:: Starting Your Own Business ::
Halfway between
Suffolk and Petersburg is a diner, rich in hometown atmosphere. As
you walk in, you’re immediately greeted with true southern
hospitality. The quaint atmosphere is inviting, and the
red-checkered table clothes lining the tables are reminiscent of
“the good ol’ days.” An elderly gentleman takes a seat at one of the
tables and almost instantly, a lively waitress appears, coffee and
cream in hand—“Will it be the usual today, Mr. Harris?”
On a regular basis, whether every day or every trip down 460,
customers return faithfully to the Virginia Diner for the warm aroma
of buttermilk biscuits and the southern hospitality of the staff. It
feels like home. A restaurant that got its start in an old railroad
car has come to be an institution in Wakefield, Virginia, and has
been named “The Peanut Capital of the World.” The Virginia Diner
continues to be a thriving example of the dream so many Americans
have—to own, operate, and grow a small business.
But for many, there is a gap between their lifelong dream and
reality. Sometimes the reason for the gap is not knowing where or
how to start; sometimes the reason is finding a way to finance a
small business; and sometimes it’s just the need to feel comfortable
in the business world.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers resources to fill
in those gaps, helping to make small business dreams a reality. The
SBA offers programs and advice to help you grow and succeed in your
small business plan.
To help you avoid many of the pitfalls that come with starting a
business, the SBA has created an interactive checklist that will
evaluate your reasons for wanting to start a business, your personal
skills and experience, and your start-up plan. The checklist even
has a financial calculator that will calculate the financial
feasibility of starting your own business. The checklist can be
found under the Small Business Planner on the SBA website
www.sba.gov.
The SBA website also lists handy resources to address questions
regarding applications for small business grants and loans and
business assistance programs. The Small Business Development Center
(SBDC) and the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) offer
free one-on-one counseling sessions to those interesting in starting
their own business. There are over 13,000 chapter locations
nationwide. The SBA website features state chapter locators for both
programs.
A step-by-step guide to creating your business plan is also
available through the SBA, including lessons on strategizing for
your business to succeed, outlines to help draft your plan, and even
a glossary of terms often used in the business world. The SBA also
lists sample plans for all kinds of business types from bed and
breakfasts, to self-storage, to wedding consulting.
Just as the Virginia Diner has evolved from small beginnings in a
railroad car to being the Peanut Capital of the World, your small
business could be on its way to being the next legendary business in
your town. These small business tools available through the Small
Business Administration just might be the tools to bridge the gap
between your small business dream and reality. For more information
on resources offered by the SBA and to access even more small
business tools, visit the SBA on the web at
www.sba.gov.
|
ON
THE HILL ....
|
Current
Floor Proceedings
Bills
Coming Up This Week
Monthly
Whip Calendar |
OFFICE
LOCATIONS ....
|
307 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202.225.6365
505 Independence Pkwy, Suite 104
Chesapeake, VA 23320
757.382.0080
2903 Boulevard, Suite B
Colonial Heights, VA 23834
804.526.4969
425 H. South Main Street
Emporia, VA 23847
434.634.5575
|
|