Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center

🚀 Thinking about starting a business or taking your venture to the next level?

Our Business Foundations Series is designed to help entrepreneurs build a strong foundation for success. Through three practical sessions focused on Management, Marketing, and Money, you'll gain the knowledge, tools, and confidence needed to launch, grow, and sustain your business.

Whether you're developing an idea or already operating a small business, this series delivers actionable insights you can put to work immediately.

💼 Learn the essentials.
📈 Strengthen your strategy.
💰 Understand your finances.
🌟 Build for long-term success.

Register for an upcoming session today and invest in the future of your business!

https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/center.aspx?center=46050

How do we help?

Start Your Business.
Develop a business plan, understand licensing requirements, and get idea market-ready.

Grow with Confidence.
Access expert advice on marketing, operations, and financial management to expand sustainably.

Scale for Impact.
Identify growth opportunities, secure capital, and prepare for larger markets.

Access Capital.
Find guidance on how to connect with lenders, prepare loan packages, and attract investors.

Specialized Training.
Particpate in targeted program opportunities to meet the unique needs of specific industries and entrepreneurs.

⏰ Reminder: This workshop is happening next week!

Running your business from home? Don't miss Home-Based Business: Home Office Deductions, presented in partnership with the IRS.

This informative session will help you better understand one of the most commonly misunderstood tax deductions available to small business owners.

You'll learn:
✅ Who qualifies for the home office deduction
✅ How to calculate your business-use percentage
✅ Which expenses may be deductible
✅ Deduction limits and reporting requirements
✅ Best practices for staying compliant

Whether you're a freelancer, consultant, entrepreneur, or small business owner, this workshop will provide practical guidance to help you maximize potential savings and confidently navigate tax season.

Register today and reserve your spot before it's too late!

https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=50460032

🚀 Did you know that Hampton Roads entrepreneurs and innovators have access to the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP) through the Hampton Roads SBDC?

Designed for Virginia-based technology and innovation-driven startups, ICAP provides no-cost, confidential advising, mentorship and experiential learning opportunities to help founders move from idea to investment and beyond.

Through one-on-one guidance from experienced entrepreneurs and industry leaders, participants gain the tools and connections needed to validate business models, build strong teams, develop MVPs, secure early customers and establish partnerships that accelerate growth.

Whether you're launching a new technology, scaling an innovative product or preparing for investment, ICAP can help you navigate the journey with confidence.

Learn more below & reach out to us to get started ⤵️

https://www.virginiasbdc.org/programs/icap/

🏠 Running your business from home?

Join us for Home-Based Business: Home Office Deductions, an informative workshop presented in partnership with the IRS designed to help entrepreneurs better understand one of the most commonly misunderstood tax deductions.

Learn how to determine if you qualify for the home office deduction, calculate your business-use percentage, identify deductible expenses, understand deduction limits, and properly report these expenses on your tax return.

Whether you're a freelancer, consultant, entrepreneur, or small business owner, this session will provide practical guidance to help you stay compliant and maximize potential savings.

Register today and gain the confidence to navigate home office deductions with clarity.

https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=50460032

Tech Tip Tuesday 💡

Are you collecting customer feedback but not doing anything with it?

Turn customer comments, reviews and survey responses into actionable insights with tools like Google Forms, SurveyMonkey and Typeform. These platforms make it easy to gather feedback, spot trends and better understand what your customers need.

Even better? Many tools now offer AI-powered summaries that can quickly identify common themes, highlight opportunities for improvement and surface customer sentiment saving you valuable time.

This month’s challenge ➡️ send a short customer survey and review the results for one actionable improvement you can make this month.

Resilience. Growth. Impact.

At the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center, stories like Kisha Roberts’ remind us why supporting small businesses matters.

What started as one childcare center has grown into a multi-location operation serving more than 3,000 children annually.

Through determination, vision and support from the SBDC, Kisha transformed Brilliant Beginnings into a thriving business dedicated to expanding access to high-quality childcare for working families.

"The SBDC gave me the tools, confidence, and connections to keep going. They helped me see that small businesses like mine can grow through any challenge." -Kisha Roberts

We are incredibly proud to support entrepreneurs like Kisha who are strengthening our communities, creating opportunities and making a lasting impact across Hampton Roads!

Here at the Hampton Roads SBDC, small business success is a family tradition and our next generation of business leaders are homegrown!

We are proud to celebrate Caleb D. Norman, son of our Assistant Director, Donna Norman, for being named a Top 20 Under 20 Awardee by the Hampton Roads Workforce Council — an honor recognizing outstanding young leaders making an impact through workforce development, entrepreneurship and community service across our region.

Caleb’s achievement reflects the drive, innovation and leadership that continue to shape the future of Hampton Roads and we could not be more excited to see his success recognized!

Please join us in congratulating both Caleb and Donna on this tremendous accomplishment!

Your business’s finances shouldn’t feel overwhelming.

Join us for the next Lunch & Learn Series session: Smart Money Systems (AI-Powered) presented by our own, Chelsea Torres.

This practical workshop is designed to help home-based business owners create simple, manageable accounting systems that keep finances organized, efficient and decision-ready.

From building a bookkeeping routine to confidently categorizing expenses, you’ll walk away with tools you can immediately put into action.

📅 Thursday, May 21
⏰ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
💻 Zoom
📌 Advance registration required

If you’re ready to work smarter, streamline your systems and build a stronger financial foundation for your business, this session is for you!

https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=50460029