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.…

Tiffany Musselman knows that beauty, like running a business, doesn’t just happen. That’s why she consulted the Longwood SBDC before launching Flawless Aesthetics and Wellness in South Hill in August 2021.

Tiffany’s interest in skin care and beauty started in high school.…

Amy Venable-Turner, owner of the Genesis Learning Center, believes learning never stops. She’s built a thriving day care business focused on that approach.

“I started working for Genesis, a church-operated day care, when I was 21,” she says. Amy completed a degree in early childhood education and then decided to take a job on the West Coast.…

In-Depth Productions owner Carl Bassfield recently opened for business on Main Street in Blackstone. Partnering with the Longwood Small Business Development Center, he’s turned a passion for photography into a profitable business.

In-Depth Productions, a full-fledged media company, now offers photography and cinematography as well as music engineering and production services.…

Although January 2020 was the eve of a tumultuous era, it proved an ideal time for Paul Dowdy to expand Royal Restrooms.

Paul explains that “a lot of businesses had to split their offices” to accommodate social distancing, referring to his partnerships with military sites and other businesses in the Lynchburg area.…

Farmville’s A Great Escape Spalon, a rural full-service spa, is far removed from an urban big box store. That’s the transition Bridget Flannagan made when she moved to Farmville to take the job of business manager.

“This was my first foray into a small business environment,” she says.…

Piedmont Habitat’s ReStore offers the ultimate in recycling. The Farmville store “recycles” unwanted items into cash that in turn builds decent and affordable homes for local families in need.

ReStore Manager Sara Beachum described the process.

“We clean and sanitize donated items and make sure they function,” she explains.…