Asesor de Loudoun SBDC, Demetrios Sapounas ha elaborado una guía paso a paso para recorrer el proceso de iniciar un negocio en Virginia y el condado de Loudoun.

El primer paso es registrar la empresa en Virginia. La siguiente serie de pasos implica registrar la empresa en la ciudad o condado de su elección. Finalmente, debe considerar otras preguntas como: ¿Cómo obtengo una cuenta bancaria comercial? ¿Mi negocio requiere un seguro comercial?

Vea el proceso completo paso a paso visitando aquí.

De acuerdo a Subodh Nayar, Asesor de Loudoun SBDC, decidir si una idea apoyará a una empresa es una de las preguntas más difíciles de abordar y, con frecuencia, porque la pregunta no está bien formulada. Una idea de negocio exitosa es aquella que puede entregarse a una comunidad lo suficientemente grande como para sostener el negocio a largo plazo, a un costo menor que el que implica entregarla.

Responder a esa pregunta tiene dos pasos. La primera es: ¿puede definir un usuario objetivo del producto y cuál es su experiencia de producto deseada? La segunda es, ¿cuántos de estos usuarios objetivo hay y qué debe hacer para impulsarlos a lo largo de su viaje de comprador, el proceso de conocimiento, evaluación, selección y compra?

Leer la respuesta completa aquí.

Mary Joynt, asesora de marketing, SBDC dice que el seguro de interrupción del negocio puede ser una consideración importante para su negocio. Obtenga más información sobre lo que está cubierto y lo que debe considerar al hablar con su compañía de seguros en el Centro de recursos de recuperación empresarial de Virginia SBDC, aquí: https://www.virginiasbdc.org/covid-resource-center/what-else-should-i-be-thinking-about/.

Eric Byrd, gerente, Loudoun SBDC, ha preparado un video para guiar a los solicitantes a través del proceso, así como para responder preguntas comunes sobre la solicitud de la subvención. Ver el vídeo aquíy obtenga más detalles y enlaces a otros recursos sobre este tema en: https://loudounsbdc.com/leesburg-business-infusion-grant-application-walk-through/

De acuerdo a Eric Byrd, gerente, Loudoun SBDC, existen disposiciones en la Ley CARES de 2020 para ayudarlo si está buscando comprar un negocio o asegurar un préstamo tradicional de la SBA para su negocio. Lea la respuesta completa y obtenga enlaces a otros recursos sobre este tema en: https://loudounsbdc.com/using-cares-act-funding-to-purchase-a-business/.

De acuerdo a Subodh Nayar, Asesor de Loudoun SBDC, como empresa establecida, tiene algunas ventajas sobre una empresa que intenta despegar, pero también algunas limitaciones. Ser sincero sobre esas fortalezas y debilidades es tan importante como comprender las oportunidades que tiene y las amenazas que debe abordar o eludir.

Dado que los ingresos han bajado, cualquier acción que realice debe afectar su "resultado final" en un período de tiempo razonablemente corto, es decir, planificar cambios que no tardarán más de 15 a 45 días en mejorar el producto o servicio entregado o reducir el costo de dirigir su negocio. Este método ágil es fundamental para seguir respondiendo a un entorno empresarial que sigue evolucionando.

Lea la respuesta completa visitando aquí: https://loudounsbdc.com/my-business-down-down-how-do-i-identify-what-i-need-to-do-to-pivot-and-rebound-my-small-business/

El comienzo del año es un buen momento para considerar lo que necesitará tener listo para los plazos de presentación de impuestos en enero, marzo y abril de 2021.

Para ayudarlo a prepararse, nos sentamos con Clint Thomas, CPA de RKN CPA para discutir cómo cerrar nuestro año y cómo pensar en el futuro para evitar problemas cuando comience a recopilar información para la presentación de impuestos en la primera parte del nuevo año.

Vea la respuesta completa en video visitando aquí: https://loudounsbdc.com/get-ready-for-2020-taxes/

Puede solicitar ambas becas. Sin embargo, no puede “hacer una doble inversión” y usar fondos de ambos programas de préstamos para el mismo propósito.

Leer más: https://loudounsbdc.com/what-is-the-difference-between-the-ppp-and-eidl-loan-programs-and-can-i-apply-for-both/

los CDC recently announced updated COVID-19 protocols, and states around the country, including Virginia, have followed suit. Governor Northam moved his plan to lift all capacity and social distancing restrictions up two weeks from June 15 to May 28.

He also changed Virginia’s mask guidance. The following changes went into effect at midnight Saturday, May 15:

• Virginia is lifting the universal indoor mask mandate. People who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear a mask when indoors unless they are in one of the settings mentioned by the CDC (healthcare, public transport, correctional facilities, or homeless shelters).
• Virginia strongly recommends, but will not require, unvaccinated people to continue to wear a mask in public.
• Retail, restaurant, personal care, fitness, and entertainment workers will be required to wear a mask unless fully vaccinated.
• Businesses will have the ability to require masks for employees.
• Businesses can refuse service to customers who refuse to wear a mask.

Read more VA guidance here: https://www.virginia.gov/coronavirus/eo63/faq/

Funding your business is the single greatest challenge for any startup, particularly in its early phases, according to Tom Solitario, Loudoun SBDC advisor.   As a startup, you, likely don’t have a lot of revenue, though you do have a lot of expenses, particularly employee expenses and rental.  So where can you find funding?  

There are various sources of funding, including:  

1.  Friends and family (and yourself) – this is the most common source for most startups; they are self-funded and/or they receive initial capital literally from their family and friends.  The problem with this model, of course, is that you may become beholden to those family members and friends.  The other problem with self-funding a business is that if the business fails then you lose the assets you’ve invested (the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve).  A good rule to try to follow is to avoid investing your own money into a venture.   
2. Grants are a particularly attractive source of funding because there’s no payback required; particularly if you are starting a technology company.  There many sources of grants, from government agencies to non-profit and philanthropic organizations.  The Commonwealth of the Virginia, for example, encourages original technology startup development by providing grants to those startups.  Details and advisors for these types of grants can be found at: cit.org   
3.  Loans are the most common source of funding.  This is why you need a relationship with your banker. Your banker is like a partner in your business endeavor; you should nurture a good relationship with the bank.  On the other hand, banking services are a commodity; any bank can serve you. But, the smaller you are, the less attractive you are to a larger bank.  Consider community banks, particularly if you are just starting.  The bank will expect collateral for the loan; these are assets that you have that the bank could seize if you have problems repaying the loan.  They want to minimize their risks of you defaulting on your loan.  You credit score demonstrates to the bank your ability to repay your debts.    

Mary Joynt, Loudoun SBDC Business Advisor asks you to think about everything you do on the internet on behalf of your business – website, social media, search engine optimization (SEO), digital ads, etc – this is your digital media campaign. Digital Marketing is just as important for a B2B business as it is for a B2C – maybe even more so and is critical to your communications strategy. While this may not always include ecommerce, it does and should include lead generation and thought leadership. For many, a digital marketing campaign may also include ecommerce and for others it includes lead generation and thought leadership.

No matter what you are trying to do online, having a clear understanding of where your audience is, what they want to hear, and which social media channels are best for you is critical to your campaign. That will help you know if you need to focus on Facebook or Instagram or LinkedIn or Twitter or a combination of these channels. You can look at if you need to start a blog and all that entails. And you can learn how to set your posts apart from your competitors. Feeling overwhelmed by it all? Watch our webinar on Grabbing Customer Attention in a Crowded Digital World o set up a meeting with a coach.

The government limits competition for certain contacts to businesses in historically underutilized business zones. It also gives preferential consideration to tohse businesses in full and open competitive. By joining the HUBZone program, your business is eligible to compete for the program’s set aside contacts. HUBZone-certificed businesses also get a 10% price evaluation preference in full and open contract competitions.

To qualify for the HUBZone program, your business must:

• Be a small business​
• Be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by U.S. citizens, a Community Development Corporation, an agricultural cooperative, an Alaska Native corporation, a Native Hawaiian organization, or an Indian tribe
• Have its principal office located in a HUBZone​
• Have at least 35 percent of its employees living in a HUBZone​

Want to learn more? Schedule an appointment with one of our business advisors for assistance as you move your business forward. Visit the SBA’s web site para más detalles.

According to Demetrios Sapounas, any business concept starts with an idea. Most ideas are not unique, and fall into one of these three categories:

1) Improve on current processes/products/services.

2) Solve a problem many have and there is no good solution solving the problem in its entirety.

3) Create a new product/service, currently not in the market.

The majority of new ideas and businesses are built around 1 and 2.  While 3 is the most innovative, it is also the most difficult to be successful. Get the details on all three, and the plusses and minuses of all; read the full article.

De acuerdo a  Demetrios Sapounas , Loudoun SBDC advisor, it is very common to hear founders say that they know exactly what their customers want and so they are developing the product they will take to the market. That has also been the classical approach to building a product. During the 1998-2000 period the perception was “build it and they will come”, but since then things have changed and now the expectation is that you have done market research and have product validation, or as it is referred, “product-market fit”. This is nothing new.

The classical approach includes in-depth market research into competitors and their offerings, the target market, your target customers and estimating the market size. All this is useful information to educate yourself on the market and the competition. It also provides anecdotal evidence on what customers may want and value, though comes short to offering first-hand evidence of customer needs, wants and their willingness to pay for your solution.

Lee mas about customer discovery in part two of the series Building a Successful Company.

According to Demetrios Sapounas, much has been written about leadership. Many define it as a formula, others describe it as behaviors and yet others talk about leadership as something you can learn through training. I view leadership as something more complex- something that has its foundation in personal beliefs, integrity, dependability, conviction, compassion, drive, and ability to listen. The old idea of “doing business on a handshake” is a testament to many of these attributes. It instills confidence, trust and conveys integrity and reliability. Of course, these days you do need a contract to do business, but everything starts with the handshake.

Where leadership traits become extremely important is in the running of a company or managing a team. It boils down to the personal relationships and the trust and credibility you, as a leader, can build with your team. It has to do with coming across as a genuine person, someone who is trustworthy, dependable, caring, who can communicate clearly, who can inspire people. Training can help improve some of those traits, but they have to come naturally to you.

Leer el full article.

Many organizations at a local, regional and state-wide level are providing resources to support those federal workers who have lost their jobs as part of the recent reductions in force. These resources include networking, job postings as well as navigating unemployment benefits. Find our full list, aquí. We will continue to update this list as new information becomes available.

One dictionary definition of pivot is “a dramatic change in policy, position, or strategy”. And, according to Loudoun SBDC advisor ​Demetrios Sapounas​, if you are considering a pivot or some change in course, there should be a good reason for doing so. This should be a decision based on data and facts and not on gut feelings or pressure from investors, the Board or other stakeholders.

Often the market you operate in dictates the best or desired approach. For example, slow growth if you have a platform where the cost of adding new customers is fairly small and the offering becomes more valuable the more participants there are, is probably not desirable. Here the threat can come from a better capitalized and more aggressively growing competitor, who can surpass you and prevent you from reaching your full potential. An adjustment to your approach towards investing in rapid growth and becoming the market leader could keep out direct competitors, because they could not generate enough added value.

Read more by accessing the full article ​aquí​.

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Communication is essential to establishing lasting relationships in your personal life- and it is no different in your business life, according to Loudoun SBDC Advisor, Demetrios Sapounas. How sincere you come across as, how crisp, clear, easy to understand is your message and how transparent you make things goes a long way toward building trust, creating a following, establishing an environment for good information flow.

Communication is about establishing a connection and then building on it, and about the flow of information. Establishing a human connection is what differentiates great communicators from all others. Irrespective the mode of communication (video conferencing and email seem to be the predominant ones), at some point you need to look the other person in the eye, make the connection, create a sense of belonging, build rapport.

​Lee mas about how to successfully communicate in your business.