Are you a small startup in Virginia? Maybe you’ve been running your small business for a while. No matter what type of business you are in, did you know there are lots of free resources available to help you succeed? The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Virginia offers a wide variety of free services designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs as well as small business owners.
Types of Free Services Available to Virginia Small Business Owners
When you connect your small business with the SBDC of Virginia, you get access to numerous valuable resources. Some of the available state resources you can pursue include:
- Library of Virginia – electronic discussion groups, The Virginia Shop, News, Events, & Programs, Exhibitions, Research Guides, and more resources.
- Virginia Community Capital – Lending, Investing, rebuilding resources for Virginia business owners.
- The Virginia Chamber of Commerce – The “voice” of Virginia businesses.
- Virginia Economic Bridge – works directly with Virginia small businesses on research & planning, survey design & hosting, corporate branding, multi-language development, online survey administration, and more.
- Virginia Economic Development Partnership – a resource for businesses to aid in both the retention and expansion of services.
- The Virginia Business One-Stop – designed for entrepreneurs and small business owners to help plan, develop, and expand their businesses.
Programs Offered from the SBDC of Virginia
The local Virginia SBDC office offers counseling, training, and business information to small business owners and entrepreneurs. In addition, they provide an array of special programs for specific populations. The programs are conducted and maintained by the State Office of the Virginia SBDC Network. They also have full involvement and support of local offices. Additionally, the programs offer Virginia businesses professional guidance, experiential insight, as well as practical experience and expertise. All services provided are kept completely confidential. Programs available include:
- Veterans Assistance
- CBA – Craft Beverage Assistance
- ICAP – Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program
- STAMP – Retailers and Restaurants
SBDC Virginia Business Counseling
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
One of the premier offerings provided by the Virginia SBDC Network is business management counseling. Businesses in every stage of the growth process from startups to first-time entrepreneurs to experienced business owners can take advantage of the counseling services. Some of the services provided to Virginia small business owners include:
- Strategic/Business Planning
- Financial Analysis
- Accounting and Recordkeeping
- Marketing
- International Trade
- Access to Capital
- Operations
- Manufacturing
- Government Procurement
Virginia SBDC clients benefit from the personalized attention they receive from experienced personnel who have the expertise to help them succeed. They receive first-hand, educated advice on running a successful business in Virginia. Both existing and startup business owners receive individualized, confidential counseling specific to their business.
Small-Group Business Training
There are some topics pertinent to businesses that are more easily addressed in a small group setting. This information focuses on the details of the topic rather than the specifics of one’s business. SBDC offers both two-hour and four-hour seminars and training programs on a wide variety of topics relevant to today’s businesses. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these are available by web or phone conferencing until in-person events are resumed.
