In every corner of the Commonwealth, there’s a great brewery, winery, cidery, or distillery capable of attracting tourists, but they don’t have to do it alone – the Virginia Tourism Corporation is here to help. Through grants, research, and other helpful resources, the VTC can support small businesses looking to bring in visitors from Virginia and beyond.

In this webinar, the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s Partnership Marketing Grants Manager Staci Martin shares details on the many VTC resources available to craft beverage companies, including the Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program, closing on September 20th.

Chances are you’ve heard of the phrase “data-based decision-making,” but what does it mean for alcohol producers growing their distribution?  In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks Ben Lewellyn, Founder of craft beverage analytics firm Full Count, how producers can make the most of their sales data, from diagnosing issues and constructing sales incentives to charting growth opportunities and preparing for annual budget planning (ABP) meetings with distribution partners.

Ben Lewellyn has worked in craft beverages for more than a decade, focused primarily on building and improving wholesale sales operations (forecasting production, managing salespeople & distributors, selling to key accounts, and developing strategy).  He started Full Count Analytics to help craft manufacturers make sense of their data through custom software solutions and individualized coaching.  Originally from Alabama, Ben now lives with his wife and son in Charlottesville.

Are you interested in contracting with George Mason University? This webinar covers the types of contracting opportunities available to small businesses and some resources that are available to help you along the way. A panel of speakers from George Mason University, Mason Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Virginia Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), and Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD) cover the following topics:

How to navigate through the Mason procurement system

 ·         What does Mason expect from vendors?

·         How does a business find Mason opportunities?

·         How does Mason pay for purchases?

Overview of Mason business counseling resources

·         How a Small, Women-owned, and Minority-owned Business (SWaM) certification might benefit your small business.

·         How to obtain a SWaM certification.

·         How to get your business set up in eVA, Virginia’s procurement system.

·         Marketing as a government contractor.

·         List of free training and advising available to help you learn what you need to know to get started with government contracting.

This 1-hour and 30-minute webinar concludes with a Q&A session. Please bring your questions to ask the speakers.

Speakers:

Jason Hawkins, Director, Supplier Diversity at George Mason University

Timm Johnson, Director of the Mason SBDC

Lisa Wood, Statewide Director of the Virginia PTAC at George Mason University

Chris Ley, Business Services Manager, Northern Virginia SBSD

In this webinar Virginia SBDC Cyber Industry Expert, Quiana Gainey, covers how to build a step-by-step program to help improve cyber resiliency. The webinar will help you build a strong cybersecurity program for your small business by creating effective security policies using Posture.  

Joined by special guest speaker William McBorrough. William J McBorrough is co-Founder and Chief Security Officer at Posture, Inc (https://www.postured.io) an innovative cybersecurity risk management company using artificial intelligence and cloud-based solutions to help small businesses simplify and manage cybersecurity programs.

Meet the Expert

Quiana Gainey is a 20+ year IT & Cybersecurity industry veteran and has served as Chief Executive Officer for SecureTech360 located in Springfield, VA since its inception in 2010. Ms. Gainey has an extensive background in the IT industry, including information assurance, cyber-security and research/development for the Federal, State or Local government. She also founded MySecureKid in 2018 a 501C (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the field of cybersecurity, and information technology. Ms. Gainey has an MBA, a BS in Information Technology Management and Cybersecurity.

Your HR and hiring questions answered.

We cover fundamental employment law for small businesses, learn how to avoid common HR mistakes, the do’s and don’ts for hiring, and the latest impact of COVID in this post-pandemic world.

Taught by Mary Walter Arthur , Senior HR Consultant at Brighter Strategies. Mary Walter Arthur has been providing human resources consulting services to business for over 30 years. Her experience in global human resources operations, talent management, leadership coaching, and organizational development provide her with the tools needed to deliver HR results to both earlier stage organizations and organizations in transition. Additionally, she provides expert guidance on establishing the HR functions as a strategic business partner, building customer centric HR infrastructure for companies, operational assessment and HR audits of existing HR functions. As an HR Consultant, she brings the perspectives and lessons learned from the positions she has held throughout her career in global HR leadership roles in manufacturing, public relations, technology, and non-profit organizations.

Mary Walter has a Master’s in Human Resources Development from The George Washington University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Centre College. She holds a Certificate, Global Human Resources Management, from Villanova University and was a Leadership Philadelphia Fellow.

Alcohol distribution in the United States is governed by the three-tier system, which means that distributing craft beverage producers’ success requires healthy working relationships with their wholesalers.  In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks Craft Beverage Strategic Advisor Julie Rhodes about the tools and strategies that breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries can employ when working distribution partners towards mutual success.

Speaker: Julie Rhodes, Owner, Not Your Hobby Marketing 

With over 2 decades of experience on the business side – supplier sales, digital marketing, and distribution management – of the craft beverage industry, Julie provides strategic sales and marketing advice to small- and medium-sized beverage alcohol brands through webinars, whitepapers, digital courses, one on one consulting, and group coaching programs.  

In an era where cyber incidents are on the rise, ensuring you have a cyber incident response plan means you know how to respond to a serious security incident, such as a data breach, data leak, ransomware attack, or loss of sensitive information.

During this session, we walk you through the basics of creating a cyber incident response plan for your organization. By the end of this hour, you should feel equipped to put a basic incident response plan together.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Business Owners, Management Teams, Cybersecurity Professionals and individuals within an organization responsible for cybersecurity, risk management or information security

Do you need:

·        Research assistance for your business plan or market study?

·        Professional development surrounding HR, accounting, and marketing?

·        A jumpstart for your business idea?

·        Job search assistance?

·        A place to meet clients?

·        A telework location?

Look no further than your local public library, in person and online. While each location is different, every library, through the Library of Virginia, has access to digital resources, learning assets, and research tools to help you meet your career and business goals. Join us to learn more!

Presenters:

·       Nan Carmack – Director of the Library Development and Networking Division, Library of Virginia (nan.carmack@lva.virginia.gov) (and small business owner!)

·       Barry Trott – Adult Services Consultant, Library of Virginia (barry.trott@lva.virginia.gov)