What's Happening in Stafford, Virginia |
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PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP & BUSINESS SKILLS BROUGHT TO YOU BY STAFFORD EDA & UMW |
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| University of Mary Washington's Continuing & Professional Studies Department is launching a series of 1-day seminars to build leadership and business skills in the Fredericksburg region. The Stafford EDA has invested in 50 seats to the Business Acumen Series to support the Stafford Business Community with educational resources. You may be eligible to attend these educational sessions on behalf of the Stafford EDA. The Business Acumen Series (BAS) will combine university knowledge and the practical application of innovative tools to drive your organization's mission and deliver results. Come and be a part of these exclusive events!
Details: Location - University Hall, Stafford Campus, 125 University Blvd, Fredericksburg Time - 9 AM to 3 PM Cost - $275 per person, group rates available |
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If you are a Stafford business, a limited supply of seats are available to you at no cost. We encourage you to apply to these sessions for the opportunity to be selected in this Stafford EDA provided educational resource. |
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BEER & BUSINESS: The Truth About Making the River Your Business |
August 16th, 2023 from 4:00 - 5:30 PM at Barley Naked Brewing Co. |
Get to know your local business community through the Beer & Business Networking Series!
The Stafford Beer & Business Series is a quarterly outing provided by the Stafford County Economic Development Authority. These events are designed to connect local professionals across all markets. In addition to networking, each Beer & Business outing will have a brief insightful, “Raw Truth” of an industry specific discussion, led by a local expert. Meet the team at Virginia Credit Union and the Friends of the Rappahannock at Barley Naked Brewing Co. on August 16th, 2023, from 4:00 - 5:30 PM. Come and Make the River Your Business!
Beer & Business is free to attend, and includes light appetizers & a beverage. Registration is REQUIRED. |
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Blue Print Business Plan Workshop | 9:00 AM Organizer: UMW SBDC
Location: Virtual
This four-hour workshop covers the development of the business plan and financial forecasting of the business plan. Please be prepared to begin working on your business plan during the class. We will start by opening a Microsoft Word or Google Doc for you to add information to as we proceed through the workshop. By the end of the workshop you will have completed a rough draft of a portion of the business plan and have clear direction which areas you need to conduct research and add additional information to in order to complete. The key takeaways will be research tools, business plan components, business concept, financial plan, and supporting documents.
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| First Thursdays with the SBA: WOSB | 12:00 PM Organizer: UMW SBDC
Location: Virtual Grab your lunch and join us the first Thursday of each month to learn more about SBA programs and network with other small business owners.
This workshop will explain the process and advantages of utilizing the Women -Owned Small business contracting program for federal contracting. The key takeaways will be how to self-certify as a women-owned small business, the eligibility requirements to qualify for the WSOB program, and how the WOSB program can help your business compete for federal contract set-asides. |
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Bagels & Business | 7:30 AM
Organizer: RIoT
Location: Hybrid - Virtual & Virginia Smart Community Testbed
In this session we'll discuss How To Build A Sales Process! We'll dive into what is a sales process, how to build one, and how to close the deal.
Did you know that roughly 3 in 5 Americans have had an idea for starting a business? But an overwhelming majority of those people—92 percent—didn’t follow through with turning their idea into reality. Top Reasons? They didn’t know how to get started, They didn’t have access to business tools. They weren’t sure how to work with the tools/technology needed to run a business.
Join RIoT for our new monthly series – Bagels & Business – where we will discuss different topics related to starting a business, growing your existing business, expanding your knowledge base, and your network. Each month we will cover a different topic including customer discovery, MVP, sales, finances, goal planning, marketing, and more! Stop in, grab a bagel and coffee or tune in and join us from home as we cover key things all business owners need to consider. |
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Tax Free Retirement Strategies for Small Business Owners | 12:00 PM
Organizer: UMW SBDC
Location: Virtual
The Speaker Eva Scott will review the different retirement plans available for entrepreneurs and explain the pros and cons of qualified versus non qualified plans. We will review the options of Saving for retirement with pre tax or after tax contributions and what it will mean in the future. A brief and basic explanation of the impending financial crisis brought on by the exponential growth of the US National Debt. How retirees can be impacted by the combination of bearish markets and increasing taxation. We will discuss the steps and proactive measures Baby Boomers can take to protect their retirement plans from the crush of higher taxes. The key takeaways will be: 1. the three different retirement buckets and the ideal balance to have in each one of them (taxable, tax deferred, and tax free); 2. Social security is a tax coming out of your paycheck now and how to keep it from being taxed in retirement; 3. how to reach zero tax liability in retirement; and 4. how to start saving in a tax free retirement plan - is the Roth IRA, Roth 401K, or LIRP right for you?
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UMW Women’s Colloquium Monthly Coffee Talk | 8:00 AM Organizer: University of Mary Washington Location: Jepson Alumni and Executive Center
This event takes place monthly, with themed discussions led by local leaders, and all are welcome. August's Coffee Talk will be led by Barbara Gustavson, Founder of Discover Next Step, discussing the topic of Emotional Intelligence. Equip yourself with actionable insights and strategies to enhance our Emotional Intelligence, enabling us to navigate challenging situations with grace, forge meaningful connections, and foster an inclusive and supportive environment for ourselves and others. Please join us in person! Networking is the best thing you can do for your own professional development! Share, learn and grow from other professionals in the Fredericksburg area.
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| GovCon 101: Marketing to the Government | 12:00 PM Organizer: UMW SBDC
Location: Virtual
The Federal Government buys over $600 billion per year on goods and services, 23% of that spend is allocated for small business. This is a huge opportunity for small firms to grow their business and become part of the challenging world of Government Contracting. Before entering into this arena you must first know how to market yourself to government. This presentation will help you prepare your firm to get noticed by government and prime buyers by developing a proper marketing plan and strategy. The key takeaways will be steps to take to be easily found by buyers, preparing a winning capability statement, organizing your website, business cards, and marketing materials, and preparing a marketing plan to attract buyers. This event is free, but you must preregister in order to receive the instructions to attend.
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What Small Business Owners Need to Know About the Automatic Retirement Plan Act (ARPA) | 12:00 PM
Organizer: UMW SBDC Location: Virtual
The Speaker Eva Scott will review the Automatic Retirement Plan Act (ARPA) that rolled out on June of 2023. She will discuss how this new regulation will affect small business owners in Virginia. The ARPA amends the IRS code requiring employers to maintain automatic contribution plans for employees. Key takeaways will be: who is affected by ARPA, what choices small business owners have, how the Department of Treasury can pay the credit as a contribution to the retirement account, the excise tax imposed on employers if ARPA is not implemented, if the investment can be portable if an employee leaves, how to create a lifetime income for your employees in retirement, available plans and contribution limits, and what employees are eligible to participate in the retirement plans.
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Payment Processing | 12:00 PM Organizer: UMW SBDC
Location: Virtual
This one-hour webinar is designed for small business owners to learn more about credit card optimization, including reducing fees on credit cards and gifts cards. During this webinar, you will learn about choosing a processor - what to look for when picking a company to process credit cards, Visa/MC Interchange - how processors get charged & how it affects you, Gift Card Programs - if setting up a gift card program for your business will help you, and if so, how to set one up, and Cash Discounting - how to pass the fees to the cardholder in a way that doesn't break Visa/MC compliance.
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| Beer Exploration Course | 12:00 PM Organizer: UMW Continuing & Professional Studies Location: University of Mary Washington Stafford Campus &
6 Bears & a Goat Brewing Company
Join UMW Continuing & Professional Studies for a two-evening course on beer exploration. Learn about the brewing process, taste different beers, and enjoy food pairings in a fun and educational environment. Over two evenings, you will learn: the history, origins, and styles of beer; what's new in beer, including trends and limits; and the science and the art of beer. Night one will be a Knowledge & Tasting Experience at the UMW Stafford Campus, and Night Two will be on-site at the 6 Bears & a Goat Brewing Company for a behind-the-scenes brewery tour and beer pairing experience. Registration is open now. The cost of this program is $110.
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First Thursdays with the SBA: All Small Mentor Protégé Program | 12:00 PM
Organizer: UMW SBDC
Location: Virtual
Grab your lunch and join us virtually for the first Thursday of each month to learn more about SBA programs and network with other small business owners. Are you a small business looking to partner with a more-seasoned firm? See how the SBA All Small Mentor Protégé can help firms partner to take advantage of federal contract set asides. Learn the benefits of the All-Small Mentor Program in federal contracting, how to increase your competitiveness in competing for federal contracts, and what you will need to apply to the All Small Mentor Protégé Program.
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RIoT Foundations Fall 2023 | 12:00 PM Organizer: RIoT
Location: Hybrid - Virtual & Virginia Smart Community Testbed
Sign up today for RIoT’s Foundations Program! Foundations assists small business owners, startup founders, or prospective entrepreneurs interested in exploring their business idea more, interested in starting a business, and/or who are looking to grow and scale their business. This program is open to any business industry! RIoT specializes in helping technology sector businesses and those wanting to incorporate technology into their business start, grow, and scale in – the 21st Century Technology Revolution is here!
* Sessions will take place in person at the Gig East Exchange in Wilson, NC, the Virginia Smart Community Testbed in Stafford, VA, or virtually depending on individual needs. |
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Interested in your business event being featured in our marketing efforts? Submit your business event here. |
| Stay Connected with Stafford Economic Development: |
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