Registration questions: 703.430.7222
Loudoun SBDC Refund Policy: As a general policy, there are no refunds. If an emergency occurs and you notify Loudoun SBDC prior to the seminar, credit may be given toward a future seminar, good for up to 6 months. If no prior notice is given, no refunds or credits will be issued. If the Loudoun SBDC cancels a seminar, registrants may choose to apply their payment to a future seminar or request a refund.

Andrew Arguin

The Wineing Butcher

20915 Ashburn Road

Ashburn, VA 20147

703-858-4400

Andrew Arguin opened The Wineing Butcher in New Hampshire in 2006 and followed that successful shop with a second Wineing Butcher location also in New Hampshire.  Desiring to come back to Virginia and his Hokie alums, Andrew recently moved his family to Loudoun County.  He has also brought his successful business concept to the area with the opening of his third store, The Wineing Butcher, right here in Ashburn.

The business is a wonderful blending of Andrew and his wife, Gretchen’s, interests and expertise.  Gretchen brings the pallet for food, sophistication for the wines and gourmet items, and her ability to manage people.  Andrew brings the ability to solve business, equipment, and people problems.  As Andrew says, “She is the beauty to the beast” and is very much an integral part of the business.

Now we too can experience this gourmet market with a “small town butcher shop” atmosphere combined with the latest upscale trends in a “one-stop shop for all your dining (and eating) needs”.  The Wineing Butcher offers a full service meat and seafood market along with a selection of fresh produce, Boar’s Head Deli, homemade pies and pastries, artisan breads and cheeses, wood fired brick oven pizzas, select wines, and other specialty items.  They also feature their exclusive marinated meats, which are well-known throughout the Northeast.  In addition, if you don’t have time or desire to cook, they have dozens of ready-to-eat items.

Stop by The Wineing Butcher to meet Andrew, Gretchen, their staff, and the rest of the family.  Bring your appetite and you will not be disappointed.  When you walk in the door, you will know this is someplace special! We welcome this new gourmet dining and eating experience to Loudoun County!

Link to HUBZone (HZ) resources. 

Educational Event about HUBZones

As a resource partner for the SBA, Loudoun SBDC is currently working with the US SBA, the  Town of Leesburg, Loudoun County and other community partners to produce a free, daylong educational event in the Town of Leesburg.  The event will include:

• Exhibitors to answer your questions
• A Federal Contracting 101 seminar (open to all)
• A HUBZone Contracting 101 seminar (open to those with CAGE codes)
• Networking Session

To receive information about this event, please sign up for our newsletter on the Loudoun SBDC home page.

Possibility of “earning” one year’s worth of free Loudoun SBDC seminars (details below)

An intensive study of how to create/revise your Business or Marketing Plan

 10-week course:  Mondays, Jan 28–through approx. Apr 15 (holidays excluded)

6:00-9:00 PM at the Mason Enterprise Center, 202 Church Street SE, Leesburg, VA 20175

Further details & required application: 703.430.7222; ccampbell@loudounsbdc.org.

Cost for the 30-hour course: *$485 (roughly $16/hour). This includes textbook, workbook, guest lecturers, and extensive peer networking! YES, THERE IS HOMEWORK!

*Fee is nonrefundable and due prior to the first class session.

NOTE:       For the course to be offered, Loudoun SBDC must approve a minimum of 10 people for participation. Class size is limited to 20.

ADDED COURSE BENEFITS to help you grow your business:

 1.      Attend FREE OF CHARGE Loudoun SBDC seminars offered during the period of Jan through May, 2013 (online registration required; special events excluded)

2.      Continue to attend FREE OF CHARGE Loudoun SBDC seminars for the remainder of 2013, with the above provisos, if you:

• Complete and turn in your business plan within 1 month of the course ending
• Attend at least 8 classes, 6 to 9 PM

3.    Receive a WAIVER of the $50  entrance fee for the Loudoun SBDC 2013 Business Plan Competition

 Attend NxLeveL^® if you:

• Are serious about starting or growing your business
• Want to learn firsthand from subject matter experts and local business leaders
• Want to take solid practical information and create an action plan that will become the blueprint for your success. IF YOU DO THE HOMEWORK, you walk away with a finished business/marketing plan
• Love the energy of working with other entrepreneurs in a supportive team environment

_________________________________

APPLICATION:  PLEASE CUT AND PASTE INTO A WORD DOCUMENT, COMPLETE, AND MAIL TO SBDC@LOUDOUNSBDC.ORG TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS COURSE.  THANK YOU!

Application: NxLevel^® for Entrepreneurs Course

Tentative Dates: Jan 28 – Approx. Apr 15

Answers may be concise. Please send the completed form to sbdc@LoudounSBDC.org. Please name the email “NxLeveL Application” in the subject line.

 
Name:
Company Name:
Address:
Email:
Phone:
1. What type of business do you have/hope to start?
2. What product or services do you sell/plan for your business to offer?
3. Is there a need for this product or service? Explain.
4. How does your product or service differ from others in the same business?
5. What kind of person buys/is going to buy your product or service?
6. Have you done any market research yet? If so, what have you learned?
7. Approximately what do you/will you charge for your product/service? On what do you base the fees?
8. What do you anticipate your startup/expansion costs will be?

9. Do you think that starting this business will be easy or difficult? Why?
10. Do you have enough savings to start the business? If not, could you start on a smaller scale or do you think you will need business financing?
11. Do you plan to go into business full time? If so, do you have enough savings put aside to live on until the business becomes profitable?

The Loudoun SBDC is a member of the Virginia SBDC Network, a statewide service network funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Additional Loudoun SBDC funding sources include George Mason University-Mason Enterprise Center, the County of Loudoun, and Town of Leesburg. All SBDC programs and services are offered to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

Town of Leesburg:  Market Data

The key to identifying retail sales trends and potential for future growth is an analysis of retail sales and consumer spending.  The Leesburg 2011 Retail Gap Analysis provides this information for several geographies (or trade areas), highlighting opportunities to provide local shoppers with items they currently travel outside the trade area to buy and opportunities to build upon existing “destination” retail clusters.   At the Retail Opportunity Forum on September 20, 2012, members of the Economic Development Commission and staff explained how retailers, brokers and property owners could use this information to create retail success.

___________

If you have any questions about starting or growing a Town of Leesburg, Virginia retail business, call us at 703-430-7222.  Loudoun SBDC offers free retail business counseling services, and will also be able to put you in touch with Town of Leesburg and Loudoun County officials who can assist you.

EVENT: 2012 BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION AWARDS

Leesburg, VA……….The 2012 Business Plan Competition of the Loudoun Small Business Development Center (SBDC) culminated November 14th with an awards dinner and ceremony at the Leesburg headquarters of the competition’s primary sponsor, K2M, Inc. Eric Major, the company’s President and CEO, began the competition four years ago to stimulate and support business development. The other sponsor was New Vantage Group, Active Angel Investor Funds. A panel of twelve area business leaders in the fields of finance, law, economic development and entrepreneurship judged the written plans of the eighteen contestants as well as the oral presentations of the nine finalists.

Winners were announced at the evening gala. In the Scalable Business Model category (market opportunity sufficiently large to develop annual sales of $50-$100 million), they were First Place: Trailhead Gear & Archery – Rudy Hassall, whose blog propelled him into starting a business when companies asked if they could promote their products on the popular site, and Second Place: Burns & Burns, LLC dba High Angle Associates – Frank and Matthew Burns, a father and son with long careers in fire and rescue work, which gives them expertise for a business selling technical rescue equipment to public safety agencies. Winners in the Local Business Model category were First Place: Georges Mill Farm Artisan Cheese, LLC – Molly and Sam Kroiz, from an eighth-generation farm near Lovettsville, and Second Place: Layered Cake Patisserie, LLC – Barbara and Anthony Chavez, graduates of the top-rated Culinary Art Institute of America.

Winners earned monetary awards totaling $3,750 plus a services package, but current and past contestants cite other benefits of participating in the annual competition. For Molly Kroiz, “…it was wonderful to get feedback from so many experienced and talented business people. We are grateful to the SBDC and K2M for providing this opportunity for businesses in Loudoun County. The prizes and advice will be helpful in the coming months as we prepare to sell cheese at farmer’s markets and in wineries and restaurants this spring.” Rudy Hassall noted that he entered the competition “in hopes of receiving constructive critiquing of the business plan from the judges on the panel….Needless to say, winning exceeded our expectations! The feedback on the business plan that we have received thus far and the connections we have made are priceless. [They] will assist us in catapulting the business plan into a real business! Moreover, none of this would have been possible without the dedication, expertise, professionalism and assistance from…the Loudoun SBDC [team].”

The other competitors were Airsoft Combat Town LLC – David Kilcy; Amazing Grace Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – David Chau, Ph.D.; AtomiCrowd – James Doiron; Bookerville LLC – Cindy and John Amato; Chauffered Transportation Services & Consulting – Odessa Basil; CHIMOLE LLC – Yovanna Reiser; GeoBTU – Girard Gurgick; LinguaArt Services – Catherine Fetterman; OuiBake LLC – Carol E. Sapienza; RentADrill.com – Lori Brooks; Social Media Maxima – Andrea Howard; Solar4Leesburg LLC dba Sol4r – Dr. Mary A. Haberl, Torsten Seling and Joseph Sanchez; Tag This Car LLC – Amit Sharma, and; The Run Around Hound, LLC – Ashley Kennedy.

The total value of the Local Business Category Services Prize Package given to Georges Mill Farm Artisan Cheese, LLC was $5,500. Donators to the package were 3-Tiers for Cake, LLC; Comfort Suites, Leesburg; DunlapWeaver, PLLC; Hampton Inn & Suites-Leesburg and Homewood Suites by Hilton-Leesburg; HR Goddess, LLC; Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce; Loudoun Handyman; Mason Enterprise Center-Leesburg/Loudoun County; Reston Limousine; The Run Around Hound LLC; The Loyal Local LLC, and; Your Newsy Notes, LLC.

THIS WILL BE A WORKING SESSION/WORKSHOP FORMAT

This session is limited to 32 “proposal makers.”  If there is enough interest, we will have a second session on November 8th.  You must pre-register for this seminar.

Registered participants will receive an RFP electronically in advance of the session. 

At the session, participants will receive a completed proposal, binders, and tabs, and will have to assemble, review, and comment on the document. 

When that’s complete, Debbie and Dennis will review, in detail, the steps required to get from a government request for proposals to a finished, compliant, and compelling proposal.
Presenters:     Debbie Taylor-Moore

                             Cyber Zephyr, Inc.

                           Dennis Boykin

                             DB4 Consulting, LLC
 
                          

Thursday, October 25, 2012
6:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Mason Enterprise Center- Leesburg/Loudoun County

202 Church St. SE

Leesburg, VA 20175

Free, But Pre-Registration is Required:  Registration Link

PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE ASSIGNED READING OF RFP TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO SEMINAR
Registration questions: 703-430-7222
Loudoun SBDC Refund Policy: As a general policy, there are no refunds. If an emergency occurs and you notify Loudoun SBDC prior to the seminar, credit may be given toward a future seminar, good for up to 6 months. If no prior notice is given, no refunds or credits will be issued. If the Loudoun SBDC cancels a seminar, registrants may choose to apply their payment to a future seminar or request a refund.

• Learn how to instantly connect with people
• Discover the secret to being unforgettable
• Gain recognition as a go-to resource known for your lustrous networking

Presenter:    ritzya, the drama coach

Panelists:     Linda J. Black, ChFC, CRPC – LifeMark Securities Corp.
                         Gale Paige, Solutions Partner – CEXEC, Inc.
                          Karen Wayne, Community Executive – American Red Cross
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
6:00 – 8:30 p.m.

The Studio
45449 Severn Way, Suite 165
Dulles, VA 20166

Fee:  $25 for online registration; $30 at the door

REGISTER HERE

Those who pay at the door are not guaranteed seating or handouts.
Registration questions: 703-430-7222

Loudoun SBDC Refund Policy: As a general policy, there are no refunds. If an emergency occurs and you notify Loudoun SBDC prior to the seminar, credit may be given toward a future seminar, good for up to 6 months. If no prior notice is given, no refunds or credits will be issued. If the Loudoun SBDC cancels a seminar, registrants may choose to apply their payment to a future seminar or request a refund.

Dates:  Saturday, September 22, 2012, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Comfort Suites, Leesburg, VA

Friday, September 28, 2012, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Yount, Hyde & Barbour, P.C., Winchester, VA

“Converting Your Career”: A Personal Development Course for Advanced Professionals

If you are a professional with a lifetime of achievement in your chosen path

AND

If you would like the means to repackage the decades of experience you have accumulated into a winning proposition that will both position you for a new career and develop independent income going forward

THEN the “CONVERTING YOUR CAREER” (CYC) Course is designed for you: The CYC Course is a one-day, intensive-learning experience that gives seasoned professionals (such as yourself) a direct path to restructure and better present the knowledge you have accumulated over the years, bringing yourself to the next level by:

• Assessment of Your Current Skills and Capabilities
• Developing Your Individual Plan
• Clarifying the Presentation of Your “Brand
• Establishing a Network Available to You
• Initiating a System for Tracking and Enhancing Your Efforts

This highly focused course is an essential resource in developing and implementing a personalized career conversion strategy. You will leave the program with an understanding of what you need to be successful in the next phase of your professional life; working better with what you know and who you know; investing in yourself properly (time and expertise); learning to develop marketing targets through action plans within your grasp; all combined into a strategy you can use to move the “Innovation Needle” forward, now.

Your guide will be Marc Paul Chinoy, internationally recognized executive facilitator, who used what you will learn in this course when he converted his career into The Regis Group, Inc. 20 years ago. Now he provides strategic planning and decision support to leaders in a wide range of industries and professions including healthcare, higher education, telecommunications, and the legal profession.

CYC is presented in partnership with Loudoun SBDC, located within the Mason Enterprise Center – Loudoun County/Leesburg.  CYC speaks directly to professionals of all kinds and everywhere in a language they will understand.

NOTE:   To view course program.

Laptop is needed to interact with the course support by a complimentary flash drive.

Leesburg, September 22, 2012 – Registration link.

Winchester, VA, September 28, 2012 – Registration link. 

Call Loudoun SBDC at             703-430-7222       for more information.