When you’re ready to hire a new employee in VA, you’ll need to consider several key elements to ensure you get your hiring done right the first time. Employee or Independent Contractor? Determine whether you want an employee or an independent contractor. There are certain factors that define a worker as an independent contractor. An … Continue reading How Do I Hire A New Employee in VA?
You’re asking what does “Bake Your Business” even mean? I like analogies, so bear with me. If you wanted to bake a cake you would need certain ingredients, like flour and eggs and maybe butter or some flavoring, right? And you may have to get some culinary training to be able to bake the … Continue reading Do You Want to Bake Your Business?
Whether you are a full-time independent contractor or are operating your own small business, you may not need to register as a business. However, you may be required to obtain a business license from your municipality if you make over a certain amount of money in a year. By not registering as a business, though, … Continue reading Should I Register As A Business?
Why do I need a business plan and how in the world will I know what my sales will be? Great question, your business plan is the story of your business. It is there to provide proof of concept and without that we can’t get a banker to understand what you are doing … Continue reading Why Do I Need A Business Plan?
Hackers are targeting the personal Facebook accounts of individuals who have admin access to business accounts. If you use Facebook and Instagram for either organic or paid marketing, you MUST take steps to secure your account. These 3 essential steps could mean the difference between your account’s safety and vulnerability: Require Two-Factor Authentication Assign a … Continue reading Someone hacked my Facebook business account? How do I get it back?
The cost of acquiring new customers has increased almost 60% over the past six years. If this is something you’re struggling with, you’re not alone: 49% of companies report that customer acquisition is their primary marketing objective. Even with the best small business ideas, spraying and praying doesn’t work for anybody — you need to … Continue reading How Do I Get More Customers?
On February 1st the National Restaurant Association issued a report that included forecasts for 2022 and the “new normal” eateries face as the nation attempts to move away from COVID. The report provided the following industry insights: Industry sales are anticipated to reach $898 billion in 2022 Foodservice jobs will likely grow by 400,000, for … Continue reading 2022 State of the Restaurant Industry Report
Hello there, I’m Cort Maddox. I’m an adviser with the Laurel Ridge SBDC and today I get to come to you and talk about changes coming to the Virginia minimum wage. Not sure if you’ve heard about this but as of May 1, 2021, in the state of Virginia, the minimum wage will go from … Continue reading How to prepare for Virginia’s 31% Minimum Wage Increase
Has life taken it’s toll on you and your business the last few months? Do you feel overwhelmed, stuck and exhausted trying to keep your business going? You’re not alone. Your struggle is real. Yet our struggles can bring us together. And yet there’s great news. As humans, we are made to work with each … Continue reading Struggles Can Bring Out Our Best and Bring Us Together
The Small Business Resiliency Training (SBRT) has been working in partnership with the Virginia Initiative for Growth and Opportunity (GO Virginia). The SBRT Team is made up of members of the Shenandoah Valley and Laurel Ridge Small Business Development Centers. Thanks to GO Virginia, small business grants were made available and those grants are … Continue reading GO Virginia Grant Brings Lasting Change to Local Small Businesses
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