Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Moran’s business summit gives budding entrepreneurs tools to survive down economy
With larger businesses still trying to rebound from years of a slow economy, Congressman Jim Moran held a small business summit Tuesday in Falls Church to expose entrepreneurs to the global market. Moran said small business owners should expand outside the American economy and into the Asian market. With the U.S. recently signing a trade agreement with South Korea, Moran (D-8th District) said the opportunity to expand into markets overseas is now. "If the federal government cuts back spending, it will affect the small-business owners," Moran said after the summit. "I want them to be able to develop trade ties overseas." Several business support groups including the Virginia Small Development Center Network and the Asian American Chamber of…
Friday, November 25, 2011
Governor asks residents to shop local for second annual Small Business Saturday
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is asking residents to shop at small, local businesses this Saturday as part of the "Small Business Saturday" event being held across the country. "Our Commonwealth fosters an attractive and prosperous business environment in which entrepreneurs and businesses from across the world have chosen to stake their professional dream," McDonnell said as part of his formal proclamation. Earlier this month, McDonnell declared November "Job Creator Appreciation Month" to recognize small businesses who have made an effort to hire more employees. For a full list of featured employers, click here. Hear McDonnell's message in the video player above.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Store provides locally grown and made products on a daily basis.
A lot can be said about a name and Tom Coates believes the name he picked out for his grocery store speaks volumes. Coates opened “The Local Market” in August after spending time working as an electrician. He said his wife had no problem with him leaving his job to open the store. “The most beef I got was the name,” Coates said. “No one liked the name. I think it just rolls off your tongue.” The store sells items made and grown by local and regional people. Coates said 13 vendors that supply merchandise to his store also sell their items at the Falls Church Farmer’s Market. The store first opened its doors Aug. 10 and continues to grow with more vendors. There were plenty Saturdays where Coates couldn’t make it to the Falls Church Farmer’s…
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The local unemployment rate dropped .3 percentage points in September
Falls Church City's unemployment rate in September was significantly lower than the national average, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics this week. In September, preliminary information suggests the city's unemployment rate was 8.2 percent - almost a whole percentage point lower than the national average of 9.1 percent. Locally, these newest numbers could indicate good news. Fall Church City's unemployment rate dropped .3 percentage points in September. The August unemployment rate was 8.5 percent - the highest on record in the past decade. The local unemployment rate in May and June was 7.7 percent. In July, the rate jumped to 7.9 percent. The following table, provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, tracks …
Monday, August 1, 2011
Earning a degree -- and accumulating student loan debt -- drives today's young lawyers to get creative with their livelihoods.
Jonathan Charnitski has a law degree. He is licensed in Texas and the District of Columbia. Someday, he might be a practicing attorney. Charnitski went to law school hoping to become an advocate for intellectual property rights. He earned his degree from Villanova Law School -- today's cost: $110,000 -- in 2008, just in time to see the job market shrivel up. He ended up doing a lot of contract work, reviewing documents for piecemeal wages. "There's this big misconception that you see these big salaries when you're a lawyer," said Charnitski, who lives in the Glover Park community in Washington, D.C. "That's true for a handful, but for the other 90 percent of us, that's just not the case." Many of his former colleagues and classmates are …
Andre L. Taylor
9:47 am on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
So right, Edward. The cash flow is the main thing preventing me from wanting to move forward with starting a business. more ›