Getting your finances organized is the first step toward scaling your business or applying for funding.

In this session, we walk through simple, practical steps to help you structure your finances, build better habits, and prepare for next steps—whether that’s going after a loan or growing your operations.

Learn:

• How to separate personal and business finances
• What basic bookkeeping looks like (even using a spreadsheet)
• Simple systems to track income, expenses, and receipts What reports like an income statement can show you
• How to set goals and forecast your cash flow

This session is ideal for business owners who are ready to get structured before diving into accounting software.

Brought to you by Capital Pathways, a no-cost program from the Virginia SBDC that helps small businesses get the funding they need to grow. The program is designed for very small (fewer than 10 employees), emerging, and growth-ready businesses that face challenges accessing traditional financing. It offers hands-on group learning, guided implementation, and extended one-on-one support focused on strengthening your finances, loan applications, and legal setup.

Los préstamos de la Administración de Pequeñas Empresas (SBA) pueden utilizarse para una amplia variedad de necesidades, incluyendo capital de trabajo, compra de inventario y equipo, refinanciamiento de deudas comerciales, adquisición de negocios y la compra o construcción de bienes raíces comerciales ocupados por el propietario. Durante este seminario web, analizaremos los tres principales programas de préstamos de la SBA: 7(a), 504 y micropréstamos.

Reciba orientación sobre…

• Qué hacer antes de contactar a un prestamista
• Cómo es el proceso de solicitud de la SBA
• Cómo encontrar prestamistas de la SBA

Este evento forma parte de Capital Pathways, un programa gratuito del Centro de Desarrollo de Pequeñas Empresas de Virginia (SBDC) que ayuda a las pequeñas empresas a obtener el financiamiento que necesitan para crecer. El programa está diseñado para empresas muy pequeñas (menos de 10 empleados), emergentes y listas para crecer que tienen dificultades para acceder al financiamiento tradicional. Ofrece aprendizaje práctico en grupo, implementación guiada y apoyo individual continuo enfocado en fortalecer sus finanzas, solicitudes de préstamos y estructura legal.

AI is changing how customers discover, evaluate, and connect with small businesses. As more people turn to AI tools instead of traditional search engines, business owners need to understand how AI can strengthen their marketing efforts and increase their visibility online.

Part of the AI Fundamentals: A Playbook for SMBs series, this focused session explores practical ways to use AI for marketing. Gain insight into the tools and strategies that can help you create content more efficiently, improve customer engagement, and position your business to be found through AI-powered search experiences.

Learn how to:

• Create marketing content more efficiently using AI tools.
• Explore how chatbots can support lead capture and customer engagement.
• Automate marketing and customer relationship tasks using AI and CRM tools.
• Understand the basics of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and how AI-powered search is changing customer discovery

Each year, the State buys goods and services totaling more than $7 billion – learn how your company can be a part of that!

This webinar educates small business owners about opportunities to sell their goods and services to the Commonwealth of Virginia and many local governments.

The workshop provides information about the Virginia procurement process (the eVA system) and the benefits of SWaM certification.

Speaker: Kathy Deacon, Business Services Manager, Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, Southwest Virginia

Most small businesses are not a fit for venture capital, but that does not mean there are no viable growth or exit opportunities available. This session explored alternative acquisition pathways for Virginia founders building durable, niche businesses with recurring or repeat revenue models.

Join SBDC’s Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP) and entrepreneur Joe Belsterling for a candid discussion about the realities of fundraising, company building, and the often-overlooked mechanics behind small private equity acquisitions and buyouts.

NOTE: Our speaker showed up a little late, BUT, tune in from the start…. it’s worth every minute!

Every craft beverage producer appreciates that the same drop of liquid can make more or less money depending on the channel in which it’s sold. But what’s harder to grasp is how to capture true margins and balance your sales mix.

In this webinar, Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks Matthew Brown, Virginia Wine Coalition Coordinator and founder of MWJ Brown Consulting, about how producers can get a deeper understanding of COGS and set healthy margins for various DTC channels such as wine club, tasting room sales, shipping, and distribution.

If your bookkeeping is up and running, the next step is understanding what your numbers are telling you.

In this 90-minute bootcamp, we demystify the core financial statements every small business owner should know—and show you how to use them to make better decisions. You learn: 

• What an income/profit & loss, balance sheet, and cash flow statement actually show
• How to spot trends and red flags in your reports
• How to make sense of these numbers in QuickBooks or a spreadsheet
• How to use your financial data to plan, pivot, or seek funding

This session is ideal for business owners who already track their finances and want to become more confident and strategic in how they use that information.

Brought to you by Capital Pathways, a no-cost program from the Virginia SBDC that helps small businesses get the funding they need to grow. The program is designed for very small (fewer than 10 employees), emerging, and growth-ready businesses that face challenges accessing traditional financing. It offers hands-on group learning, guided implementation, and extended one-on-one support focused on strengthening your finances, loan applications, and legal setup.

Building strong credit is a foundational step toward financial stability, access to affordable financing, and long-term growth opportunities.

In this session, we walk through clear, practical steps to help you understand how credit works and how to fix common issues so you can pursue your personal and business goals.

This webinar explains personal and business credit scores and reports and breaks down real-world strategies small business owners can use to improve credit, correct common report errors, and prepare for future funding. We’ll connect credit habits directly to loan readiness and explain what lenders look for in your applications.

Learn:

• What credit is, how personal and business credit differ, and why both matter.
• How the three major credit bureaus collect information and calculate scores.
• How to access, read, and monitor your personal and business credit reports .
• How to identify and dispute errors using your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

This session the first step in a program that is ideal for business owners and entrepreneurs who want to take control of their credit before applying for loans. To participate in the program you must schedule a 1:1 advising session after viewing.

Brought to you by Capital Pathways, a no-cost program from the Virginia SBDC that helps small businesses get the funding they need to grow. The program is designed for very small (fewer than 10 employees), emerging, and growth-ready businesses that face challenges accessing traditional financing. It offers hands-on group learning, guided implementation, and extended one-on-one support focused on strengthening your finances, loan applications, and legal setup.

Updated for 2026

Learn how to create and/or better manage your WordPress website!

Are you looking for a simple, yet effective website to use for your business? WordPress might be a good option! In this workshop, we covered “the basics” on creating and updating a WordPress site, including:

• User management
• Page creation and editing
• Image and video uploads
• Plugin management
• Linking to social media

Learn the basics of Elementor, the most popular WordPress editing interface. With Elementor, you can design complex layouts visually, and integrate various design elements such as text, images, videos, and more, just by dragging and dropping them into place!

Instructor: Cameron Nelson, CEO of Tenzing Startup Consultants