CHARLESTON, W.Va.  The West Virginia Small Business Development Center (WV SBDC), a division of the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, announced on Thursday that Beth Fish is joining the agency as its new business navigator.

As business navigator, Fish will connect entrepreneurs and small business owners with services provided by the WV SBDC, coordinate the agency’s Business Ask Me! Line and collaborate with WV SBDC business coaches and local, state and federal resources, all in an effort to help small businesses start, expand and succeed.

Beth Fish, WV SBDC business navigator
Beth Fish, WV SBDC business navigator

Fish will also support the WV SBDC’s recently launched WV BusinessLink program, which coordinates the development and implementation of an entrepreneurial resource network in West Virginia. Fish will work alongside Bill Woodrum, who was recently named coordinator of the WV BusinessLink program.

“Three decades of assisting entrepreneurs and, ultimately, becoming one herself has given Beth a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience and she is eager to help others through her work with the Small Business Development Center,” said WV SBDC Director Debra Martin.

Beth has supported and worked with small business owners and entrepreneurs for almost 30 years. In 2014, she decided to leave her corporate job as a media consultant to small business owners and open her own insurance agency, Fish Insurance Group LLC. Since then, Fish’s insurance agency has grown rapidly and has provided a stepping stone to other opportunities. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Friends of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and the Upper Kanawha Valley Strategic Initiatives Council. In October 2020, she established a successful short-term rental business, Rose River Cottage LLC and is proud to hire local talent to clean and maintain the house and property.

To learn more about the West Virginia Small Business Development Center and resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs, visit WVsbdc.com.