In 2023, founder of OakStone Health and Nutrition Samantha Turner went from seeing two or three clients per month to 10+ clients per week.
“This increased access to more affordable nutrition services in my area,” she says. “It has been such a blessing helping so many community members improve their health and reduce the community’s healthcare costs.”…
Ryland Clark’s RCFlyBy drone business started with a hobby that took flight as he learned more about Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Since working with the Longwood SBDC and RISE Business Bootcamp, RCFlyBy has reached new heights of success.
“In 2019 when I started my business, I went to see SBDC Regional Director Lin Hite,” Ryland says.…
Runner and cyclist Adam Jones launched The Brick Running and Tri Store in Danville’s River District out of necessity.
“I was into running and cycling and found myself driving some distance in search of shoes and equipment,” he says. “Driving to Raleigh for shoes one day in 2008, I got stuck in traffic.…
Ann Audrey Eliades Kirk sees beauty and business as a winning combination. She recently turned a century-old building in downtown Hopewell into a center for local artisans to display and sell their work. With help from the Longwood SBDC, Artisan Alley is already headed for success.…
Crystal Peterson Barker’s career as a behavioral analyst began with an ad in the classified pages of a local newspaper.
“After high school I answered an ad to assist an FHA boy,” Crystal relates.
She interviewed for the job and learned that FHA stood for high-functioning autism.…
Mention a family business in Martinsville, and people know where to go — Sweet Heaven Candy Shop, owned and operated by Joe and Shalita Armstrong and their four children, ages nine to 24. When the Longwood SBDC joined the family team, it was a natural fit.…
Shatera Robertson, owner of Unique Styles & Designs Floral Boutique in Uptown Martinsville, built a successful business over the past year with facts and expert guidance. She credits the Longwood SBDC for providing the information that led to that success.
“The key to anything you do in life is wisdom and knowledge,” Shatera says.…
How do you switch industries, move to another state and open a coffee shop in the midst of a pandemic? Former Houston Exxon executive can tell you — he did just that. To get his business off the ground, Josh wisely made the Martinsville office of the Longwood SBDC one of his first stops.…
Dalton Rudd has always loved woodworking and hoped to build a business around that passion someday. Assisted by two regional offices of the SBDC, his vision is now a viable business. WorkbenchRVA, a membership-based public woodworking facility, opened its doors in Richmond last November.…
Catherine Carter turned the page on a new career when she started a book club to help coworkers deal with the pandemic. Now, with help from the Longwood SBDC and Danville’s Dream Launch program, she has her own bookstore, The Dog-Eared Page.…