MEDIA RELEASE August Contact Nina Sims nina sims vdba virginia

							MEDIA RELEASE August 23, 2007 Contact: Nina Sims (804) 371-0371 nina.sims@vdba.virginia.gov

NEW RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO HOST ENTREPRENEUR WORKSHOP
~ Business owners and potential entrepreneurs encouraged to attend ~ DUBLIN – Business owners and potential entrepreneurs from New River Valley and the surrounding area are invited to attend Entrepreneur Express: Moving Your Business Forward, a workshop designed to provide information on available business resources and deliver practical, hands-on training covering key elements of business practice. The event is sponsored by the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance and will be held on September 13th, from 9 a.m. to noon at the New River Community College, Edwards Hall in Dublin. Admission is free and lunch will be provided. Workshop segments will include information on how to start and operate a business, growing an existing business, marketing strategies, financing and available resources. Optional afternoon breakout session topics will include starting and growing a technology business, how to start and operate a tourism venture, and agri-business opportunities. Participants will receive a resource directory that will provide “how to” information for many types of businesses including tourism related businesses, agricultural businesses, and retail operations. David Poteet, founder of New City Media, will share his success story during the workshop luncheon. Poteet founded New City Media in 1995 and now develops web sites and other media for commercial, educational and nonprofit clients including Virginia Tech, National Geographic Magazine, Sargent Manufacturing, Imperial College London and Tweetsie Railroad. Several organizations are partnering to offer this event as part of a series of workshops supporting entrepreneurial efforts throughout the Commonwealth, including the Virginia Department of Business Assistance (VDBA), the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, SCORE, the Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA), the Virginia Business Incubator Association, the Virginia Community College System and the Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. For more information or to register, visit www.vastartup.org. Advanced registration required. VDBA supports economic development in the Commonwealth by working with new and existing businesses to provide workforce incentives, loans, business information, procurement assistance incubator counseling, and educational opportunities for the business and economic development communities. VDBA also administers the Virginia Business Information Center (VBIC), which provides answers and solutions to business related inquiries. VBIC can be contacted by calling (804) 371-0438, (866) 248-8814 (toll free), or by e-mailing VBIC@DBA.VIRGINIA.GOV. ###

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