Google helps small businesses win with AI
September 23, 2026
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, Berkeley County Economic Development and representatives from Google held a complimentary Grow with Google: Making AI Work for You workshop designed to empower and teach small business owners and entrepreneurs how to utilize AI to support their business operations.
Several local business owners attended to learn more about practical ways to save time, boost sales and grow their teams. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce 85% of the small businesses that use AI saw an increase in sales over the last year, and 82% grew their teams.
“Small businesses fuel our economy and give our communities character,” said Lilyn Hester, Global Community Development and Engagement/AI Advisor at Google. “Google is proud to call Berkeley County home and being a good neighbor means investing in the people and businesses that make this community what it is. That’s why we are offering complimentary AI workshops for small businesses, so local business owners can get hands-on with new tools, save time and find new ways to grow, no matter their technical background. When small businesses succeed, the entire community benefits.”
Americans widely recognize the need for digital skills training, such as those provided by Grow with Google. Google hopes to address these education demands nationwide by supporting the nonprofits, schools, and community organizations that are working hard to ensure more Americans have the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly digital economy.
About Google in South Carolina
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Google Cloud, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world.
Google has invested $13 billion in South Carolina where more than 300,000 businesses use Google’s tools at no cost to receive phone calls, bookings, reviews and requests for directions. Google has proudly called South Carolina home for more than 15 years with data centers in Berkeley and Dorchester Counties.
