Quarterly Newsletter - Winter, 2024

Hello Mason,

2024 has been yet another fast moving year. As time, news, and innovation move at warp speed, our center pauses with gratitude—for the phenomenal support and all that we have accomplished together this year.

Year-to-date Scorecard

Mason SBDC services have positively impacted jobs and small business growth in the following ways:

• Jobs created - 238
• Jobs retained - 641
• New business started - 43
• Capital formed - +$17 million
• 2750+ registrants for 45 workshops

Regional Special Projects

We are pleased to have partnered with local sponsors on the following special projects in 2024:

• THRIVE with Fairfax County (Jan 2024 - ongoing),
• Calibrate The Small Business Educational Conference with Prince William County (April 29th, 2024)
• Summer Small Business Series (3 weeks) with the City of Manassas (June 2024)
• Financial Management Series (3 weeks) for the Town of Herndon (Sep - Oct)
• 12-week Start SMART Series with Prince William County in Woodbridge, VA (Sep - Dec 2024).

These special events have empowered small business owners with critical business education, mentorship, and resources, bringing them closer to their business goals. If you have benefitted from any of these special programs we thank you for your participation and encourage you to continue the momentum by working with Mason SBDC in the coming year.

As we close this year, we want to thank you for your continued trust and partnership with our center. A special note of thanks to our team, partners, and the small business community. You have been remarkable in your efforts and commitment.

Mason SBDC wishes you a Joyous Holiday Season and a Prosperous 2025!

Happy Holidays!

Our offices will be closed for winter break from December 23, 2024 - January 5, 2025.

Shared in this issue:

• Client highlight, area events, center highlights, and upcoming trainings.
• See Spanish version of this newsletter - Haga clic para ver este boletín en español

CLIENT HIGHLIGHT

Congratulations PAMCO CARE!

Each Year the Virginia SBDC recognizes veterans who have made a significant contribution to the economy through ownership of a Virginia small business and have made a significant difference in their communities by promoting a sense of duty, and volunteerism.

This year, Mason SBDC client, PAMCO CARE has been selected as the 2024 Virginia SBDC Veteran Business of the Year! Founded by Ms. Pamela Lucas, PAMCO CARE provides residential services for adults with intellectual disabilities.

CEO and Founder, Pamela Lucas is a 20 year US Army veteran. After 2 decades of service, Pamela began her second career in Real Estate where she soon found herself helping tenants in various capacities. Dedicated to the care and service of the vulnerable in our communities, Pamela opened her first licensed group home in 2013.

As her business grew, Pamela sought the assistance of the Mason SBDC in 2022 to address questions about employee healthcare, retirement benefits and other questions as the company attempted to address operations, demand and scale. She was matched with Director, Timm Johnson, who has has been a mentor and guide since. Timm has been working with the company on a range of topics such as financial and HR management, payroll, book keeping, expansion and much more.

PAMCO CARE is fast growing with eight group homes, more than 150 clients, and 80 employees as they answer the unique call of empowering and uplifting the vulnerable among us.

Thank You for your Service, Pamela Lucas.

Congratulations to you and team at PAMCO CARE on this well-deserved award!

WINTER EVENTS 2024 (Northern Virginia)

The Holiday season is a great time with many winter events which are excellent opportunities to support small businesses. Take a look at a few happening around Northern Virginia below.

Local Holiday Lights and Displays

(Provided by Patch.com)

Town of Herndon Events

• WinterMarkt
• Winter Break Camps + more

City of Manassas Events

• Ice Skating
• Christmas Market & Holiday Craft Show
• Carriage Rides + more

Reston Town Center Events

• Mini train rides
• Horse drawn Carriage rides + more

Loudoun County Events

• Brunch with Santa
• Salsa at Night
• Aurora's Winter Circus Adventure

Arlington County Events

• VRE Santa Train
• Ice skating
• Tingle Bells + more

Fairfax County Events

• Meadowlark Winter Walk of Lights
• Winter Lantern Festival + more

Prince William County Events

• Ice Skating
• Sundaes with Santa

City of Fairfax Events

• Holiday Market
• Claus and Cookies + more

CENTER HIGHLIGHTS

Mason SBDC Director leads 3-part Financial Management Series for Town of Herndon

The Mason Small Business Development Center in partnership with Town of Herndon Economic Development and Office Evolution (Herndon) held a 3-part, (in-person) series for the business community in the Town of Herndon.

The series provided over 25 participants with lessons on small business finances that took an in-depth look at management, strategies and resources. Over 3 Wednesdays, Mason SBDC Director and financial expert, Timm Johnson led the instruction for the cohort, covering cash flow, forecasting and budgeting, strategies for growth, exit strategies, dashboards and processes to successfully manage small businesses. The series was very well received, providing attendees with lessons, feedback and resources to improve their existing financial systems.

Start SMART Small Business Series - 12-week program for Prince William County

Mason SBDC in partnership with Prince William Economic Development and Tourism is facilitating a 12-week program for existing and future business owners in the county. The Start SMART Small Business Program (based on the FDIC/SBA Money Smart Curriculum), has over 25 participants who meet weekly on Tuesdays at Virginia Career Works - Prince William Center in Woodbridge for workshops that prepare them for business launch, operations, and growth. The workshops are are taught by area experts and Mason SBDC's Timm Johnson and George Siragusa.

The series is set to conclude on December 17th with a Pitch Competition and reception. The evening will provide an opportunity for 16 contestants who will present their business ideas to a panel of judges. 3 finalists will win cash prizes sponsored by Prince William Economic Development and Tourism, Ernst & Young and John Marshall Bank.

This collaborative effort by Prince William County Economic Development Tourism, Financial Empowerment Center at Prince William County (Virginia Career Works) & Mason Small Business Development Center is being offered at no cost to participants.           

Mason SBDC Team Annual Professional Development Conference in Virginia Beach

The Virginia SBDC Network gathered for the network's Annual Professional Development Conference from Nov 12 - 14 at the Wyndham Oceanfront in Virginia Beach, VA.

The theme of the 2024 conference was "Elevate Your Expertise: Building a Stronger Virginia SBDC Team". SBDC team-members attended workshops on financing, human resources, digital marketing, AI, best practices and more! Network updates and strategic plans were shared during the conference and meetup sessions for Advisors and Operations groups were also held. 

Mason SBDC's Timm Johnson (Director), Aung Shepelev (Asst. Director), Bernard Ferret (Senior Business Counselor), and Client Services Coordinators Sara Linus and Sindhu Viju took part in the 3-day conference.

2024 Lunch-and -Learn series ends on a merry note!

Mason SBDC ended its lunch-and-learn series for 2024 with Hussain Shah's with a hands-on presentation about website optimization with 24 people in attendance, a highly engaged group! Attendees learnt about techniques and tools to optimize their website in order to drive business leads in a highly engaging session.

This no-cost event presented by Mason SBDC's Digital Marketing SME - Hussain Shah was sponsored by Town of Herndon and hosted by and Office Evolution Herndon.

UPCOMING TRAININGS (No cost to attend; Registration Required)

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

"This is truly an excellent service and your advisers are diligent, knowledgeable and super resourceful."

 Dennia Gayle, Co-Founder,

Hera Associates

https://www.hera-associates.com/

Mason SBDC services are provided at no cost, thanks to the support and funding provided by our Sponsors and Partners below. Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and George Mason University. All Opinions, conclusions, or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.