Blog

Parlaying personal views of sustainability Received a $135,000 loan, a $10,000 line of credit, and started new business. In mid-2019, Justin and Anna Marino were searching for the “right” business to open in Old Town Alexandria, with “right” meaning a retail business that represented their personal environmental views on preservation and sustainability. When they found… Read more »

Monday’s Child continues Old Town success with the SBDC Received $85,000 in loans and a line of credit, plus a PPP loan and grants for $17,000. Old Town Alexandria, noted for cobblestone streets and a tavern where George Washington once slept, is a place that appreciates old-fashioned, personal service. It follows that Monday’s Child, a… Read more »

Bar plus dogs equals success for Brewski’s Barkhaus Significant funding from private investors. Alex Benbassat and Justin LeGore took an idea for a dog bar, that started when they were roommates at Virginia Tech, and turned it into a reality during a pandemic in October 2020. They succeeded with careful planning, hard work, and help… Read more »

The SBDC has a plan that fits With a capital infusion of $183,000 from M&T Bank, FitOne opened its new location, increased its client base, hired new trainers, and offered more services. After close to 20 years in business, Jill Stump and Caity Davis, owners of FitOne Personal Training Studio, found themselves at a business… Read more »

The SBDC: A lifeline to international trade Port City Brewing Company started with 4 employees in 2011 and now has 54, and international sales, a new endeavor for the company, brought $50,000 in sales in 2018. After successfully working for a number of years with the Alexandria SBDC on their domestic business, Port City Brewing… Read more »

Scramble landed a $500,000 loan and, within its first eight months, hosted over 100,000 visitors, generated $1+ million in sales, and created 30+ jobs. When the idea for Scramble first formed in Laurence Smallman’s mind, he was “across the pond,” visiting family in his native U.K. “We were with my brother in Birmingham,” Laurence, a… Read more »