Tag Archive: Entrepreneurship

Made in America: Homegrown Businesses 

July 5, 2022 6:00 am

Part of our mission at 3 Steps to Startup is to let the talents and innovation of West Virginians shine. We have real local pride in the businesses we help thrive, and as we celebrate the fourth of July this month, we naturally feel extra patriotic. To put that patriotism on full display this blog is all about celebrating some homegrown West Virginia businesses that 3 Steps to Startup is honored to have worked with.   Greenbrier Technical Services:    Greenbrier is a tech company founded on serving the restaurant, banking, and mining industries. They manufacture circuit boards and other parts in[...]

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An Ode to Small Business Fatherly Advice

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[...]

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6 Ways to Shop Local this Mother’s Day 

May 3, 2022 8:01 am

Whoever the special mom is that you’re shopping for, you know you’ve got to get it right this Mother’s Day. One of the goals we have at 3 Steps to StartUp is to help small businesses survive and thrive in our state. We know that living in West Virginia gives us access to high-quality and unique options for spending our hard-earned money, and that includes gift-giving. What better way to say “Happy Mother’s Day” this year? Here are six ideas for your Mother’s Day small business shopping.  Flowers   The classic Mother’s Day gift, flowers are always an appreciated treat. Finding[...]

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How Critical is Luck When it Comes to Small Business Success? 

March 1, 2022 8:00 am

Many entrepreneurs attribute the success of their businesses to hard work… and a little bit of luck. This month, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we ask: is luck the determining factor for a business’s success?  The consensus is no. Entrepreneurs who credit good luck for their success usually indicate that it is only a portion of what goes into business success – and far smaller than the majority. Most of them give luck credit amounting to 20% or less. When pressed, the common thread for what people consider “luck” is actually just good timing. Elon Musk revealed that Tesla[...]

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No Entrepreneur Does it Alone

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”[...]

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Self-Care For Entrepreneurs

February 1, 2022 8:00 am

February is typically a month that people start to think about how they’ll show others they care. We think that February should inspire you to show yourself some care as well! Entrepreneurs can seem super-human, but they are no exception when it comes to needing self-care. Small business owners report working twice as much as regular employees. The number of hours entrepreneurs work is not the only reason they might need to treat themselves every once in a while. If you need more convincing, here’s a list of more reasons entrepreneurs need self-care:  They are under immense stress, one source[...]

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2021 Was a Success – Let’s Do it Again in 2022! 

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,[...]

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November Venture Fair & Its Success 

November 30, 2021 7:35 pm

Earlier this month, 3 Steps to Startup’s November Venture Fair was another successful 2021 event bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, and other West Virginia stakeholders in a virtual summit to exchange ideas and grow by learning from experienced entrepreneurs and investors. The venture fair picked up where our March event left off. In March, we heard from Intuit Chairman of the Board, Brad D. Smith.   If you attended our November Venture Fair, you heard from Mitch Carmichael, Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, when he discussed the importance of entrepreneurism for the West Virginia economy and how our[...]

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3 Steps to Startup’s November Venture Fair is a Can’t-Miss! 

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[...]

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LIINC Up with 3 Steps to Startup! 

October 5, 2021 8:00 am

LIINC Up with 3 Steps to Startup!  This month, 3 Steps to Startup will host two “LIINC” events: Linking Innovation, Industry, and Commercialization. These events are designed to allow hopeful research entrepreneurs access to business acumen and venture capital while simultaneously allowing those in the private sector to collaborate with a researcher in an area of interest. The two LIINC events will take place virtually on October 6th, 2021, via West Virginia University, and on October 20th, 2021, via Marshall University.    Researchers are essential members of the entrepreneur community. At our virtual LIINC events, 3 Steps inspires collaboration between researchers[...]

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