December 21, 2021 8:00 am
2021 is coming to a close and next year is your year! Do you have a business idea that you just haven’t followed through with yet? 3 Steps to Startup can help you turn your plans into action, and there’s no better time than right now to make it happen. Our Master Class Series is a good place to start if you’re exploring a business idea. Otherwise, here are four things you need to do to ensure your business idea can become a reality in 2022. Formulate a Business Plan Your startup needs a business plan. What exactly does that[...]
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[...]
October 19, 2021 7:00 am
This month at 3 Steps to StartUp, we want to take the time to recognize the progress that West Virginia women-owned businesses are making in our communities. In December of 2020, West Virginia ranked 11th for its percentage of women-owned businesses! At 3 Steps to StartUp, we are proud to recognize the hard work and promising futures for two women-owned startup companies here in West Virginia. Below, learn about these local, women-owned businesses and our involvement in their successes. Reid Miller Reid Miller is the founder and CEO of her self-named apparel line, which makes high-quality, classic wardrobe staples for[...]
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[...]
August 24, 2021 9:00 am
Introducing 3 Steps to Startup Master Class Series: Solving Meaningful Problems There is one thing that all successful entrepreneurs have in common: life-long learning. Successful entrepreneurs are open to constantly gaining new knowledge, and possess the drive to seek out that knowledge proactively. Great entrepreneurs are consistently learning about what topics interest and excite them, in addition to learning about things that seemingly challenge their currently-held beliefs and ideas. The constant drive to seek knowledge might not look like what many assume. Interestingly, many of today’s entrepreneurs do not carry one of society’s major markers of knowledge – a 4-year college[...]