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Happy West Virginia Day: How WV Small Businesses Are Making Their Mark
On June 20th, we celebrate West Virginia Day – a day to reflect on the state’s history, culture, and achievements. Despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, West Virginia has much to be proud of. In this blog post, we will explore some of the ways in which our state’s small businesses have thrived in the face of adversity, and the role that entrepreneurialism and innovation have played in driving growth and prosperity. In this blog, you’ll learn: The impact of COVID-19 on small businesses in the US and West Virginia How West Virginia’s small businesses have been[...]
WVCAP Client Spotlight: Endolumik
West Virginia has a thriving startup scene, with several companies making groundbreaking discoveries and bringing innovative products to the market. One of these companies is Endolumik, a Morgantown-based surgical device company. Companies like Endolumik are succeeding in part thanks to new grants and funding opportunities offered by the West Virginia Capital Access Program (WVCAP) and associated programs that administer its grants. In this blog, you’ll learn: What the West Virginia Capital Access Program is and how it helps small businesses How strategic partnerships with economic development organizations like the West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust help small businesses achieve their[...]
Going Solo: How To Be A Solopreneur That Actually Gets Things Done
In recent years, more and more people have opted to become self-employed and work as solopreneurs. While self-employment offers many advantages, it also presents unique challenges that can impact a solopreneur’s ability to get things done. In this article, we will explore the impact of being a solopreneur on productivity, efficiency, time management, and some WV resources for solo entrepreneurs. In this blog, you’ll learn: The rise of self-employment and the advantages it offers The challenges faced by solopreneurs The impact of being a solopreneur on productivity and efficiency and how to make the best use of your valuable time[...]
WVCAP Client Spotlight: Americarbon Enterprises, LLC
West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust (WVJIT), in partnership with C.C. Dickinson Family Holdings and PointSquared Ventures, has announced the closing of initial capital investment into AmeriCarbon Enterprises, LLC. Morgantown-based AmeriCarbon has developed a patented and proprietary Eco-PitchTM chemical process that produces a tailored carbon pitch material. In this blog, you’ll learn: What the West Virginia Capital Access Program is and how it helps small businesses How strategic partnerships with economic development organizations like the West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust help small businesses achieve their goals How seed investments, like the one led by the West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust for[...]
Coe’s Country Store: A Study in Rural Collaboration
On a sparkling day at the tail end of winter Woodlands Development & Lending joined Nicole Coe and a host of her family and supporters to cut the ribbon on her new business: Coe’s Country Store, in French Creek, WV in Upshur County. Coe’s Country Store is a convenience store designed to meet the needs of a remote, rural area. The large, clean building, nestled 24 miles south of the county seat, Buckhannon, stocks all the expected snack and drink favorites but also features a rotating selection of locally made favorites like BBQ, hot dogs, biscuits & gravy, and even fresh[...]
Why Businesses Should Tackle the Hard Tasks (That Make an Impact) Instead of the Easy Ones
As the old saying goes, “nothing worth having comes easy.” In the world of business, this couldn’t be more true. It’s often the hardest tasks that make the biggest impact on a company’s success. However, it can be easy to fall into the trap of working on the easy tasks and avoiding the harder, more impactful ones. In this blog post, we’ll explore why it’s important for businesses to tackle hard tasks, and we’ll offer some tips on staying on track and prioritizing the tasks that will have the greatest impact. In this blog, you’ll learn: Explanation of why easy[...]
No Entrepreneur Does it Alone
Show love to your supporters this month! February is a month to feel the love and to show some love! Now is a great time to reflect on feeling the support and gratitude that comes with it. A healthy entrepreneur can see the big picture and realizes that the success of a business depends on everyone involved. Feeling and showing gratitude have many benefits. Learning to show gratitude as a habit is an effective way to not only improve your entrepreneurial skills but improve your psychological and even physical health. Let 3 Steps to Startup kickstart your “feeling the love”[...]
Facilitating the Growth of WV’s Innovation Economy
“Innovation, ideas, and talent are equally distributed, but opportunity is not.” That maxim underlies the rationale for the formation of 3 Steps to StartUp – West Virginia’s first truly integrated, collaborative, and holistic initiative to assist technology- and research-focused entrepreneurs in taking their business concept from notepad to marketplace. We have all heard the statistics. West Virginia entrepreneurs and innovators face significant hurdles to business creation. We struggle relative to neighboring states to attract investment for startups; rank 49 out of 50 among states in adults becoming entrepreneurs; place 45th in terms of business births and patents per capita; and,[...]
Morgantown Biotech Accepted Into Prestigious UC Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator Program
“This is a major step forward for our company and a validation of our syGlass system, which is a technology that allows massive images to be viewed in high-res virtual reality,” said Michael Morehead, Chief Executive Officer of IstoVisio.
3 Steps To Start-Up… What Is It?
Spurring entrepreneurialism and innovation is critical to driving the economic diversification necessary to overcome the impacts of the decline in coal across the State of West Virginia. However, early-stage entrepreneurs in West Virginia currently lack a clear pathway and support system to help guide them from conceptualization to market entry. West Virginia’s three leading entrepreneurship support organizations – TechConnectWV, the INNOVA Commercialization group, and the WV Jobs Investment Trust – are launching the“3 Steps to Start-up” program, which will provide early-stage entrepreneurs with critical assistance and a structured, modular map for moving forward from conceptualization through market entry. The goal[...]