Entrepreneur Express Attracts Forty To Business Development Seminar First Of Several To Be Offered by Chamber, Partnership, And Buena Vista Economic Development   Forty local entrepreneurs, some already in business and some seeking to start a Rockbridge County business, were hosted September 17 by the Lexington-Rockbridge County Chamber of Commerce, The Rockbridge Partnership, and City of Buena Vista Economic Development for a business development workshop. “This is a first of several outreach initiatives the Chamber will do in our community,” said Chamber Executive Director Sammy Moore. “We were thrilled with the response of so many people seeking advice and resources that are readily available to them.” Tim Reamer, Director of Economic Development for City of Buena Vista, and Mike Webb, Executive Director of The Rockbridge Partnership, brought seasoned business development experts to Lexington for the program. Led by David Fuller, Manager of the Virginia Department Business Assistance, Hollis Sullivan of Virginia Tourism Corporation, Eric Bendfeldt of the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Sandy Showalter of the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center addressed four principal issues brought by entrepreneurs across the Commonwealth: Markets, Financing, Advice, and Resource Availability. Fuller said the strength of the economic engine in Virginia is the small business network. “98% of all businesses in the Commonwealth are small, and 75% of all new job growth comes from small businesses,” he added. “Plus, Virginia is a great state to do business as validated for three consecutive years by www.Forbes.com and Pollina Corporate Real Estate.” One member of the audience supported the statement with his own experience trying to do business in other states, “Virginia really is business friendly.” Al Hockaday of the Shenandoah Attic, a local business in Lexington, treated the audience to his own start-up story. He implored the attendees to be resolved to business cycles and seek every opportunity to make success from failures; “Every business has its ups and downs, every entrepreneur wonders if he made the right decision. But there are so many resources available to help,” he added, “we are fortunate to have them here today to speak to us.” Moore, Webb, and Reamer said they will host a seminar designed to grow sales and expand markets in the fall and another Entrepreneur Express program in the spring.

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