Blog

Four Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business

A couple of months ago, I was telling someone that my job is to help people start businesses and she responded, “So basically you make dreams come true!” For some people, that is the case! Either the business itself is the dream or the business provides the means to help them...

Prioritizing the Entrepreneurial Pipeline: 4 Ecosystem Actions to Foster Youth Entrepreneurial Interest and Intention

For decades, West Virginia has faced significant population decline. Over the past 10 years, we’ve lost 59,000 residents – 3.3% of our total population. Citing a lack of economic and recreational opportunity as key barriers to staying and working in West Virginia, young adults (ages 18-30) account for most of...

West Virginia Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Update October 2021

Program Spotlight for October Small Communities Big Solutions Sara Payne Scarbro, Alliance for the Economic Development of Southern WV [email protected] This annual event showcases all the successes and highlights what is working across the southern part of the state. Each year a mix of community leaders, educators, businesses, and public officials come together...

Tradition Meets Innovation In West Virginia

From hand-crafted glass at The Blenko Glass Company and Paul Wissmach Glass, to hand-forged tools at Warwood Tool, West Virginian artisans at these companies have been manufacturing quality products collectively for more than 400 years. What makes these manufacturers even more special is how they maintain a delicate balance between...

The Importance of Starting…and Actually Doing Something 

What’s stopping you? I mean, really, what’s stopping you? You’ve done the research, you’ve done the preliminary plans, listened to all the right podcasts, sat in all of the webinars, did all the right things...except you have nothing to show for it.  In every single aspect of life- education, careers, relationships,...

West Virginia Entrepreneurship Update September 2021

Program Spotlight for September 2021-2022 WV Statewide Business Plan Tara St. Clair, Director of Operations, Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship [email protected] Tara provided updates regarding the 2021-2022 WV Statewide Business Plan Competitions. The competitions provide high school and college students across the state of West Virginia with the unique opportunity to make...

Small Business Administration: A constant source of support for small business

Small businesses across the country have shown resilience and renewal the past 18 months during the pandemic. The word “pivot” has become a normal operating procedure for entrepreneurs as they continue working diligently to find their way through these trying times. One constant is the U.S. Small Business Administration’s dedication to...

Bringing back WV’s pioneering spirit!

George Washington was one of the early pioneers in West Virginia Watch out, America! The mountaineer state has a long history of entrepreneurship. After all, with such mountainous terrain, it took great perseverance and gumption to live, explore and develop the area. In the past several years, the state has looked at...

Entrepreneurship Ecosystem- Building a Network in West Virginia

It was April 2019.  There was a lot of change occurring in the state of West Virginia and in my professional life. I needed a new project to keep me focused when school let out that summer. I had been working with the WV Statewide Collegiate Business Plan Competition Oversight Committee...

West Virginia Entrepreneurship Update August 2021

WV Secretary of State Update The Honorable Mac Warner, WV Secretary of State- [email protected] The Secretary thanked everyone  who works in the ecosystem for continuing to support the development of a thriving business climate in West Virginia where new ideas are always welcome and where entrepreneurs feel at home. He announced that West...