Potomac Local News – Local news for Prince William, Stafford, Manassas, Fredericksburg

Succeeding as a small business can be difficult these days, but small business leaders in the Fredericksburg area can turn to the University of Mary Washington’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for lessons on success. The center supports future entrepreneurs in their pursuit of economic growth through education, advice, networking and supporting research.

“A lot of people want to be their own boss,” said Susan Ball, the SBDC’s director. She sees this as the main reason people want to own a small business, followed by the ability to make more money and the feeling of being able to do better.

Ball started out as a small business owner, running a chain of pizza restaurants in Orange, Virginia, and knows the challenges there. At her restaurant, she was having trouble recruiting and retaining staff – a common problem in today’s small business world. Your current students can understand their experiences firsthand.

In the classroom, SBDC offers lessons such as “Getting Started in Starting an Online Business Module” and “Creating a Statement of Work,” among others, to serve as a guide for future small business owners. For example, a capability statement is an important foundation for a company. It is an advertising or marketing statement about your company, its capabilities and skills, and promotes who you are and what you do. An important element to build on.

There are many aspects that businesses can leverage, and social media plays a big role in this. The SBDC has a section for this that focuses on the big three in social media: Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Facebook is still a big player, but seems to be fading away compared to the other three. The future of TikTok in this country is also in question, so small business owners need to be flexible and up to date when it comes to trend changes.

The SBDC has helped a number of organizations in the past, including some success stories such as Obsidian Solutions Group, a government contractor that does a lot of business in Quantico, and the Olde Towne Butcher Shop in Fredericksburg. At Obsidian, “we worked on their business plan,” Ball said, and now the owners are returning to the SBDC and giving classroom lectures. The butcher shop got off to a great start and is still open, although under different ownership.

Although the SBDC helps small business owners start or expand their businesses, there are also opportunities to rethink this endeavor. Here are five questions potential entrepreneurs should consider before taking the big step. Do they have money and time to invest? Can they easily make a big decision? Do they have specialist knowledge? Is the family behind it? The SBDC offers an introductory course called “Getting Started in Business” that can help answer these questions.

The SBDC is a nationwide resource that plans to build on a partnership with Stafford Economic Development by partnering with the annual Veterans Business Bootcamp in the fall. Stafford also participates in the UMW Business Acumen Series, which offers six seminars on a variety of topics. This program is led by Teresa Segelken, Director of Continuing Education and Professional Studies for Stafford County.

Joining Ball in the SBDC main office are Matthew Fleming and Bianka Rosales, other teachers. Fleming is a retired Navy captain who founded six small businesses in Stafford County. Rosales is an entrepreneurship and communications manager at UMW’s Center for Economic Development.

Mike Salmon is a freelance reporter for Potomac Local News.If you’re not receiving our FREE email newsletter, you’re missing out. Subscribe now!