possible for many professionals to work from almost anywhere.

Biz Pitch

BizPitch was sponsored by SunTrust Bank and hosted by SCORE Lowcountry, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, and The Don Ryan Center for Innovation.

Merger of Bluffton economic groups targets ‘one-stop shop’ for development

Bluffton’s two public economic development organizations are becoming one.

Key Takeaways from 2020: What the Hardest Year in Memory Has Taught Us About Running a Business

Business owners are no strangers to challenges, but no one could have prepared for 2020. From economic crashes, political turmoil, and the COVID-19 crisis, brands across the country struggled to cope. Now...

Business owners are no strangers to challenges, but no one could have prepared for 2020. From economic crashes, political turmoil, and the COVID-19 crisis, brands across the country struggled to cope. Now that the hardest year in memory is firmly behind u...

How to Make Better Business Decisions

Business owners make choices every day that affect their companies’ futures. From overseeing employee activities to deciding where and how to invest their business’ resources, executives are constantly weighing their options. But entrepreneurs...

Business owners make choices every day that affect their companies’ futures. From overseeing employee activities to deciding where and how to invest their business’ resources, executives are constantly weighing their options. But even though entrepreneurs...

Holiday Season Survival Guide for Business Owners

For business owners, the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year and the busiest. The weeks leading up to Christmas have the potential to drive the most profitable sales season of the year. But between the rush of...

For business owners, the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year and the busiest. The weeks leading up to Christmas have the potential to drive the most profitable sales season of the year. But between the rush of customers, holiday campaign...

Five Ways Your Business Can Give Back This Season

As a business owner, it’s easy to get distracted during the holidays – with the holiday season often bringing a burst in activity and, often, a boom in business. So, while this time of year is undoubtedly a busy time for business owners, it’s also...

As a business owner, it’s easy to get distracted during the holidays – with the holiday season often bringing a burst in activity and, often, a boom in business. So, while this time of year is undoubtedly a busy time for business owners, it’s also the per...

Five Strategies for Getting Outside Your Comfort Zone

Think back to the goals you once had for yourself that suddenly vanished. Maybe you wanted to take up a new hobby but never got around to it, or perhaps you were serious about starting a business for a little while, but you never made it past...

Think back to the goals you once had for yourself that suddenly vanished. Maybe you wanted to take up a new hobby but never got around to it, or perhaps you were serious about starting a business for a little while, but you never made it past the planning...

Five Ways to Build a More Resilient Business

Too many business leaders refer to the coronavirus pandemic as a "black swan" – a random catastrophe that touched almost every aspect of our personal and professional lives. However, warnings have been coming for years from experts about...

Too many business leaders refer to the coronavirus pandemic as a "black swan" – a random catastrophe that touched almost every aspect of our personal and professional lives. However, warnings have been coming for years from experts about the pos...

Seven Ways to Become a Better Leader

Being a leader isn't as straightforward as some of us think.

When talking about leaders, it’s easy to group them into two categories: good and bad. Maybe you had a mentor who effortlessly guided you through one of the biggest challenges of your career or an overly-critical boss who left you wondering if you were ev...

Top Five Qualities to Look For in a Business Mentor

Not all mentors are created equal.

It’s one of the things we believe in the most, and something that we personally have seen make a tremendous difference for businesses in every industry: the power of a great business mentor.  Everyone needs a mentor in their career, if ...

Six Reasons Why You Should Bring Your Business Online

Whether you build a website or create some social media accounts, here are six reasons why you should bring your business online.

As a business owner, we understand why you may be hesitant to bring your business online. We hear the same explanations a lot: you’re not tech-savvy, you’re still bringing new business to your office, or you already have too much on yo...

How to Take Action on a Business Idea: That All-Important “First Step”

So you’ve had a business idea. A breakthrough. A “Eureka!” moment. But now what?

Million-dollar ideas aren’t as illusive as they’re made out to be, but few people take the initiative to turn their dream into reality. Taking action on a business idea requires courage, resources, and time. As the old saying goes, &am...

Five Great Productivity Apps That You Should Download Today

Productivity apps are excellent tools for time management, collaboration, and organization.

Whether you need to get in touch with your team, keep track of your to-do list, or get work done on-the-go – there’s an app for that. Here are some great apps that you can download to help maximize your time.

• Trello. Trello is ...

Small Business Budgeting: Tips for Making a Budget You’ll Stick To

One of the most important aspects of running a small business is managing your bottom line -- which is a great deal easier if you have a working budget.

A well-planned and carefully managed budget allows you to track every aspect of your cash flow, from your monthly profits to annual expenses, and how much revenue you need to keep your business going. By putting these numbers on paper, you’re mo...

Tips for Securing Start-up Funding

If you’re an entrepreneur in the planning stages of starting your own business, it’s likely that securing the funds to launch your company is one of your top priorities.

Whether you’re about to launch your first business, or you’re a seasoned business owner about to start a new venture, there are a number of steps you should take – and resources you can uncover – in order to raise t...

How to Prioritize When Everything is a Priority

Everything seems equally important and time-sensitive. So how can you prioritize when everything is a priority?

All small business owners know the importance of setting goals and reaching them. But between the constant stream of incoming emails, unexpected issues that arise daily and 20 tasks that need to be done, well, yesterday, it can be hard to know where to st...

SBA Disaster Loan Program Updates

If you have not applied for an EIDL Loan, the portal is now open on the SBA website for new applications.

If you have not applied for an EIDL Loan, the portal is now open on the SBA website for new applications.

The EIDL process is two steps:

1. You first receive an advance (equal to $1K per employee).

2. If you qualify, you will receive an email from SBA offeri...

The HUB

Irony is a weird thing. For the past three years plans for the DRCI having its own space have been in the works.

Irony is a weird thing.  For the past three years plans for the DRCI having its own space have been in the works.  From our first days as an occupant at CareCore (now EviCore), to a “temporary” trailer that lasted 2+ ...

SC Small Businesses Now Eligible for SBA Disaster Assistance

While there are certainly significant challenges being faced by all of us, we are also encouraged by the many ways in which our community is also showing how we support one another.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering South Carolina low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).  If you ...

Town seeks applicants for vacancies on Boards, Commissions and Committees

Town purchases the Sarah Riley Hooks Cottage, a historically significant home

The Town of Bluffton purchased the Sarah Riley Hooks Cottage and its surrounding property at 76 Bridge Street for $475,000 from private owners, Kehinde Thomas and Tavi Fields from Matthews, North Carolina in an effort to preserve historically significant ...

Town to hold strategic planning workshop

Town hires Lee Levesque as director of emergency management

Lee Levesque is the Town of Bluffton’s new director of emergency management, effective January 28. Levesque will direct all aspects of the Town’s emergency management program and will also act as the Town’s risk manager. Prio...

SC170 lane closure notice

Graham County Land Company will begin vegetation grinding work along SC 170 between the SC 46 May River Rd traffic circle and the US 278 Fording Island Road interchange today (1/19/2021). 

Expect single left lane closures for work to be performed ...

HIRING: Bluffton Police Department to hold recruitment event

Town offices closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. day

Bluffton Town offices will be closed Monday, January 18 in observance of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 

As a reminder, the Town of Bluffton is still open during regular business hours. However, person to person meetings within the Customer Ser...

Municipal Court suspending in-person hearings

The Town of Bluffton is suspending in-person court hearings in compliance with a directive from the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. According to the directive, in-person hearings throughout the state are suspended as of January 11 due t...

Town Manager announces resignation

Town Manager Marc Orlando resigned his position Monday, January 4, with the Town of Bluffton and accepted the town manager position for the Town of Hilton Head Island.  The effective date of resignation will be determined in the coming weeks.&...

Town meetings to remain virtual in January

The Town of Bluffton’s public meeting schedule for January is listed below.

All public meetings will be held via Zoom and will broadcast on the Town of Bluffton Government’s Facebook page.

Town Council:

Regular Meeting: January 12 at 5 p....

Vehicle versus pedestrian accident under investigation

Town offices are closed for the Christmas holiday and New Year’s Day

Bluffton Town offices will be closed Thursday, December 24 and Friday December 25 and Friday, January 1 in observance of Christmas and New Year’s Day. 

As a reminder, the Town of Bluffton is still open during regular business hours, with...

Town of Bluffton: 2020 Year in Review

The Town of Bluffton is proud to present its 2020 highlights and accomplishments.

COVID-19 Town Initiatives & Operations: 

Since early March, the Town of Bluffton has been focused on the COVID-19 global pandemic and mitigating the community&am...

Bluffton’s Garvin-Garvey House receives fourth statewide award

The South Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIASC)  awarded Meadors, Inc., a Charleston-based multi-discipline historic preservation firm, a “Citation Award for Adaptive Reuse and Preservation” for the Garvin-Garvey House ...

Dominion Energy to begin pruning trees as preventive safety and maintenance measure

Dominion Energy, formerly South Carolina Electric & Gas, is scheduled to begin trimming trees in the Town that are close to power lines in early December. The process will take approximately three months and is necessary to help prevent the loss of po...

SCAM ALERT: BPD phone number used in scam

The Bluffton Police Department wants community members to be aware of a phone scam that is currently happening in the area. 

Officers have received a report from a community member who stated the Bluffton Police Department’s phone number...

Town of Bluffton December public meeting schedule

South Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week

Governor Henry McMaster has proclaimed the week of November 29 through December 5, 2020, as South Carolina Winter Weather Preparedness Week. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service along with the agencies that com...

Town of Bluffton offices closed November 11 in honor of Veterans Day

Town of Bluffton offices will be closed Wednesday, November 11 in honor of Veterans Day. 

As a reminder, the Town of Bluffton business hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  On Fridays, the Town of Bluffton i...

Town of Bluffton installing sidewalks around perimeter of Oscar Frazier Park’s “Field of Dreams

The Town of Bluffton has begun installing approximately a quarter mile of concrete and oyster shell sidewalks around the perimeter of grassy area of Oscar Frazier Park known as the “Field of Dreams.” This sidewalk will connect the pavilion and the Rotary ...

Town to host reverse Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 5

The Town of Bluffton will host its annual Bluffton Christmas parade as a “reverse” parade, Saturday, December 5, as a way to keep its holiday traditions alive while incorporating health and safety precautions due to the COVID-19 pandem...

Waste Management adds new recycling routes in Bluffton

Waste Management, the Town of Bluffton’s contracted waste disposal and recycling provider, is adding an additional truck and “rebalancing” recycling routes in Bluffton to accommodate the increased recycling demand. This will ...

Town Manager selects next Chief of Police

Bluffton Town Manager Marc Orlando has announced Stephenie Price, who currently serves as the assistant chief of police for Savannah, Georgia, will become the Town of Bluffton chief of police when she is sworn in October 12.

Orlando said he selected Steph...

Town of Bluffton and neighboring municipalities participate in Census Day, September 9

Town of Bluffton, along with City of Beaufort, Town of Port Royal, Town of Hilton Head, Beaufort County, the Town of Yemassee and the City of Hardeeville will participate in a region wide Census Day, Wednesday, September 9 in an effort to increase the Cen...

Town of Bluffton cancels SC Beach Sweep/River Sweep

The Town of Bluffton’s Annual Beach Sweep/River Sweep, scheduled for September 19, 2020, is canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This event is coordinated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the South Carolina Sea ...

New deadline for U.S. Census – September 30, 2020

State and federal money doesn’t follow the need, it follows the numbers.

The U.S. Census announced its new deadline is September 30 versus the end of October.

The U.S. Census is the one-stop-shop data source for how communities are funded through ...

Town begins sewer project in Historic District (Pritchard Street)

The Town of Bluffton has awarded a construction contract to Jordan Construction of Hilton Head, Inc. to install sanitary sewer on Pritchard Street. This is the first of six phases of sewer construction in Bluffton’s Historic District. This first...

COVID-19 Information

Town of Bluffton leaders remain in close communication with federal, state and regional officials including representatives the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and area healthcare ...

Dominion Energy to begin pruning trees

Dominion Energy, formerly South Carolina Electric & Gas, is scheduled to begin trimming trees in the Town that are close to power lines in early December. The process will take approximately three months and is necessary to help prevent the loss of po...