If you’re ready to build a strong brand for your business, join #GrowWithGoogle & @Canva during #SmallBusinessWeek to learn how brand consistency can attract more customers. Available to U.S. & Canada residents on 5/5 at 12 pm EST goo.gle/GrowOnAirMay5
The Federal Government buys over $600 billion per year on goods and services, 23% of that spend is allocated for small businesses. This is a huge opportunity for small firms to grow their business and become part of the challenging world of Government Contracting. Before entering into this arena you must first know how to market yourself to the government. This presentation will help you prepare your firm to get noticed by the government and prime buyers by developing a proper marketing plan and strategy.
In this session you will learn:
- Steps to take to be where you can be found by buyers
- Preparing a winning capability statement
- Organize your website, business cards and marketing materials
- Prepare a marketing plan to attract buyers
Who should attend: Current small business owners in all industries who are curious about expanding their business to include government contracting
Date: Tuesday, May 24
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Presenters: Lisa Wood, Virginia PTAC Director + Ramain Gohar, Business Manager, Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity
Every craft beverage producer in America, no matter its size, structure, or stage, will come into contact with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the lead Federal agency overseeing the production and sale of alcohol. In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden will ask TTB Investigator Len Lee about the key regulations governing the safe and responsible manufacturing of beer, wine, and spirits, from pre-launch licensing to label approvals and beyond.
Speaker: Len Lee, Investigator, Southeast District, Trade Investigations Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
Len Lee is an investigator with TTB’s Trade Investigations Division in the Southeast District. He has a total of 32 years of Law Enforcement experience. Len works on a variety of alcohol – and tobacco-related cases, including tax, product integrity, and permit investigations. He began his career with TTB in 2008. He has a BS degree in Criminal Justice from Mountain State University and lives in Jacksonville, Florida.
Are you a small, women-owned, or minority-owned business who wants to do business with the Commonwealth of Virginia? Small business owners who are looking to participate in Virginia’s specialized procurement and contracting opportunities are encouraged to become SWaM certified. The SWaM certification is a vehicle to promote economic growth of Virginia’s businesses.
Becoming SWaM certified is just the first step in doing business with the Commonwealth.
This workshop will cover:
+The SWaM Certification process
+Required documents needed to apply
+How to use the certification to do business with the Commonwealth (intro to eVA, Virginia’s Online Procurement Portal).
+This event is in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity and the Roanoke Regional SBDC.
Who should attend: Current small business owners in all industries who are curious about expanding their business to include government contracting
Date: Thursday, June 2
Time: 10:00AM-11:00AM
Speaker(s): Ramain Gohar
A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration
Do you need:
- Research assistance for your business plan or market study?
- Professional development surrounding HR, accounting, and marketing?
- A jumpstart for your business idea?
- Job search assistance?
- A place to meet clients?
- A telework location?
Look no further than your local public library, in person and online. While each location is different, every library, through the Library of Virginia, has access to digital resources, learning assets, and research tools to help you meet your career and business goals. Join us to learn more!
Presenters:
- Nan Carmack – Director of the Library Development and Networking Division, Library of Virginia (nan.carmack@lva.virginia.gov) (and small business owner!)
- Barry Trott – Adult Services Consultant, Library of Virginia (barry.trott@lva.virginia.gov)
Updated for 2022
Confused about on blockchain for your business? We’ve got you covered.
We demystify blockchain in this illustrative program that includes a Q&A session to answer your questions.
This session will cover:
- Introduction to Blockchain
- Blockchain vs. Bitcoin – how are they different?
- How Blockchain can be used for small business
- Accepting cryptocurrency as a form of payment
- Use of smart contracts
- Use of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
- Using blockchain to raise capital
- Looking towards the future of blockchain technologies
- Current rate of blockchain adoption in business
- Moving towards cryptocurrency as national currency
- Industry Applications
- Safety and Privacy Concerns
Presenter:
Cameron Nelson, Chief Digital Advisor, Virginia SBDC and Central Virginia SBDC
In an era where cyber incidents are on the rise, ensuring you have a cyber incident response plan means you know how to respond to a serious security incident, such as a data breach, data leak, ransomware attack, or loss of sensitive information.
During this session, we will walk you through the basics of creating a cyber incident response plan for your organization. By the end of this hour, you should feel equipped to put a basic incident response plan together.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Business Owners, Management Teams, Cybersecurity Professionals and individuals within an organization responsible for cybersecurity, risk management or information security
Meet the Expert
Quiana Gainey is a 20+ year IT & Cybersecurity industry veteran and has served as Chief Executive Officer for SecureTech360 located in Springfield, VA since its inception in 2010. Ms. Gainey has an extensive background in the IT industry, including information assurance, cyber-security and research/development for the Federal, State or Local government. She also founded MySecureKid in 2018 a 501C (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the field of cybersecurity, and information technology. Ms. Gainey has an MBA, a BS in Information Technology Management and Cybersecurity.
Your registration is not complete until you register in Zoom. REGISTER HERE
Who doesn’t want higher sales and more customers? Let’s just make sure More = Good for you and your company.
Join us for this Small Business Growth interactive webinar series in partnership with Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce. Held on the 3rd Weds. of each month, these discussions will challenge your way of thinking and help you avoid common pitfalls as you grow your business whether you are just starting out or have years of experience!
RSVP to events@luraypage.com or 540-743-3915 by the Tuesday prior to receive the Zoom link plus session materials.
Presented by Virginia SBDC Inclusivity Ambassador, Dr. Hope Murphy. This 45-minute informal information session will help you to get the most out of SBDC RESOURCES, programs, and networks in support of your small business.
As the largest small business support program in the country, the SBDC offers the services that small business owners need to succeed such as:
- Small Business counseling (free)
- Specialty programs (free)
- Access to business data and information (free)
- Cybersecurity training
- Small business loan process
- Training
After this session, you will know what is available, how to access it, and how to make the most of your free counseling sessions with the SBDC.
About the Presenter
Dr. Hope Murphy specializes in connecting business owners with the resources needed to build their businesses. Her experience includes providing business counseling to veterans through the Veteran’s Business Outreach Center and counseling/training entrepreneurs at the Women’s Business Center.
While Dr. Murphy counsels all small business owners, her passion is to provide business counseling that supports the unique needs of minority business owners.
Dr. Murphy is a small business owner and she provides diversity and inclusion training to organizational leaders and their teams. She and her family live in Stafford, Virginia. hmurph3@gmu.edu
A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration, please be on the lookout for it.
Sell, don’t sell, engage, add value, sell – it makes our heads spin! If you’re in the same boat, join us for this workshop were we’ll dive into how to create engaging content that adds value while also selling. Yeah, it’s a mouthful! We’ve got you covered.
Date: Monday, July 11
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Who should attend: Current small business owners in all industries
Speaker(s): Nicole Cooper
A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration
Do you reside in the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia and are thinking about starting a new business?
Do you have questions about how to move forward? Are you considering moving your hobby into a more structured business form? Have you already started your small business and now realize you may have missed a few things?
Your Shenandoah Valley SBDC has answers, information, and resources to help!
In our Start Smart Workshops, we discuss the path to good decisions and a successful start. You’ll learn to take a thorough 360° approach to your business and all its components – from product development to target marketing to financial projections and bookkeeping. We also cover the regulations and registrations you need to know.
Follow-up appointments are then available with SBDC business advisors to focus on your individual business growth needs.
Note that this is a live, on-line Webinar.
Thank you for your registration to Start Smart Workshop via Zoom Time: July 13, 10:00 AM Eastern Time Zoom Link will be sent via email in advance.
Looking forward to seeing you there! Please let me know in advance if you are unable to attend via email to krechjh@jmu.edu. Thank You. Joyce Krech, Shenandoah Valley SBDC Event Information: Start Smart
Presented by Virginia SBDC Inclusivity Ambassador, Dr. Hope Murphy. This 45-minute informal information session will help you to get the most out of SBDC RESOURCES, programs, and networks in support of your small business.
As the largest small business support program in the country, the SBDC offers the services that small business owners need to succeed such as:
- Small Business counseling (free)
- Specialty programs (free)
- Access to business data and information (free)
- Cybersecurity training
- Small business loan process
- Training
After this session, you will know what is available, how to access it, and how to make the most of your free counseling sessions with the SBDC.
About the Presenter
Dr. Hope Murphy specializes in connecting business owners with the resources needed to build their businesses. Her experience includes providing business counseling to veterans through the Veteran’s Business Outreach Center and counseling/training entrepreneurs at the Women’s Business Center.
While Dr. Murphy counsels all small business owners, her passion is to provide business counseling that supports the unique needs of minority business owners.
Dr. Murphy is a small business owner and she provides diversity and inclusion training to organizational leaders and their teams. She and her family live in Stafford, Virginia. hmurph3@gmu.edu
A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration, please be on the lookout for it.
Growing a business means making sure each part plays in sync with each other.
Join us for this Small Business Growth interactive webinar series in partnership with Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce. Held on the 3rd Weds. of each month, these discussions will challenge your way of thinking and help you avoid common pitfalls as you grow your business whether you are just starting out or have years of experience!
RSVP to events@luraypage.com or 540-743-3915 by the Tuesday prior to receive the Zoom link plus session materials.
Updated for 2022
Businesses need to understand the basics of digital marketing now more than ever, because digital marketing creates growth.
Learn about the basics of digital marketing, including:
- Social Media
- Email Marketing
- Paid Ads
- SEO
- Affiliate Marketing
- How to use analytics to measure your success
Your registration is not complete until you register in Zoom. The Zoom registration will appear on the last screen.
Instructor: Cameron Nelson, Chief Digital Advisor, Virginia SBDC and CV SBDC
Mr. Nelson has over 18 years experience in technology, and as a senior tech consultant in Silicon Valley helping Fortune 500 companies improve their digital marketing and eCommerce. At the same time he founded several tech companies, including a SaaS website for tree preservation and a blockchain platform for nonprofits. Cameron is accomplished in language, culture, has an MBA and MA and believes new technology products have the ability to help shape our world for the better.
Do you reside in the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia and are thinking about starting a new business?
Do you have questions about how to move forward? Are you considering moving your hobby into a more structured business form? Have you already started your small business and now realize you may have missed a few things?
Your Shenandoah Valley SBDC has answers, information, and resources to help!
In our Start Smart Workshops, we discuss the path to good decisions and a successful start. You’ll learn to take a thorough 360° approach to your business and all its components – from product development to target marketing to financial projections and bookkeeping. We also cover the regulations and registrations you need to know.
Follow-up appointments are then available with SBDC business advisors to focus on your individual business growth needs.
Thank you for your registration to Start Smart Workshop via Zoom Time: July 28th at 10:00am. Please find the Zoom link and review PDF Workbook attached in the reminder email 48 hours in advance. Please let me know if you are unable to attend or have questions via email to duganaj@jmu.edu
Thank You! Allison Dugan, Shenandoah Valley SBDC