Richard Reed launched Reed Electrical Solutions at the onset of the pandemic in January 2020. Despite the COVID crisis, his business is thriving.
“My wife and I put together a business plan,” Reed says. “We knew there was a demand for skilled trades.”…
Charles and Mary Walker started Ma’s Cakes four years ago in their kitchen. Thanks to the River District Association’s Dream Launch program and the Longwood Small Business Development Center (SBDC), they’ll soon have a brick and mortar location in downtown Danville.…
DeShanta Hairston, owner of Books and Crannies in Uptown Martinsville, knows all about books, but when it comes to running a business, she relies on the Longwood Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to fill in the “crannies.”
Hairston recalls her first visit to SBDC’s business analyst Michael Scales.…
Shelia Reavis, controller for the Family YMCA of Emporia-Greensville, discovered the Crater Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Longwood University while looking for information on Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. She considers it her lucky day.
“I sent out a generic email to the Crater SBDC to ask about applying for PPP loans,” Reavis says.…
Although she had spent years in the foodservice industry, Shakiva Robinson always knew her real passion wasn’t inside a kitchen, it was on the road.
Robinson, who has a degree from Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts in Food Service Management, felt her intentions solidify as the years passed.…
Dr. Japhet LeGrant, owner of the Back and Neck Pain Relief Center in Martinsville, and the Longwood Small Business Development Center (SBDC) work well together — both follow a practice that looks at the “big picture”.
Holistic care, or looking at the whole patient before prescribing treatment, is a concept LeGrant decided to pursue while a student at Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina.…
When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in late March, Farmville’s kayak accessory business lived up to its name. Yak Attack’s owner Luther Cifers attacked the economic slowdown with a common sense solution. In a matter of weeks, his company switched production from kayak accessories to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).…
In 2005, Dr. Vince Magnini joined the SBDC team as its first-ever, pro bono small business consultant from Longwood University’s faculty. Since then, his expertise in both management and marketing has made him an invaluable resource for SBDC clients as he challenges entrepreneurs to think strategically and intentionally about marketing their businesses.…
Katherine Beale understands retail — and its singular importance in the world of small business.
After starting her career in corporate America and spending the bulk of her time in financial services with companies including Mastercard, Beale began working with a community bank and found herself engaging with entrepreneurs regularly.…
In mid-March when the COVID-19 crisis arrived in Martinsville, Will Pearson called Longwood Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Business Analyst Michael Scales. He considers it his lucky day.
“We heard rumors about grants coming out when everything shut down,” Pearson relates.…