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Ground Earth
2020SouthernStart-up

Grounded Earth

Grounded in success: The SBDC helps crystal shop shine

Grounded Earth had a capital infusion of $24,300 and created 1 new job.

Some businesses begin with an idea. Others start out of necessity. Heather Erb began hers with a revelation. While mourning the passing of her stepfather, Heather took time to reevaluate her career as an art teacher in the Lynchburg school system.

“After diving deep into my own spirituality, I began to find myself attracted to the idea that spirituality was bigger than any idea I had previously held, and spirit started to show up in my life in ways I hadn’t expected,” Heather relates. “Fortunately, it led me to crystals.”

Heather realized that starting a business of her own could look different than she imagined, but still provide the fulfillment she sought. She explains, “I had always had the inclination to start a business of my own and had seen it in my life through my parents, as they both successfully worked for themselves. However, I was under the misconception that my business would be one that supported me as a local craftswoman.” She went on, “That’s when it occurred to me that if I couldn’t find the type of healing I was in search of, then I could create my own healing and open a store that catered to the needs I had, in the hopes that it could also cater to others in need like me. And so the idea was born to open a crystal shop.”

Grounded Earth was born. In addition to crystals and gemstones of all types, the shop offers Reiki, energetic clearing and chakra balancing, as well as psychic readings, and other spiritual guidance.

Heather explains that Grounded Earth has thrived thanks to direct support from the SBDC-Lynchburg Region Center Director Stephanie Keener. “Working with Stephanie has been a godsend. She was very knowledgeable and made me feel confident that opening a new business was actually not scary. She answered my questions and gave me resources that exponentially propelled me forward,” explains Heather. “Stephanie continued to check in with me after I started the process, encouraging future meetings with her to make sure I was going to be successful at starting a new business,” Heather adds.

For Heather, Grounded Earth is a small retail shop with a big mission. Heather sees the SBDC and Stephanie as a critical part of that mission. They worked with Heather and Grounded Earth to design and build a website for the fledgling business free of charge.

“Stephanie took a process that felt overwhelming and broke it down into steps that made it easy for me to manage,” Heather says. “She went above and beyond my expectations and presented me with opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

Thanks to Stephanie Keener and the SBDC-Lynchburg Region, Grounded Earth can begin establishing a presence within the community.

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Tracy Nayar March 31, 2020 0
Monarch Movers
2020Business PlanHampton Roads

Monarch Movers

Making moves

As a result of new business, Monarch Movers has increased sales by $850,000 and supports 4 jobs.

The moving business is in Wayne Edward’s blood. With over 20 years of experience working in the industry, he knows a thing or two about how to handle boxes correctly. A former Navy seaman, Wayne found inspiration for his business after a bad moving experience and opened Monarch Movers in December 2016. “I have been in the moving business since 1998. I got out in 2006 and then got back in,” Wayne says. Monarch Movers specializes in offering highly skilled services. “We want to be looked at as family. However, I believe strongly in professionalism and hands-on customer service,” he explains. He decided to combine his moving-industry experience with a desire to help: Monarch Movers gives preference to disabled veterans, veterans, and military spouses whenever possible.

Wayne connected with Debra Farley, Associate Executive Director of the Hampton Roads SBDC, to help turn his vision into reality. “Debra Farley has had a tremendous impact on my business through mentoring and providing me with valuable information,” he explains. “She has been my ‘human shortcut’ to overcoming many challenges and obstacles.” According to Wayne, Debra helped him navigate the ins and outs of finding benefits and grants for his employees. With her guidance, he is currently in the process of applying for official On-the-Job-Training (OJT) status for veterans and other eligible military personnel.

In the meantime, Wayne appreciates Debra’s ability to keep up with the frenetic pace of the world of moving trucks and boxes. “The moving business is very rigorous and challenging,” says Wayne. “Debra Farley is very proactive. She is always thinking of things for me to do to keep my business vital.”

In addition to giving preference to veterans, disabled veterans, and military spouses, the team at Monarch Movers is involved with the local Rotary chapter, United Way, and Fear 2 Freedom, a local organization for survivors of sexual assault. This deep passion for the local community has brought numerous rewards. As Wayne mulls over the past year, he’s confident that the investment has been well placed. “I’ve made a strong commitment and investment to see this business grow,” he says. “I’m really excited that we started this year with one truck and we are ending it with five.”

According to Wayne, every day brings something new, which keeps him excited by the industry. “I love the fact that every day is different. This business allows me to engage people in a more personal way — in a way I never would have been able to otherwise.” With Wayne’s love for the business and the SBDC by his side, Monarch Movers is on the move to the top.

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Tracy Nayar March 31, 2020 0
Gatekeeper Security
2020Business ExpansionBusiness PlanInternationalNorthern Virginia

Gatekeeper Security

Security business makes bold move

Gatekeeper Security saw their sales increase by $500,000 and 42 jobs are supported.

Gatekeeper Security

The September 11 attacks inspired Chris Millar to found Gatekeeper Security. “Really, it was a result of seeing what happened at 9/11 and seeing so much poor equipment being purchased,” he explains.

After 18 years in the banking and international investment banking with exposure in the area of computer vision, he put together a team to design and develop a unique series of intelligent optical inspection and recognition products. With these, he entered the security technology industry.

And enter it he did. Today, Gatekeeper Security is an international organization with more than 2,500 permanent security installations in 38 countries for nuclear power plants, natural gas facilities, oil refineries, airports, commercial banks, chemical plants, hotels, government facilities, and more.

Eventually, Chris decided to move into a different subset of the market: short-term, event security. A surprisingly large demand exists for security services at sports stadiums, conference centers, and large-scale entertainment venues where horse shows, air shows, parades, and concerts occur. Expanding into this unlikely market in the United Kingdom is what motivated Chris to contact the Virginia SBDC Network. He sought help identifying possible clients in the UK.

The Virginia SBDC-George Mason University International Business Development team, consisting of International Trade Manager Aaron Miller and student researchers, Tim O’Shea and Catherine Haggerty, put together a research plan to shape a strategy for the new business model.

“Talking to Aaron and his team, we agreed on a statement of work. They set out doing a lot of research in the UK market, and they identified quite a bit of potential,” Chris says. The SBDC team provided detailed data that included an assessment and contact information for the competition in the UK security technology space. They wrote a detailed spreadsheet listing all the major events and festivals in the UK, including event revenues, venues, the security budget, the points of contact for security, and even a list of the most common criminal activity associated with particular events.

Gatekeeper contacted event producers and elicited promises for security contracts in 2020. Their new business in the UK means increased revenue for Gatekeeper and more jobs here in Virginia.

The move to the short-term event market in the UK helped them win a 2019 Moxie Award. “The Moxie Award is for boldness in business. Gatekeeper won for technology,” Chris says. Since the International Business Development Program at the Virginia SBDC helped identify this new market in the UK, Gatekeeper plans to continue on their bold path with the Virginia SBDC’s team and expand their temporary security services in other countries.

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Tracy Nayar March 31, 2020 0
Sugar Hill Cidery
2020Access to CapitalBusiness PlanCraft BeverageSouthwestStart-up

Sugar Hill Cidery

Brewing success times two

With the SBDC’s help the Baileys were able to secure a $50,000 grant and 3 loans from economic development agencies for the Sugar Hill Cidery. Currently their brewery in St. Paul and the Norton cidery employ 65 people.

Sugar Hill Cidery

Five years ago, Jennifer and Greg Bailey were selling hardware in St. Paul, population 970. Then their son came up with an idea for a brewery, and the couple has been brewing up business success ever since.

Their Sugar Hill Brewing Company opened three years ago in St. Paul, and Sugar Hill Cidery held its soft opening this summer in nearby Norton. “In the hardware business we were surviving, but that’s about all,” Jennifer recalls. “We decided our area needed something different, and a hardware store wasn’t one of those things.”

The Baileys met Tim Blankenbecler, Director of the Mt. Empire SBDC, during their “hardware” years. “We got a lot of help from Tim,” Jennifer says. “When we decided to open a brewery, he helped us write the business plan and find funding.”

After the brewery opened, the City of Norton, 20 miles down the road, approached Jennifer and Greg with a proposal that offered a new slant on brewing — a cidery. “We like things that are different. We asked our head brewer if he could make cider. He told us, ‘I can ferment anything!’ We decided to go look at some buildings in Norton,” Jennifer explains. “We included Tim Blankenbecler early on,” Greg adds. “We knew he would be realistic and wouldn’t encourage us if we didn’t have a workable business plan and good cash flow.”

Tim assisted the Baileys once again with writing their plan and connecting them to sources for financing. The Baileys were able to secure a $50,000 grant and three loans from economic development agencies to make the cidery project possible. “It was really a public-private partnership,” Greg says. On the facilities side, the City of Norton invested over a million dollars to renovate a formerly vacant car dealership where the cidery would be located. “The city had the headache of remodeling, which helped us a lot,” Jennifer notes. Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball stated that Norton’s investment in turning the car dealership facility into an economic enterprise would have a transformative effect on the downtown area. It will house a farmers market and an entrepreneurial center along with the cidery that seats more than 200 people.

The Baileys also increased their workforce. “Currently we have 65 employees,” Greg notes. Future plans include installing equipment for bottling at both the brewery and cidery. “Tim will be there when we start talking about that,” Jennifer adds. “Whenever we have a problem, we call Tim. He always comes up with a strategy.”

Both Greg and Jennifer are quick to direct others to the SBDC. “The SBDC has been a great help,” Jennifer concludes. “When someone says they want to start a business, I tell them — that’s a good idea, but call the SBDC first.”

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Tracy Nayar March 31, 2020 0
2020
2020Access to CapitalICAPNorthern Virginia

Colvin Run Networks

Running strong: Data company thrives

Colvin Run Networks won 4 SBIR grants this year, totaling $418,000.

What happens when you have a great idea that just needs some tweaking? For founders of Leesburg-based Colvin Run Networks, Nikhil Shenoy and Rob Baranowski, the answer lies with the Loudoun SBDC and the Virginia SBDC Network.

“Colvin Run was founded with the vision of revolutionizing permitting processes using blockchain technology,” Nikhil says. “We had a whitepaper and some market research, which scored us several high-level conversations with great people, but it wasn’t easy to pinpoint where to go from there in terms of building a business,” he adds.

The Virginia SBDC Network and the Loudoun SBDC were able to provide Nikhil and Rob with a methodology to put their idea to the test through real world applications and hands-on learning. They enrolled in the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP), a specialized program offered by the Virginia SBDC Network. “We started with ICAP, where we learned about the Business Model Canvas,” Nikhil explains. “Rob and I ‘got out of the building’ and did over 20 interviews in an intensive two-week session,” he adds.

The out-of-the-four-walls approach introduced by ICAP helped the team discover that permitting was the wrong platform for introducing their blockchain technology concept. The team decided to shift their approach. Nikhil and Rob applied to the Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) program. Colvin Run was successful.

“Colvin Run Networks has won four DoD SBIR Phase I awards in our first full year of business. These awards are for blockchain, big data analytics, predictive maintenance and inventory management, and data integration and fusion,” Nikhil explains. “Our strategy going forward is to build on each of these solution areas as its own line of business,” he adds.

Before the awards, the Colvin Run team relied on ICAP and Loudoun SBDC to help them find their initial footing, and they will continue to work with the SBDC for ongoing insights and strategy as they grow. “ICAP and Loudoun SBDC were critical early on,” Nikhil explains. “They helped us secure Virginia CIT grants to get started with the SBIR program and provided guidance on what it takes to win,” Nikhil adds.

“We use many of the principles learned in ICAP in our company strategy, particularly the Business Model Canvas and everything that goes along with it. It’s also great that ICAP has regular conference calls where we can hear from other entrepreneurs and continue to grow our strategic thinking,” Nikhil says.

Thanks to the strong partnership with the Loudoun SBDC, ICAP, and Colvin Run, the future is unlimited for this young company.

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Tracy Nayar March 31, 2020 0
Preston Ball Photography
2020Access to CapitalBusiness PlanSouthwestStart-up

Preston Ball Photography

Bringing opportunity into focus

Preston Ball obtained a seed capital grant of $10,000 from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority for needed equipment.

Preston Ball Photography

Preston Ball believed his photography hobby had value, but it took the Southwest Virginia SBDC to bring the idea of starting a business into focus. Turning a hobby into a business, he launched Preston Ball Photography LLC in December 2018.

“I got started with taking pictures of my own kids,” he explains. When other parents asked him to take photos of their children, Preston began to think in terms of his own business. He decided to visit Margie Douglass, Director of the Southwest Virginia SBDC. “When I went to the SBDC, she asked me a bunch of questions that I didn’t have a clue as to what the answers were,” he relates. “Did I have a business plan or a price sheet? How do I handle taxes — a lot of things I’d never really thought about.”

Preston went home to work on a business plan, a process he compared to looking through the viewfinder on his camera. “It was a real eye-opener,” he says. “Once you start putting things on paper, you see a lot of opportunities out there.” He appreciated the help the SBDC provided along the way. “They gave me sample business plans,” he explains. “Any time I had a question, I would call and ask about it.”

Margie was also instrumental in connecting Preston with the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA), which led to a $10,000 seed-capital matching grant. “It was a lot of work, but it paid off,” he says. “The seed-capital grant helped me purchase new lighting for my photo shoots. In the future, I hope to develop an indoor studio to provide a space for more portrait photography.”

The grant not only helped Preston grow his business, it literally took him in a whole new direction — up. “I purchased a drone, and I’ve been taking a lot of photos for local realtors,” he notes. Preston believes drones are a new frontier that photographers like himself can explore. “They’re using drone photos for tower and bridge inspections,” he says. “That’s a lot safer than sending a human up to do it.”

One major long-term goal is landing a contract for school photos. “We have four schools in Lebanon — and no sports photographers in town,” Preston relates. “That’s a huge potential market.”

Preston is pleased with the progress his business has made in its first year and credits the SBDC for much of that success. “I had no idea the SBDC does so many things,” he concludes. “The SBDC will help as little or as much as needed. I definitely plan to keep on working with them.”

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Tracy Nayar March 31, 2020 0
Jeeva Informatics Solutions
2020Access to CapitalICAPNorthern VirginiaStart-up

Jeeva Informatics Solutions

A study in success: Jeeva creates solution for clinical trials

Jeeva Informatics Solutions received an I-Corps grant from the NSF and investment from CIT.

Jeeva Informatics Solutions

By any measure, Harsha Rajasimha was a successful man. With published journal articles, chapters in professional textbooks, multiple patents, honors, and awards, his work received plenty of accolades. None of these accomplishments equipped Harsha to help his baby daughter, who died from Edwards Syndrome — a rare congenital disease. Determined to honor his daughter’s memory, Harsha founded Jeeva Informatics Solutions, where he devotes a percentage of his time and his post-doctoral training in genomics and precision medicine to develop diagnostic techniques and therapeutic protocols for rare diseases.

Jeeva initially focused on next-generation sequencing and data-analytics interpretation (taking raw data and turning it into useful knowledge). In 2018, the company pivoted to address the problem of participants in clinical trials, a mandatory step in getting products to market. Patient recruitment takes time and, if anyone drops out, it takes additional effort to recruit more participants. These issues cause delays, which in turn cause the loss of billions of dollars and can render the drug-development industry unsustainable.

Jeeva is in the process of solving this critical “bottleneck” by developing a decentralized clinical trials technology platform. The premise is simple: get more people into clinical trials by reducing the burden of travel. “It’s a virtual clinical-trials platform that addresses the travel burden for participants in clinical trials. Our approach replaces 20% to 80% of visits to brick-and-mortar sites with eVisits. In other words, we are a telemedicine solution for clinical trials with long-term follow-ups,” Harsha explains.

Harsha teamed up with the Mason SBDC and Director Bob Smith to take his concept to the next level. Bob encouraged Harsha to participate in the SBDC’s Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP). After successfully interviewing 146 customers in seven weeks, Jeeva rose to the top of the ICAP leaderboard and was accepted into the Spring 2019 cohort of the National Science Foundation I-Corps program, which included a cash grant.

In December 2019, upon completion of the I-Corps program and following guidance from the Mason SBDC, Jeeva sought and received a round of financing from the Center for Innovation Technology (CIT), Virginia’s public venture-capital investment group.

The SBDC was crucial for filling in the gaps for Harsha and team Jeeva. “While I had solid technical, scientific, and business-development experience in the life science industry, I did not have a solid grasp of the startup process,” Harsha says. “My mentor gave tremendous support and guidance on the proven process of making go/no-go decisions faster and on building a startup company from the ground up.”

With a rapidly growing team, 2020 looks bright for Jeeva as they continue to gain traction in their field. Harsha is grateful to be able to build Jeeva’s success on a framework of solid guidance from the SBDC.

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Tracy Nayar March 31, 2020 0
Deep Run Roadhouse
2020Business ExpansionBusiness PlanCentralRestaurant & Retail

Deep Run Roadhouse

Roads to growth

Deep Run Roadhouse supports 17 jobs, has 7-figure sales, and developed a growth plan that involves opening a third restaurant.

Well-known chef, Paul Hubbard, cooked at upscale Richmond restaurants like Chez Max, Franco’s, and Sensi’s, but found his niche in humble barbecue. “I did finedining for a while, and I got tired of cooking for one percent of the population,” Paul explains. “What I truly love about barbecue is that the same attention to detail and the same high quality ingredients are there, but the appreciation comes from a much wider audience.”

Paul previously co-founded Alamo Barbecue with business partner Christopher Davis. In 2013, he sold his half to Christopher in order to launch Deep Run Roadhouse. Since then Deep Run Roadhouse’s mouth-watering offerings of Tex Mex, southern comfort food, and barbecue have proven successful in the Richmond market. In 2016, he opened a second Deep Run Roadhouse near the Virginia Commonwealth University campus.

Paul had no intention of stopping at two restaurants. But he wanted help as he weighed options for further growth. He contacted Professor Louis Martinette at the University of Mary Washington, who leads a program that allows MBA students to work on real-life projects. Louis, in turn, asked Brian Baker, the SBDC Executive Director, to join Paul’s project. According to Brian, “Deep Run Roadhouse had cash flow and potentially favorable financing, but Paul wanted to assess the current market positions and the current service channels to determine the best market opportunities for growth.”

The MBA students were divided into five teams, and their assignment was to present the pros and cons of the growth option assigned to their team. The five options included (1) staying in Richmond and buying the restaurants’ real estate, (2) expanding the Deep Run Roadhouse into new territories, (3) licensing or franchising the Roadhouse concept, (4) catering with food trucks, and (5) establishing a barbecue “academy” to teach other restauranteurs. Ultimately, Paul chose (1) and (2) — opening another Roadhouse, this time in Hampton Roads, and buying the real estate. “This is an ongoing engagement to help Deep Run Roadhouse move to the next level,” Brian explains.

According to Paul, the process was incredibly eye opening, as the teams worked with him through such issues as a competitive growth analysis and the development of detailed mission and vision statements. “There are a lot of things to take into consideration when you take the next steps,” says Paul. “When you own any business, you are looking for ways of creating responsible growth. This process put so many things into context for me.”

If there is one thing Paul loves more than cooking barbecue, it’s seeing something come together. As he plans for 2020, it is clear that everything is progressing well for this young chef. Paul explains, “To open up a restaurant and be successful, you have to love what you do. And I truly do.”

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Tracy Nayar March 31, 2020 0
Friendly City Dance Room
2020Access to CapitalCentralSales & MarketingStart-up

Friendly City Dance Room

Room to dance: Dance studio spins into the spotlight

The Fusaros obtained a $19,500 Harrisonburg Biz Loan, started a new business, and currently support 4 jobs.

Friendly City Dance Room

Phillip Fusaro started dancing at nine years old. For Phillip, dancing is a life-long passion and a way to bring entire communities together. He and his wife Erin founded Friendly City Dance Room in Harrisonburg and based the business on their strong belief that individuals can achieve a better quality of life through dancing. With Phillip as choreographer and Erin as artistic director, the couple seeks to make dance accessible to folks of all ages, incomes, and experience levels. 

Creating a successful dance studio was not without its challenges. The Fusaros found themselves unsure of how to turn their love of dance into a profitable business. “We were put in touch with the Shenandoah Valley (SV) SBDC by a fellow business owner,” Phillip says. “Jalal and Allison helped us so much.” Allison Dugan is the Assistant Director and Business Advisor at the SV SBDC; Jalal Maqableh is a PhD candidate at James Madison University and an SBDC Business Advisor specializing in inclusive entrepreneurship.

After attending a Smart Start workshop hosted by the SV SBDC, the Fusaros were eager to learn the next steps for business ownership. Over the subsequent months, the SBDC team assisted the Fusaros with defining goals, target marketing, social media and website development, sales, accounting, legal and HR issues, funding, and cash-flow management.

“I’m basically a visionary, so Allison’s help with all the details was essential to our start-up success,” Phillip says. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without the SBDC.”

Allison guided Erin and Phillip through the process of applying for a Harrisonburg Biz Loan of $19,500. “Allison’s assistance throughout that process was invaluable. The capital was vital to Friendly City’s start,” Phillip explains. The loan was used to convert office space into a welcoming studio with special floating vinyl floors, a quality sound system, and furniture and décor to make it a truly unique space.

Since opening in March 2019, Friendly City Dance Room continues to live up to its mission of providing a deeply inclusive space for people of all abilities to experience dance and improve their lives. “I love seeing the connections in the studio between people who wouldn’t otherwise meet,” Phillip concludes.

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Tracy Nayar March 31, 2020 0
Studio B & The Alley Escape Room
2020Access to CapitalBusiness PlanSouthwest

Studio B & The Alley Escape Rooms

Jumping into the Galax Shark Tank

Tonya and Travis won First Place in the JUMP! Galax Business Challenge for $15,000. Studio B and The Escape Room support 7 jobs.

Studio B & The Alley Escape Room

Tonya and Travis Belton decided to take a leap. They were running a paint-party business, Studio B, in downtown Galax and wanted to expand. Providentially, theyheard about the JUMP! Galax Business Challenge, funded by the Community Business Launch, a program of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Despite stiff competition, they won the $15,000 first place prize.

They are particularly grateful for the counseling and training delivered by Mandy Archer and Ginny Plant at the Blue Ridge Crossroads SBDC. “I don’t have a business background. I went to college for nursing so they were very helpful with the business part,” Tonya explains.

The specific criteria for judging included the strength of the business plan, the plan’s potential impact on the regional economic development strategy, the contestants’ community involvement, and the quality and impact of the pitch itself during the high-pressure final presentation. This program also involved six weeks of business boot camp to hone each criteria, starting with a business plan and culminating with pitch night.

It might draw a smaller audience than Shark Tank, but the effects of the prize money on Studio B’s business was powerful. Tonya and Travis used their winnings to expand Studio B’s services and to improve the building, including installing air conditioning on the top floor to make it usable for events. As a result, customers can now rent the space for private paint parties, birthday parties, baby showers, wedding and bridal showers, corporate events, and fundraisers. Additionally, Tonya and Travis built The Alley Escape Rooms, Galax’s first escape room featuring virtual reality.

“Mandy and Ginny have been really good about getting us in touch with the people we need. They share a wealth of knowledge,” Tonya says. “If they can’t answer the questions, they’ll put you in touch with people who can. They’re always there, one-on-one, and they offer tons of webinars. Because I have three kids, the webinars are really convenient for me.”

From those classes, Tonya and Travis gained a wealth of networking opportunities. They have relied on Mandy and Ginny to connect them with everyone from CPA’s to local banks. Thanks to the expertise and resources of the Blue Ridge Crossroads SBDC, Tonya and Travis survived their plunge and are swimming stronger than ever.

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Tracy Nayar March 31, 2020 0