Page Back

Contents

HOME

representatives meeting with economic developers in nearly every Virginia city and county in order to spread the mission of the agency. The mission in 2004 is to move toward product development as well as market based programs through information, intervention and consulting services based on market driven needs assessments.

“We really have the ability to be a service to all Virginia businesses, no matter what their size or industry,” DBA Director Chuck Mills said. “If we don’t have the ability to assist them directly, we can certainly point them in the right direction.”

TECHNOLOGY

It has been the state’s technological efforts that allow these localities to be better, and more easily served. For starters, DBA has updated their website to include useful information and frequently asked questions for business owners (www.dba.state.va.uswww.dba.state.va.us). Business trends and state initiatives on economic development may also be found by subscribing to the DBA quarterly newsletter that includes a letter from Governor Warner, calendar of events and DBA program updates.

In addition to the website facelift, EBS launched the Virginia Business Information Center (VBIC) – as a resource for new and existing businesses to get information, find opportunities and resolve problems. This resource center offers information on establishing a business, incentives, financing and workforce training. Each year, EBS responds to thousands of assistance requests. New or potential business owners may also find useful demographics and industry trends provided by the EBS research team.

The staff at VBIC typically respond to requests for assistance (RFAs) received within the same hour, currently answers more than 300 calls or e-mails from the business community on a weekly basis.

“Virginia businesses and start up businesses have more access to helpful information than they ever have been before,” EBS Director Wayne Waldrop said. “Part of the reason is because we’ve made resources more available to every corner of the Commonwealth.”

Local leaders have also benefitted from DBA’s educational programs. For the past 20 years, the agency has committed to businesses and economic developers by presenting economic trends, procurement opportunities and statewide issues that affect businesses throughout the Commonwealth.

This year’s seminars will focus on health care, travel and tourism and a continued commitment to providing equal access to government contracting opportunities, specifically, small, women and minority owned businesses.

“We derive all of our efforts, including seminar topics and outreach efforts, from the feedback we receive from businesses around the

“Our [state consultant] also had insight on how to find resources within other state agencies.”

Although Service Center Metals received funding through the Virginia Small Business Finance Authority, housed by the Virginia Department of Business Assistance (DBA), he recalls the workforce consulting services offered through DBA providing equally impressive results within the company. The DBA Workforce Services Department assisted Service Center Metals with getting their initial wave of employees through the door by making suggestions for handbooks, providing orientation training and organizing a job fair.

“Starting or expanding a business is a stressful time,” he said. “But I feel our state is committed to their business constituency and wants to see them do well – we just need to take advantage of what’s out there.”

It was this purpose that Governor Mark R. Warner envisioned and attributes to the raised level of business support throughout the Commonwealth. In his mind, the state is as committed to existing business as it is to the recruitment of new business. In general, many smaller businesses have been credited with keeping the nation afloat during slow economic times. It was with that in mind that Governor Warner challenged staff at DBA to better serve Virginia’s business constituency. And in the past several years, without increased funding for services, officials with DBA have offered practical and feasible programs to all Virginia businesses.

REACHING OUT

The sheer demand from business communities and statewide localities were the catalysts for new state services. Starting at DBA, outreach efforts were increased. This involved making localities aware of available services and making those services easily accessible. That prompted proposals from the department’s existing business services (EBS) division to regularly meet with economic developers and business leaders throughout Virginia.

That demand has resulted in DBA outreach