What do you get when a developer and a performance coach team up as business partners? A successful Maine company that’s adding new outlets in Virginia. With assistance from the Longwood SBDC – Eastern Region, The Smoothie Spot recently opened in Colonial Heights with three more locations slated to open in the near future.

A health-conscious smoothie bar that encourages clean eating, The Smoothie Spot is the shared vision of co-founders BJ Grondin and Jeremy Callahan.

“Our goal is to give as many people as we can the opportunity for quick and tasty real food choices,” Jeremy says.

The Smoothie Spot’s first Virginia location opened in Colonial Heights in April 2024.

“While searching for funding to open this business and three others we have planned in Virginia, I came across Eastern Region Director Vandy Jones and gave him a call,” Jeremy relates. “Within a week he called back and has been offering guidance ever since.”

The Colonial Heights location became a reality with a $40,000 loan and a $10,000 line of credit approved by Peoples Advantage Credit Union (PACU). Vandy connected Jeremy with D. Curtis at PACU, who helped secure the financing needed to launch the first Virginia shop.

Expanding to Virginia meant Jeremy and BJ needed help establishing themselves and forming connections with local business resources. Vandy and the SBDC helped them accomplish exactly that and put them in touch with First Community Bank for a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan.

Currently, Jeremy is working with First Community Bank on a $175,000 SBA loan to fund the new locations. While the loan has not yet closed, the SBDC has continued to support Jeremy through the process.

“Vandy has been a great resource to help us find local funding for start-ups,” Jeremy explains. “I signed three leases in the last month for locations in Henrico, Chester and Emporia. We needed funding for these proposed expansions.”

“Vandy has a wealth of knowledge on this area,” Jeremy adds. “That was also very valuable to us.”

Currently the Smoothie Spot has six employees in Maine and four in Virginia. Jeremy expects that number to quickly increase as new locations are added.

“We already have people calling to see if we’re hiring,” Jeremy notes. “It’s great to see people interested in helping other people be healthy.”

As expansion plans continue, Jeremy is conferring with Vandy on vendor approval for airports in Richmond, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

“There is a certification needed for that, and Vandy has done a lot of research on the topic for us,” Jeremy relates. “That’s been very helpful.”

Also in the planning stage is a distribution center where products can be made and sold to vendors who then offer the products under a licensing agreement in their own place of business.

Overall, Jeremy sees the SBDC as a great resource.

“For me specifically it was the connections I found valuable, but essentially it was the follow up that made a difference,” Jeremy concludes. “Not only did Vandy connect me with the right organizations and people but also checked on me during the process and after. The commitment that the SBDC has to its clients makes for a great partnership — one that I plan to continue.”

In 2019, Crystal Barker was searching for an underserved area to expand her CPB Behavioral Therapy services. A cash-prize finish in a local pitch competition and connecting with the Longwood SBDC – Western Region made that possible.

“CPB Behavioral Therapy offers behavioral analysis for ages 2 to 21,” Crystal explains. “We work on reducing disruptive behaviors as well as increasing communication and social skills — or anything else a child with developmental delays or a disability needs.”

Crystal still maintains an office in Stafford but her decision to expand the business with an office in Stuart, a town of 1,400 in the Blue Ridge Mountains, was twofold.

“It was the beauty of the mountains plus a push to bring behavioral services to rural areas of Virginia,” she notes. “We moved right before the pandemic.”

When COVID-19 slowed her plans, Crystal used the time to enroll in the Patrick County Business Builders business boot camp. The Longwood SBDC was one of the boot camp sponsors. The course culminated in a business pitch competition that saw CPB Behavioral Therapy win a cash prize as the third-place finisher.

While Crystal was pleased at CPB Therapy’s performance in the competition, she already considered herself a winner.

“That’s where I met Longwood SBDC Business Analyst Michael Scales,” she says. “Michael helped with everything from a business plan to making connections with local banks and others in the business community.”

Crystal used the $2,000 cash prize from the Business Builders competition to lease her first office space and started seeing clients in Patrick County in 2022.

“Being in a rural area you have to approach things differently,” she notes. “Having Michael, who really knows the rural community, is very helpful. It’s nice to have that sounding board.”

Michael also assisted Crystal with obtaining a working capital loan for $25,000 that will help CPB Behavioral Therapy’s future growth, which she’s already planning for.

“We’ve already moved to a larger location down the street that allowed us to double our staff and client base,” she says. “We’re also talking about adding additional services not specifically healthcare based.”

Crystal explained that many in the community had expressed a need for a family activity center.

“We want to add what is most beneficial here,” she adds. “That’s the next project we’ll consult Michael about.”

Crystal credits Michael and the SBDC for a successful start to her business in Stuart.

“We’re definitely growing and looking to diversify,” she says. “Since we started working with the SBDC, we’ve tripled our service delivery and our staff has grown to 20 employees.”

Crystal still takes advantage of SBDC services and encourages others to do the same.

“I plan to work with the SBDC for many years to come,” Crystal concludes. “I tell other business owners — call the SBDC. They’ll help you figure out the right plan for your business.”

When a search for a retirement property brought Mike and Kathie Boyce from Hagerstown, Maryland, to Scottsville, Virginia, the couple brought along their love for wine-making with them. With help from the Longwood SBDC, the Boyces turned their hobby into a thriving business in Buckingham County.

“I’ve been making wine for about 17 years,” Mike says. “Kathie and I joined an amateur wine-making group that included chemists from Ft. Meade as well as members from Appalachia that learned from their granddads. I use both techniques in wine-making.”

The Boyces opened Muddy Paws Winery in October 2023 and currently offer 17 varieties of fruit wine and mead. The couple started the winery with Mike concentrating on wine-making and Kathie focusing on developing the business. The name “Muddy Paws” is inspired by the Boyces’ love of dogs and animals. Over 23 years of marriage they have adopted numerous animals and chose to honor their memories by opening a dog-friendly winery and naming each wine after one of them.

They initially contacted the Longwood SBDC to get more information on grants, but soon discovered how much the center had to offer.

“I learned about the SBDC during a Women in Business presentation,” Kathie explains. “I was referred to the Longwood SBDC and Regional Director Dana Knott. At the time I didn’t realize all the SBDC had to offer. Since then, Dana and others from the local SBDC office have helped with resources and educational opportunities to help our business grow. I also love the training webinars the SBDC offers and have taken many of them.”

Dana connected Kathie with CO.STARTERS, an accelerator program designed to provide insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn business ideas into action.

“Although we had already started our business, CO.STARTERS was really helpful,” Kathie notes. “The six-week program included basic business concepts from marketing to funding — invaluable information for a new business — and all for free!”

The Boyces still meet regularly with the SBDC to expand their business acumen and ensure their winery’s financial health.

“Dana’s an ongoing help,” Kathie says. “And she’s a good resource on Facebook — things like what days to post what — and helping me with Canva. When we get together, we’ll plan one topic that transitions into two or three others. She also kept me informed about grant possibilities and helped compile a list of businesses the winery might partner with.”

Those conversations have spurred more ideas on how to creatively package Muddy Paws’ wines through services like a wine club, subscriptions, and creation of custom wines for weddings and special events. They have also discussed future expansions to their facility, including a nature trail, an observatory for “wine and star” nights, and a dog park that would put the “paws” in Muddy Paws.

The Boyces also give back to their local community by donating to various animal organizations. Muddy Paws is also gaining accolades, winning the People’s Choice Award at the Powhatan Wine Festival. As their business grows – in accolades, sales, offerings, and more – the couple plans to rely on SBDC advice.

“We exceeded our expectations for our first year,” Mike concludes. “The SBDC definitely played a part in that.”

Chantel West-White’s Wick & Pour Candle Bar started in a basement during the COVID-19 pandemic, borne out of a desire to stay busy and connected with her friends and neighbors.

“I’m an elementary school nurse and wanted to keep my family safe during COVID,” she says. “I spent a lot of time in my basement then and started making candles. I sent them to friends with encouraging notes on the labels — everyone loved that.”

The feedback was so positive that Chantel considered molding her basement hobby into a business. With help from the SBDC – Lynchburg Region and the CO.STARTERS business accelerator program, it soon began to take shape.

“At CO.STARTERS I was introduced to the services offered by the SBDC,” Chantel adds. “After the program ended, I connected with SBDC Executive Director Stephanie Keener and others at the Lynchburg office, including Financial Planning Advisor Jordan Reeves and Branding/Marketing Advisor Jawansa Hall, who helped me prepare for the Launch LYH.”

Similar to CO.STARTERS’ 10-week entrepreneurship training program, Launch LYH is an eight-week educational course that culminates in a pitch competition. Launch LYH is funded by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development via the Community Business Launch program. Although Chantel wasn’t among the pitch competition’s winners, she says that she gained valuable business knowledge from the course as well as important connections that led to more milestones for her then-fledgling company.

Participants in Launch LYH were introduced to available retail and offices spaces in Downtown Lynchburg, which led to Chantel finding a physical location.

“Those connections helped me find a permanent location for my business,” she says. “The SBDC gave me a high recommendation — I wouldn’t have had that without those connections”

At her store, Chantel not only sells her own handmade candles, she hosts workshops to teach the candle-making process. And even as she has settled into her downtown location on Lynchburg’s 9th Street, Chantel has continued to consult the SBDC.

“Jordan helped with the financial piece by getting spreadsheets ready for my business plan,” she says. “Jawansa assisted with marketing and offered suggestions to improve my website. Then Stephanie connected me with students at a local community college who helped me create my new website.”

The SBDC is also providing help as Chantel prepares to hire her first employee.

“Stephanie helped me write an employees’ manual,” Chantel adds. “She also advised me about financing as we get into the holiday season. I’m looking into it — one step at a time.”

Chanel recently tried out the idea with a small working capital loan of $1,000. She also continues to make connections in her new downtown location, partnering with neighboring business owners for special events. Among those is a community display shelf where she and other owners showcase products from their downtown businesses.

With the SBDC’s help, Chantel’s candle business continues to burn bright.

“The SBDC has had a hand in every aspect of my business,” Chantel concludes. “They not only tell me what I need to change in my business but also how to change it. The information, guidance and connections I gained from the SBDC have been wonderful.”

Ryland Clark’s RCFlyBy drone business started as a hobby that took flight as he learned more about Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). After working with the Longwood SBDC and participating in the RISE Business Bootcamp, RCFlyBy reached new heights of success.

“In 2019 when I started my business, I went to see SBDC Regional Director Lin Hite,” Ryland says. “He gave me advice on getting started. I took a drone certification class, then went to the Danville Airport for a proctor exam.”

Services offered by RCFlyBy include 3D imaging, construction site reports, land sale photography, aerial photography, inspections, property imaging, real estate videography and fireworks videography.

A friend urged Ryland to enroll in RISE Business Bootcamp. The 10-week online program, coordinated by the SOVA Innovation Hub and Longwood SBDC, helps new business owners create a business plan and establish next steps to move forward.

“There were about 30 [participants] in the January 2023 bootcamp,” Ryland explains. “Talking with other business owners was the most valuable part for me — how to market, set pricing and share your value with customers. I also wrote a business and finance plan.”

The winter 2023 session was RISE’s largest ever cohort, but Ryland’s vision for RCFlyBy rose to the top. The bootcamp ended with the RISE Collaborative Business Pitch Competition, which challenged Ryland and his fellow entrepreneurs to pitch their business to a panel of judges. RCFlyBy took the top prize.

“I tied for first place and received $5,000,” Ryland reports. “I invested the money in a drone with mechanical shutter that takes photos 40 percent faster.”

The SBDC helped Ryland complete the SWaM and SAM certification process, which opens up additional avenues for work. After consulting with the SBDC and RISE Collaborative, Ryland reports a 125% revenue increase. Recently, RCFlyBy has hired one employee and secured a contract with a Richmond-based company.

Ryland says he is grateful for the SBDC’s continued support.

“The SBDC helped accelerate growth and take my business to the next level,” he concludes. “It’s good to know I have the SBDC to rely on.”

In 1927, entrepreneur Harry P. “H.P.” Johnson established Johnson Funeral Home in the small Virginia town of McKenney. Nearly 100 years later, the third-generation family business has grown to include three funeral homes spread in the Tri-Cities area, including the McKenney facility operated by Joseph “Joey” Johnson Jr.; the South Hill facility run by his sister, Mary E. Johnson-Fields; and the Petersburg facility managed by Wendal A. Givens.

Even a longstanding family business that has been in operation for nearly a century like the Johnson’s can benefit from the SBDC, as H.P.’s great nephew Joey has learned since partnering with the Crater SBDC in Petersburg beginning in 2021.

“I was raised working in the funeral home,” says Joey, who, alongside his sister, worked at Johnson Funeral Services in various capacities as a child and young adult.

“In 1992, I took over the McKenney home. But there’s been a lot of changes in the industry. Changes to the business environment and business in general.”

Those changes, Joey says, range from the rise of the internet and digital marketing to the demand for alternative disposition methods, like cremation. That’s in addition to the gamut of traditional responsibilities related to running any small business, which was what originally led Joey to connect with the SBDC.

“[What first drew me to the SBDC was] the resources they offered,” Joey says. “I was looking for more experience and knowledge related to running the business.”

Joey reached out to the Longwood SBDC in Farmville after seeing a flyer for programs available to small-business owners. From there he began working with Vandy Jones, the Eastern Region SBDC Director who oversees the Crater SBDC.

Vandy initially helped Joey apply for a grant and enroll in SBDC courses related to taxes and finance. However, with Johnson Funeral Services coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic – which forced significant changes in how the business structured its on-site gatherings – Vandy saw another way to help Joey and Johnson Funeral Services by helping them apply for the zero-percent Tri-Cities Small Business Capital Access Program loan.

That loan, which is offered through Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and in partnership with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and SBDC, allowed Joey to pay off high-interest debt with a zero-interest rate loan. Vandy assisted Joey by setting up a business plan and organizing other documents needed for the application.

“It was a program that with the struggle from the pandemic helped us secure some extra financing. It was a resource that really helped us,” Joey says.

That assistance will help ensure Johnson Funeral Services’ success and keep the family business running for generations to come.