Be your own boss. This millennial did it and so can you.

Be your own boss. This millennial did it and so can you.

Be your own boss. This millennial did it and so can you.

Bluefield café owner transitions from employee to entrepreneur with help from WV SBDC.

Nicole Coeburn had a respectable career working in a community she loved. But like many millennials she yearned for more.

Having grown up in a family of entrepreneurs, Coeburn wanted to own a small business like her grandmother, father and uncles before her. But starting a business is easier said than done. And like many young professionals looking to take the leap, she still had a day job. How would she make a clean break and pursue her dream? And where would she even start?

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Ziebart Ribbon Cutting

Ziebart Ribbon Cutting

Ziebart Ribbon Cutting

A new automotive service store, Ziebart, opened its doors last Friday, August 9th in Morgantown. The store offers automotive services including undercoating, rust protection, rhino-lining, detailing, window tint, ceramic paint protection. The franchise is owned by twin brothers Mark and Nick Lambie. The West Virginia Small Business Development Center (WV SBDC) assisted with:

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Starting or expanding a business? Here’s 4 tips for success from a WV entrepreneur.

Starting or expanding a business? Here’s 4 tips for success from a WV entrepreneur.

Starting or expanding a business? Here’s 4 tips for success from a WV entrepreneur.

Imagine how confident you would feel knowing that your business is positioned to be successful for years to come. With profits rolling in, you could focus on strategically growing your company. Whatever plans you have for taking your business to the next level, the West Virginia Small Business Development Center can help you come up with a  plan, get results and make more money in the process.

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Retired? This pharmacist is proof you can start a business later in life.

RXbyTel Pharmacy in Charleston reopens after owner comes out of retirement.

RXbyTel Pharmacy in Charleston reopens after owner comes out of retirement.

RXbyTel Pharmacy in Charleston reopens after owner comes out of retirement.

After a successful career as a pharmacist, Walter Moore should be playing a round of golf right about now. But you won’t find him on the greens, decked out in Titleist apparel and celebrating retirement with a victory cigar. Instead, he’ll go into work on Monday, put on his white coat and spend his morning filling prescriptions behind the counter at his pharmacy.

“I was retired for seven years and I would look back on my time as a pharmacist and see how much I took it for granted,” Moore, 70, said. “I’ve got a new outlook on life.”

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Iconic community bowling alley blends retro charm and tech advances under new owners

Iconic community bowling alley blends retro charm and tech advances under new owners

Iconic community bowling alley blends retro charm and tech advances under new owners

Buckhannon Lanes had been a recreational fixture in Upshur County for 56 years. Now teens, friends and family can continue to have a ball in the same spot, updated under new owners as Woody’s Bowling Center.

Opened in 1962 by the Archer family, the bowling business was purchased by the Archer sisters and their husbands in 1974. Upshur County natives Cemantha and her husband Ron Woody purchased the second-generation family-owned bowling alley in 2018.

The couple had a vision of what they wanted to achieve. They’re getting it done, with a little coaching from the West Virginia Small Business Development Center and investment from BCBank.

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Fish Hawk Acres wins SBA Rural Owned Business of the Year

Buckhannon market and catering service specializes in chef-prepared meals made fresh daily with regional foods

Fish Hawk Acres wins SBA Rural Owned Business of the Year

Fish Hawk Acres wins SBA Rural Owned Business of the Year

Longtime friends Dale Hawkins and Teresa Lipps opened Fish Hawk Acres in 2007, operating their farm-fresh catering business out of the back of an IGA in Rock Cave, Upshur County. 

As their customer base expanded, so did they, and now you can find Fish Hawk Acres at its own storefront in Buckhannon. The catering business has grown to include a restaurant, café and market where customers can enjoy fresh-prepared daily specials, salads and desserts or shop for West Virginia-made food products and handcrafted wares.

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IT Mindshare wins SBA Veteran Owned Business of the Year

Morgantown firm specializes in information technology services, consulting, security and more

IT Mindshare wins SBA Veteran Owned Business of the Year

IT Mindshare wins SBA Veteran Owned Business of the Year

It was Jeremy Harris’ experience in the military that piqued his interest in information technology.

Harris had originally planned on becoming an engineer before joining the Army. During his stint in Afghanistan, the decorated war veteran specialized in electronic warfare and signals intelligence. He took note of how much the technology was in demand. After he finished his military service, he pursued a career in the information technology (IT) field.

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WV SBDC celebrates National Small Business Week by promoting local businesses

West Virginia joins the national movement to recognize the hard work of entrepreneurs and economic impact of small businesses.

WV SBDC celebrates National Small Business Week by promoting local businessesSmall Business Person of the Year winner Michael Mills (right)

WV SBDC celebrates National Small Business Week by promoting local businesses

The American dream of owning a successful business is becoming a reality for more people today than ever before. More than half of Americans either own or work for small businesses, which create about two out of every three new jobs in the United States each year. In West Virginia, small businesses make up 95 percent of businesses and employ about 300,000 people.

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Architecture Group Preserves the Past to Build the Future

Mills Group founder wins West Virginia Small Business Person of the Year

Architecture Group Preserves the Past to Build the Future

Architecture Group Preserves the Past to Build the Future

The past tells stories.

Michael Mills sees stories in the shape and construction of heritage buildings and their influence on contemporary designs. Michael is the founder of The Mills Group, an architecture, planning, and preservation firm based in Morgantown.

He is also the recipient of the SBA’s West Virginia Small Business Person of the Year award. He will join honorees from the other U.S. states and territories in Washington, D.C., May 5 – 6 during National Small Business Week.

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