The process of developing a new website can seem overwhelming to many small business owners. There are so many variables, and most small business owners are not website development experts. During the redesign of the SBDC website in early 2014, our staff learned several valuable lessons that we wanted to share with our clients. In… Read more »

Many small business owners talk with their accountant (or try to find one) only at tax time.  Those who do, however, are missing the opportunity to develop a real relationship with one of the most important business advisors that you will have.  Accountants have a large range of expertise that will be crucial to you… Read more »

Manufacturing Day (using the hashtag #mfgday on Twitter) will be celebrated across the country next week. October 3 is a day for highlighting the importance of manufacturing to the economy, showcasing the diversity of modern manufacturing technology and promoting the rewarding and skilled jobs in the field. Manufacturing includes much more than the heavy industry… Read more »

Our friends at the Hampton Roads Retail Academy have six smart ways to choose from to spend $1,000 on your store: Get a Google Business View 360 Tour of your store. What it is: A stitched together collection of high-resolution photos becomes a 360-degree interactive virtual tour of your store. The photo shoot takes just a… Read more »

As a small business, it can be difficult to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the regional or national economy. Many business owners know that these issues are important to their businesses, but it can be time consuming to sift through all of the information and news to distill the important… Read more »

Jack Parker is the Business Analyst at the Alexandria SBDC and can assist Alexandria small businesses with all of their financial issues, including cash flow analysis. In this blog post, he discusses the importance of knowing your cash flow. As a business owner, I am sure that you have heard the term Cash Flow and… Read more »

At the Alexandria Small Business Development Center, we’re always looking for new ways to support Alexandria businesses. We continually seek opportunities to partner with members of the community and to identify new initiatives. We’re very excited about our newest program: the Alexandria Veterans Business Enterprise Center (AVBEC). In 2013, Alexandria veterans, government agencies, non-profits, and… Read more »

Jack Parker is the Business Analyst for the Alexandria Small Business Development Center.  He is a retired banker, and is familiar with all of the services offered by banks and the qualities that a small business owner should look for in choosing a banker.  Jack assists SBDC clients in refining their business plans to seek… Read more »

At a recent Alexandria Small Business Roundtable, business owners discussed whether they needed an attorney for their business. All businesses must deal with some legal issues when they get started including the first step of registering and licensing their business. Determining which business structure (sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp, etc.) will work best for your business… Read more »

Alexandria SBDC staff and speakers do our best to provide meaningful educational programs for small business owners. We hope that you are able to take advantage of these free learning opportunities to strengthen your business. Whether you’re attending one of our workshops or any kind of educational programming, here are a few tips to get the… Read more »