On November 20th, the SBDC had its second annual Holiday Kickoff event. We conceived this event in 2014 in order to give all of our different stakeholders an opportunity to come together to mingle, share experiences, and celebrate their successes. We wanted to have the chance to acknowledge our clients, who are such a vital part of Alexandria’s economy. We know that their success is the City’s success.

We’re also lucky to have many great partners that work with us in assisting small businesses. Our elected officials and City management provide most of the funding that enables the SBDC to serve small businesses without cost. We also have a great working relationship with City staff and frequently contact them to solve problems or help businesses work through issues. Not many communities enjoy that level of cooperation.

We’re also so fortunate to share our office with our other economic development partners, Visit Alexandria, the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, and Capitol Post. Being co-located with these groups allows us to make additional connections for our clients.

Lastly, we couldn’t do our work without all of our specialized consultants and volunteer presenters. They allow us to supplement our staff expertise and provide a wide variety of educational programs to help small businesses start, grow, and succeed. We would not be able to provide the level of service that we do without these additional resources.

So, this holiday season, we’re thankful for so many people. We’d like to share a few photos from the event and wish everyone the happiest of holidays and send hopes of a wonderful new year. This will be our last post of the year, as we feel strongly that small business owners and employees should take time off to relax and recharge. Our staff will be doing just that over the holidays, but we look forward to seeing you in 2016.

Clients, supporters, and staff mingle during the event

Assistant Director Gloria Flanagan (right) talks with Amanda Sozer of SNA International

Executive Director Bill Reagan talks with attendees