Virginia SBDC recognizes Laura Hatcher for her community contributions in advance of Veterans Day We are proud to announce that photographer Laura Hatcher is the 2021 Alexandria SBDC Veteran of the Year. Laura has also been selected as the runner-up for the Statewide Virginia Small Business Veteran of the Year award. The State award recognizes veteran business owners who have made a significant difference in their… Read more »

This post is written by Bill Reagan, Executive Director of the SBDC and first appeared in the Alexandria Times on February 6, 2020. For a variety of reasons, veterans arevery accomplished entrepreneurs. About 10 percent of U.S. businesses are veteran owned and they have an impressive success rate.  It’s not hard to figure out why… Read more »

This blog post was written by Patra Frame of Strategies for Human Resources. Patra has offered workshops and individual counseling on human resources and employer issues for Alexandria’s small businesses through the SBDC for many years. She was the 2017 Virginia SBDC Small Business Veteran of the Year. Are You Entrepreneurial? Want to Start Your… Read more »

This week’s post was written by Patra Frame of Strategies for Human Resources. Patra is a US Air Force veteran, and we thank her for her service to our country and for the work that she does for the SBDC in assisting clients with their HR needs. In this area there are many official and… Read more »

This week, the Alexandria Veterans Business Enterprise Center hosted its fourth speaker series event. This event invites a successful veteran in business to share his or her experiences in business and tips on success after the military. This month’s event featured Laura Law-Millet, co-founder of the GI Film Festival. After a 14-year career as an… Read more »

This week, as we celebrate Alexandria Honors Veterans Week, the City publicly recognizes the value that veterans bring to our community at large. Here at the Alexandria Small Business Development Center, we recognize that veteran entrepreneurs enhance our business community as well. This recognition is part of what led to the formation of the Alexandria Veterans… 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 »

In honor of Alexandria’s Year of the Veteran, our newest partner program, the Alexandria Veterans Business Enterprise Center (AVBEC), has been conducting a “Veteran of the Month” interview series. We sat down with Brendan O’Toole, the 25-year-old Alexandria native and Marine veteran who ran across the country from 2012 to 2013 and raised over $500K for veteran service… Read more »

A few weeks ago, we spoke with Emily McMahan, the Director of the Alexandria Veterans Business Enterprise Center (AVBEC). This week, Emily is back to talk a little more about what makes the AVBEC unique. With so many resources for veterans right now, why does the City and region need the AVBEC? With the drawdown… Read more »

The Alexandria SBDC recently had the opportunity to catch up with Emily McMahan, Director of the Alexandria Veterans Business Enterprise Center (AVBEC).  McMahan, an Army veteran and former partner in a local small business, is passionate about Alexandria’s role in facilitating the professional success of veterans and their spouses. We recently sat down with her… Read more »