Business Development Resources

Makers and small-scale production businesses looking for more information on starting a business and resources can find step-by-step guidance at: Starting a Business

Training & Education

Small-scale production entrepreneurs interested in launching and expanding their businesses have a number of opportunities for training and peer learning through partner organizations, including:

• Entrepreneurship 101: Hosted by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority in partnership with; the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Community Business Partnership (CBP), are workshops generally held on the first Tuesday of each month that provide overviews on a variety of business start-up topics.
  Entrepreneurship 101
• Small Business Training Programs: Organized by the Community Business Partnership, an SBA-affiliated nonprofit organization provides small business training, support and mentoring.  A variety of courses including “Starting Your Business”, “Marketing”, and “Financing” will be offered in multiple locations throughout the year.
  Small Business Training Programs at CBP
• Food Business Workshops: Presented by Frontier Kitchen, a commercial kitchen located in Lorton, Virginia, are a series of training sessions for food production entrepreneurs.
  Food Business Workshops at Frontier Kitchen
• Maker classes: Hosted by Nova Labs, a non-profit organization located in Reston, Virginia offers a variety of peer-taught classes.
  Maker Classes at Nova Labs