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Start-up business seminar planned

By Lorraine Halsted
The Winchester Star

The steps involved in starting a business can seem complicated and overwhelming.

But a seminar coming to Berryville on Thursday, aims to clarify the process and provide budding entrepreneurs with the resources they need to pursue their dream.

"Entrepreneur Express: Moving Your Business Forward" will take participants through the steps from business planning and strategy to securing loans.

"It can be a daunting task — the financing and all the things you need to do to get started," said Will Vehrs, spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, which will be organizing and running the event.

The VDBA holds Entrepreneur Express seminars throughout the state. Vehrs said it grew out of the VDBA’s Southwest Virginia office and was originally designed to bring businesses together in rural areas, where they tend to be scattered around the countryside and have few opportunities to network.

Even though the seminar coming to Berryville will focus on starting a business, topics such as marketing and expansion, will be geared toward the existing business owner, Vehrs said.

The seminar will be held in the banquet room of Olympic Flame Restaurant,16 Crow St., just off of Main Street, where the majority of the town’s businesses are located.

Sue Ross, executive director of Berryville Main Street, a support and resource organization for business owners, said she hopes the seminar will inspire some new entrepreneurs to take over some of the empty storefronts in town.

"We want to encourage new businesses to locate in Berryville, and we want to give existing businesses an opportunity to learn new techniques for growing their businesses, she said.

Berryville Main Street is sponsoring the seminar in conjunction with the town of Berryville.

David Fuller of the VDBA and Bill Sirbaugh of the Lord Fairfax Small Business Development Center will give presentations on starting and financing a business.

Specifically, they will discuss developing a business plan, licensing and registration, pricing structure, and managing an operation.

Other featured speakers will include Hollis Sullivan of the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Eric Bendfeldt of Virginia Cooperative Extension, who will discuss marketing and growing a business by researching markets, using various promotion methods, and finding ways to finance expansions.

Source:http://www.winchesterstar.com/article_details.php?ArticleID=5976