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Charlottesville Economic Development News
a publication from the Charlottesville Office of Economic Development - August 2010
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MSBCoach Opens Office Downtown
MSBCoach has taken the proverbial "plunge" and relocated to a new office in downtown Charlottesville. On Monday August 16th, the leadership coaching firm opened its new location at 501 West Main Street. Founded by seasoned coach, Michelle Braden, MSBCoach has been operating in Charlottesville for two years. Michelle's down to earth approach, strategic business sense and interpersonal relationship skills have helped her achieve great success in Charlottesville, and she now serves some of the area's most prominent businesses including: LexisNexis, the City of Charlottesville, Jefferson Area Board on Aging, State Farm, and King Family Vineyards. To celebrate this expansion, MSBCoach will hold an Open House on Thursday, September 30th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm in an effort to thank all its clients, friends, and Advisory Board members for two years of support. If you would like to show your support for this business by attending the Open House, RSVP to MSBCoach by calling 434-293-5758 or emailing info@msbcoach.com no later than September 24th, 5:00pm.
You won't want to miss this because you'll also get to learn more about MSBCoach's Authentic Leadership Summit, which will be held October 14th through the 15th at the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors (CAAR). This is the first year for the summit and will teach high levels of executive leadership. More information about the event can be found on the Authentic Leadership Summit WEBSITE. |
Woods Rogers Opens Charlottesville Office
Roanoke-based law firm Woods Rogers PLC is expanding into Charlottesville. The firm's office, which will be led by Rusty Schundler, is located at 100 Tenth Street, Suite 303. Woods Rogers, which has been in operation since 1893, also has offices in Richmond and Danville. With the expansion of its Charlottesville presence, the firm is now able to offer clients in central Virginia a wide array of services and resources.
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SNL Financial Improves Position on Inc 5000 List
 Inc. Magazine recently released its list of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the United States, and Charlottesville-based SNL Financial made the list for the third straight year. SNL's 2009 revenue topped $100 million, an increase of 98% over three years. SNL rose through the rankings this year to No. 2460, up from its spot at No. 2514, on last year's list, and was one of only 17 Virginia-based companies on the list with revenues of $100 million or more.
The "Inc. 5000" is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2006 to 2009. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by June 30, 2006, and therefore able to show four full calendar years of sales. Additionally, they have to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent - not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies - as of December 31, 2009. Revenue in 2006 must have been at least $80,000, and revenue in 2009 must have been at least $2 million. The top 10 percent of companies on the list comprise the "Inc. 500," now in its 29th year.
Congratulations to SNL and best wishes for continued success in Charlottesville and around the world. For more information on the Inc. 5000, CLICK HERE. |
Need a Job? Come to the Charlottesville Community Job Fair
Job seekers - join us at the 2010 Charlottesville Community Fall Job Fair, which will be held on Wednesday, September 29th from 10:00am until 3:00pm at John Paul Jones Arena. This event, set to be one of the largest Charlottesville Community Job Fairs to date, welcomes Piedmont Virginia Community College as a new partner, as well as Senator Mark R. Warner, who will serve as Honorary Co-Host of the event. More than 70 employers from a wide variety of industries will be represented. Some major area employers that will be in attendance include: Adams & Garth Staffing, CFA Institute, State Farm Insurance, the University of Virginia, Martha Jefferson Hospital, and the City of Charlottesville. Many employers from the technology industry such as Concurrent Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Battelle Memorial, and OGSystems will also be present. For the first time, there will also be considerable representation from federal employers such as the National Security Agency, the Social Security Administration, the Bureau of ATF, and the Office of Personnel Management. To better prepare job seekers for success at the job fair, a series of workshops presented by the Virginia Workforce Center will be held on Wednesday, September 8th, 15th, and 22nd from 10:00am to 12:00pm at the Center. The workshops will be followed by one-on-one job coaching with professionals from the Albemarle-Charlottesville Human Resource Association and image consulting offered by the Image Investment Institute and other Charlottesville Community Job Fair partners. Free professional clothing will be available to job seekers for use in their job search. In addition to pre-job fair preparation efforts, onsite workshops will also be held at John Paul Jones Arena the day of the event on topics such as 60 second introductions and job fair follow-up. The Office of Personnel Management will also offer two presentations on how to get a job with the federal government. The Small Business Development Center will once again host a seminar on starting a business. There's something for everyone at the Charlottesville Community Fall Job Fair, so you don't want to miss out on this opportunity!  The job fair is FREE and open to the public. We do however ask that you pre-register in order to allow quicker access to employers the day of the event. CLICK HERE to register - we will have a name tag ready for you when you arrive. If you are an employer, we still have a few spaces left. For more information, contact Hollie Lee with the City of Charlottesville Office of Economic Development, at leeh@charlottesville.org or 434-970-3117. JOIN US on Facebook for the latest job fair information. |
2010 CBIC Tech Tour
 The 2010 Tech Tour will occur on October 21st. The Tour, which is again presented by the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC), seeks to introduce area students to the exciting high technology world and expose them to the challenging and diverse career possibilities offered by our regional technology community. It is designed to help students envision themselves as technology employees, professionals, and entrepreneurs in the next wave of high tech advancements in our area. Barton Malow, the City of Charlottesville and Blue Ridge Internetworks are sponsoring the event this year in conjunction with host PVCC. Two scholarships will be available to juniors or seniors who participate in the Tech Tour and submit an application. To be a sponsor or host a tour, please contact Tech Tour Committee Chair, Chris Engel at 434-970-3111. |
City Named Among Top 5 Places to Retire
Adding to an already long list of recognitions, the City of Charlottesville was recently named a top retirement destination by Kiplinger. Joining Charlottesville in the top 5 were Dothan, Alabama; Melbourne, Florida; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and San Francisco, California.
The rankings focused on retiree-friendly factors such as a high number of doctors and large percentages of populations over 65 helped to drive a unique list of 20 growing cities. Further criteria included state tax rates and exemptions for various types of retirement income, low crime rates, access to airports, local transportation, and access to leisure activities, from libraries and theaters to hiking and golf.
Kiplinger is a Washington, D.C.-based publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice, available in print, online, audio, video and software products.
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SBDC Offers Workshops for Business Owners & Aspiring Entrepreneurs
During the month of September, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will be offering numerous training seminars for existing business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. For those already operating a business, a marketing focused boot camp will be held on Monday, September 27th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at CitySpace. This workshop, which will be presented by the SBDC in partnership with SCORE, will help business owners evaluate their recent marketing efforts and learn how to improve their efforts through traditional channels and social media.
For those who are interested in starting a business, two sessions will be held this month, one on Monday, September 13th from 3:00pm to 4:30pm at the Omni Downtown Business Center and one on Wednesday, September 29th from 1:30pm to 2:30pm at John Paul Jones Arena (as part of the 2010 Charlottesville Community Fall Job Fair). Learn the basics of starting a business, including how to decide if you are an entrepreneur, how to evaluate your business idea, how to develop a plan for your business and the nuts and bolts of getting it started.
For more information or to register for either of these workshops, contact the SBDC at 434-295-8198. The SBDC also offers free, one-on-one consultation with startups and existing businesses outside of the workshop setting, so be sure to contact them for more details on how you can grow your business! |
Upcoming Events
September 7 - CBIC: Innovative & Engaged Leadership - 11:30am-1:00pm
Get an inside view of the exceptional programs and campus of the Federal Executive Institute, which for 40 years has provided leadership development for thousands of high-level federal government employees. For more information or to register, CLICK HERE.
September 11 - SCORE: Marketing Your Business - 9:30am-12:30pm
This workshop concentrates on the heart of a business plan. At the completion of this workshop, attendees should have learned how to think analytically about these issues and to use this knowledge to resolve their individual issues in their business plans. For more information, call 434-295-6712.
September 16 - CBIC: Mainstreet Goes Interactive - 7:00am-1:00pm
You will not only receive key principles to help build a foundation for your internet marketing, but you will also see detailed information on how residents of the Charlottesville area are using the internet and how much your business category is spending on interactive advertising in the Charlottesville area. For more information or to register, call 434-978-7224. September 18 - SCORE: Financial Management of Your Business - 9:30am-12:30pm
This workshop analyzes the movement of money into and out of a small business and how to effectively manage these funds. At the completion of this workshop, attendees should have learned the basics of financial projections and financial statements and how these are used to manage a small business. For more information, call 434-295-6712.
September 25 - SCORE: How to Write an Effective Business Plan - 9:30am-12:30pm
This workshop will present a step-by-step analysis of a business plan for a typical small business. At the completion of this workshop, attendees should have learned how to begin constructing their own business plans. For more information, call 434-295-6712.
October 2 - SCORE: Social Media Marketing & Internet Strategies - 9:30am-12:30pm
A hands-on, interactive session on social media marketing and how various outlets can be used as low cost supplements to a small business' marketing strategy. This workshop concentrates on using Facebook, Twitter and other social media for marketing. For more information, call 434-295-6712. |
The Office of Economic Development is the City's primary vehicle for economic development services. Our mission is to serve as a catalyst for public and private initiatives that promote the long-term economic vitality of Charlottesville.
The Economic Development staff works to expand the tax base and to provide quality job opportunities for citizens through new business development, retention/expansion initiatives, and workforce training. The Office also coordinates and administers the functions of the Charlottesville Economic Development Authority (CEDA). The Authority issues revenue bonds and assists with front end capital for projects.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT US ONLINE |
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