Tag Archive: Businesses
June 7, 2022 10:00 am
“What’s long, brown, and sticky?” If your dad is particularly inclined to tell dad jokes, you have probably heard this one before. The answer, of course? “A stick.” [Slow clap] Dads can lend a special light to our lives, not least of which is bad humor. On the other hand, they are also sources of immense wisdom if we can tap into that wisdom. They’ve experienced so much more than we have! We can observe the same phenomenon when it comes to older, wiser mentors in the business. Some entrepreneurs are lucky enough to count their father as their mentor[...]
June 7, 2022 6:00 am
One of the ways we support West Virginia small businesses at 3 Steps to StartUp is by spreading useful knowledge. Our venture fairs and LIINC events last year brought innovators and entrepreneurs together to share their technical knowledge with aspiring small business owners. We also strive to provide information through our blog with posts like this one! Social media cannot be ignored in today’s business world. With widespread social media use by consumers, a small business would be making a mistake to skip participating in social media. Business social media pages are a primary source of inbound marketing in today’s[...]
April 19, 2022 6:00 am
Spring has arrived, and that means ‘tis the season for spring cleaning! Your small business is no exception when it comes to the need for refreshing. At 3 Steps to Startup, we are in the business of providing support for entrepreneurs throughout West Virginia at all stages. If you’re hoping to start a new business, there’s no time like the present! Jump in with support from our program! If you’re a first-time entrepreneur already in business, utilize these 4 strategies to do some “spring cleaning” for your business. Update and refresh your website and social media pages Your website[...]
April 5, 2022 6:00 am
Despite the adversity businesses face today, West Virginia’s economy is doing well in 2022. Unemployment in the first part of this year reached 3.9%, an all-time low. State leaders are optimistic about what 2022 will bring, even though we are still feeling the effects of a pandemic after two years: effects that small business owners have felt the most. The three main complications affecting small businesses in 2022 are COVID-19 (the threat of new variants), inflation, and supply-chain issues. At 3 Steps to Startup, we understand issues like these because we’ve experienced and overcome them! Below, we identify 5 helpful[...]
March 15, 2022 8:00 am
March Madness is upon us… and so is the madness of tax season. If you’re a small business owner, and especially if you’re new to entrepreneurship, this time of year can be overwhelming. At 3 Steps to Startup, we want to provide you with the know-how to make it through this tax season with a win! Here are some pointers for making sure you lead your business through March tax Madness without any upsets. 1) Know how much time is on the clock: One of the most important things to know as a small business owner is the timing of[...]
February 15, 2022 8:00 am
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”[...]
December 30, 2021 7:00 am
3 Steps Year in Review It was an eventful 2021 here at 3 Steps to Startup! What started as a year of hopefulness with some uncertainty has finished with even more optimism and an opportunity to reflect on West Virginia’s economic growth, including the formation of well over 12,000 new small businesses. At 3 Steps to Startup, we are proud to have played a part in furthering our state’s goals for economic growth. Throughout 2021, new entrepreneurs and veteran small business owners connected with us for help with their businesses. We have assisted them with information gathering, commercialization of ideas,[...]
December 7, 2021 8:00 am
When people talk about owning their own business, they discuss the concept of “being your own boss.” Overall owning your business is liberating! Entrepreneurs make their own decisions – ranging from where they work to how much money they make. If you are thinking about making your idea a reality, 2022 could be your year! Here are ten reasons why you shouldn’t wait to go for it in the new year: It’s time for you to take control of when and where you work. There’s no better time than the present to regain control of how much you work. Many[...]
November 2, 2021 2:23 pm
At 3 Steps to Startup, we are excited to present an opportunity to attend our free, virtual venture fair on Tuesday, November 16th, from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm. Our second venture fair of 2021 builds upon the work we did earlier in March 2021 at the 3 Steps to Startup Venture Fair. If you missed our March event, all recordings are accessible here. What exactly is a venture fair? A venture fair provides the opportunity for entrepreneurs, funders, economic developers, and other startup stakeholders to gather and share information. The goal of a venture fair is to match small[...]
September 7, 2021 8:00 am
It has historically been tough to get a business going in rural America. With current obstacles like the COVID-19 pandemic affecting ventures across the board, things have been even more difficult for startups in small towns. A statistic shared in early 2020 (pre-pandemic) showed that startups in rural communities make up only 12% of all startups (compared to 20% in the 1980s). Rural entrepreneurship poses some obstacles that big city entrepreneurship doesn’t. Finding capital is a big issue for entrepreneurs everywhere, but startups struggle even more in small towns. Utility access problems like the lack of access to high-speed internet hinder ventures[...]
