The Virginia Department of Business Assistance is planning a FREE Growing Sales Seminar designed to help businesses meet their revenue projections. The event is scheduled for May 2nd at the Richmond Times-Dispatch facility in Hanover County. The agenda includes tips on promoting your business through social media, entering the export market, growing as a subcontractor and of course selling to the state and federal government. Registration and networking with local and state procurement officers will start at 8:00 am. Mark Deutsch, author of the national best-selling book, Building the Ultimate Network, will be the keynote speaker.

For more details on the event and to register, go to http://www.vastartup.org/register/events/668.

J Sargeant Reynolds Career, Employment and Transfer Center
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College offers many services and resources to help employers.  Employment opportunities are posted on the Reynolds website where individuals can view local full- and part-time job listings and internships as well as send electronic resumes via their employment website, College Central Network Services.

These services are available to students, alumni, community residents and employers.  Resume critiquing, mock interviews, and workshops are also available to assist job seekers with the job hunting process.  Additionally, local employers can recruit students on J. Sargeant Reynolds campuses by contacting the staff of the Career, Employment and Transfer Center at (804) 523-5061.

John Tyler Community College Career Center
John Tyler Community College welcomes job postings from individuals, businesses, and industries.  Employers may mail, fax, hand deliver, or email job announcements.  The announcements will be posted on campus bulletin boards and placed in job binders at the front desk in our Counseling offices.  Arrangements can be made for employers to interview applicants on campus.

For more information, contact Michelle D. Tindall, Director of Counseling and Student Success Services at (804) 706-5228.

Randolph-Macon College Career Services
The Center for Personal and Career Development at Randolph-Macon College is committed to offering services which meet employers’ needs, as well as those of students and alumni.  Staff is able to serve as a bridge between business organizations and R-MC’s strong candidates.

The Center offers the following services and benefits for employers:

• Smaller enrollment allows staff to work individually with employers and R-MC’s students.  Services are customized to aid each employer.
• The Jobs4YellowJackets Database allows employers to post job and internship opportunities for students directly to the database.
• The R-MC Alumni Group on LinkedIn features a job board which allows R-MC to post opportunities for alumni.
• The career center sponsors on-campus information tables, sessions, and presentations.
• On-campus recruitment and interviewing can be coordinated at your convenience.
• Academic, paid, and volunteer internships through the Bassett Internship Program serve as an excellent recruitment tool and afford an opportunity for businesses to undertake desired projects at little or no cost, and with little risk.
• Employers are welcomed to participate in Etiquette Dinners, the Mock Interview Program, networking events and many other programs to connect with students.
• Annual Career, Internship, and Graduate School Fairs are centered on full-time, part-time, and seasonal job and internship opportunities and are designed to offer students and employers an opportunity to come face-to-face.

For questions on how to take advantage of any of these services, please contact Cathy Rollman, Director, Career Services at 804-752-3103 or crollman@rmc.edu.

University of Richmond Career Development Center
The University of Richmond provides multiple avenues to connect business with talented students and alumni.  Through on-campus and online recruiting programs, the Office of Alumni and Career Services will partner with companies to meet their specific recruitment and hiring needs.  Outlined below are various ways to recruit Richmond Spiders:

• Employers can announce upcoming positions by posting them in U of R’s recruiting database system, SpiderConnect.  Students and alumni have access to SpiderConnect, where they can review and apply for employment and internship opportunities.
• Businesses are encouraged to attend one of the many industry expos, participate in on-campus interviewing and career development programs, or host an information session. Find more here: http://cdc.richmond.edu/.
• To find the best candidates, it is recommended that companies building their brand on campus. This webpage provides recommendations on how to increase your organization’s visibility and promote your opportunities on campus.  http://cdc.richmond.edu/hirespiders/brand.html

The Office of Alumni and Career Services looks forward to working with Richmond area businesses to meet their recruiting needs.  If you have any questions or would like assistance, contact the Career Services staff at (804) 289-8547. 

Virginia Commonwealth University Career Center
Virginia Commonwealth University has three career centers which can help employers connect with talented, qualified students and alumni: the VCU School of Business Career Center, the VCU School of Engineering Career Center, and the University Career Center.

Employers can post career-related opportunities on VCU’s on-line job posting, RamsRecruiting. There is no charge for this service. Employers receive a username and password and are able to access RamsRecruiting to submit their postings. Postings include jobs, internships, and co-ops and can be either full-time or part-time. The University Career Center posts jobs for all three career centers.
Candidates for positions can be interviewed at VCU in our private interview rooms. Parking is provided for employers in our parking deck. On-campus interviews for all three centers are arranged by the University Career Center. Please contact the Recruitment Coordinator, at 828-2216 for further information.

The career centers also host various career events such as career fairs, mock interviews, and informational presentations. Employers often participate in these special events, which give students the tools they need to be successful in their career pursuits. The University-wide Spring Career & Internship Fair, the largest job fair event held by VCU, is open to all majors, though historically medicine, health professional fields and education majors do not attend. Approximately 450 students are expected to attend the 2012 event, which will be held February 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the University Student Commons. To participate, please contact Haley Sims at hgsims@vcu.edu.

The University Career Center has developed partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, governmental agencies, private industries, small businesses and nonprofit organizations to place students in an internship or Co-op experience that is related to their major. If an employer is interested in developing an Internships or Co-op relationship with VCU, they should contact one of the Career Centers for further information.
For questions or assistance with any of the programs offered, contact the University Career Center at (804) 828-1645, the School of Business Career Center at (804) 827-1801, or the School of Engineering Career Center at (804) 827-7028.

Virginia State University Career Services
Virginia State University (VSU) can help businesses fill their employment needs by connecting them with great students and alumni. The University has a population of 5,600 students, 34 undergraduate programs, 13 masters’ level programs, and 2 doctoral programs within 5 schools: Agriculture; Business; Engineering Science and Technology; Liberal Arts and Education; Graduate Studies, and Research and Outreach. The Career Services Office will tailor a recruiting plan to fit employers’ needs.

The following are ways to recruit VSU students and alumni:

• Employers can set up an information table, where they can meet and greet students in the Student Union - a visible, high traffic location on campus.
• Businesses are welcomed to schedule information sessions to present an organization’s information to students.
• Employers can post internship and/or employment opportunities and interview selected students on campus.
• Many local businesses enjoy participating in the mock interview program to assist students with their interviewing skills. Mock interviews take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
• Employers can post internship and employment opportunities at Virginia State University by e-mailing open positions description and requirements to careerservices@vsu.edu.
• VSU Career Services hosts annual career fairs. The 2012 event will be held on October 4th.

Virginia State University wants to partner with you.  Please contact Career Services for more information at 804-524-5211 or careerservices@vsu.edu.

The Port Volume Increase Tax Credit is available to taxpayers engaged in the manufacturing of goods or the distribution of manufactured goods that use public or private port facilities located in Virginia. The credit is $50 per TEU* in excess of the base year cargo – meaning the tax credit is based on how much a shipper has increased shipping activities. For new shippers, the credit is $50 per TEU during the first calendar year. The deadline to apply for this credit is March 1, 2012.

The Barge and Rail Usage Tax Credit offers taxpayers credit for taking tractor trailers off the road and shipping goods by barge or rail instead. Shippers will receive $25 per TEU* in excess of the number of containers shipped by barge or rail by the taxpayer during the immediately preceding taxable year. The deadline for the 2011 tax year is April 1, 2012.

The International Trade Facility Tax Credit rewards businesses for either creating new jobs or capital investment in an international trade facility as a result of moving 10% more cargo through a Virginia Port Authority-operated cargo facility than in the preceding taxable year. The credit is either (1) $3,000 per qualified full-time employee that results from increased qualified trade activities by the taxpayer or (2) an amount equal to 2% of qualified capital investment expenses made by the taxpayer to facilitate increased qualified trade activities. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2012.

To learn more about any of these exciting new tax credits, visit the Virginia Port Authority here. Still confused? No problem. Find a Virginia Port Authority employee who can answer your questions here.

*TEU = 16 tons
 

Currently RideFinders works with over 400 Employee Transportation Coordinators (ETCs) that assist in promoting ridesharing, teleworking, and/or alternate work hours to co-workers at various worksites throughout the region. ETCs work with RideFinders to provide various services to their organizations. RideFinders’ services to these companies include: commuter information sessions, density plot analysis, employee surveys, commute program design, marketing, distribution of air quality brochures and alerts, and program administrative assistance.

RideFinders currently works with 52 plus federal, state, and private companies that provide transportation benefits to employees under the Commuter Choice Program, a program of the Internal Revenue Code that allows employers to assist employees with transit and vanpool commute costs. RideFinders aids in the development and implementation of the initial programs, supports the ongoing programs, and provides hands-on assistance when programs transition from one level of service to another, and delivers the requested inventory to the businesses for distribution to their employees who ride the bus or participate in vanpool.

RideFinders has either spearheaded or hosted Transportation Fairs at many employer sites to include: The Southport Association, Mondial Assistance, the Virginia Department of Health, Providence Middle School, and Innsbrook.

To get your company and employees connected to RideFinder’s resources, contact Antionette Haynes, Account Executive at RideFinders, A Division of GRTC.

ahaynes@ridefinders.com
804.643.7433

Follow RideFinders on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

During her presentation, Sara Dunnigan likened GRP’s new study to a marketing study typically conducted by a for-profit business – except GRP’s product is the Greater Richmond area and its customers are local and prospective businesses. Dramatic economic changes in the region since the last recession made it necessary to take a step back and reassess strategy. The five new target clusters adopted by GRP include Supply Chain Management, Advanced Manufacturing, Finance and Insurance, Professional and Creative Services, and Health and Life Sciences. Dunnigan reviewed the region’s strengths and the justifications for pursuing these five clusters, including the region’s skilled labor force and a critical mass of local businesses already operating in these areas. The targets will help GRP direct regional economic development efforts and resources toward those industries that are most likely to grow and succeed on a large scale in our region. However, Dunnigan made it clear that if your industry is not represented by one of the five target clusters, it does not mean it is unimportant.

The discussion panel that followed was made up by five local executives from businesses representing four out of five of GRPs new target clusters. The executives represented UPS, Big River Advertising, Elephant Insurance, Mobelux, and McKesson. These companies run the gamut, ranging in size from Fortune 500 to 6-person shops. Many nuggets of business wisdom were discussed, with just a few listed below.

• It is possible to grow during a recession. Many panel members mentioned that their companies were now able to run leaner due to process and technology innovations implemented during the recession. Elephant noted that consumers are now more price-sensitive, which was something they were able to take advantage of as a new competitor in the insurance market.
• The economy is interconnected. The health of customers, whether they are consumers or other businesses, directly impacts the growth of the panel businesses. Issues such as the recession, availability of capital, and even the shrinking reimbursements for health care providers have long-reaching effects.
  • Customers are in charge, not companies. Providing good service is not enough anymore. It is necessary to innovate and give customers more features and more options to keep them happy.
• Most growth happens organically. Some of the businesses mentioned mergers and acquisitions as a possible source of growth, but organic growth was continually mentioned as the preferred method.

The panelists were overwhelmingly positive about Greater Richmond’s business environment, but did mention some challenges when prompted.

• Encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation at an early age
• Attracting young talent to the city
• A mismatch between the skills in the workforce and those needed by businesses
• A lack of amenities along the James River
• Poor transit connections between the counties and the city

Overall, the Venture Forum event featured some amazing information about both regional economic development strategy planning and some growing local businesses. To learn more about the Venture Forum and upcoming events, visit the organization’s webpage at www.richmondventureforum.com.
 

The law clinic is a win-win program. It provides an opportunity for students trained in intellectual property and business law to gain some hands-on experience with real –life clients, while providing businesses and non-profit organizations with free legal advice.

The clinic’s services are well respected and it receives more requests than the students can handle, meaning there is some competition for the free services. So what kind of project does the law clinic prefer to take on? Clients should be local, with an innovative idea, lacking in substantial financial resources and offering an interesting case from which the law students can learn. If you fit that profile, you may have just found the perfect legal partner and an answer to your sticky situation!

To learn more about the law clinic, read this feature article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Then, visit the clinic’s website here.
 

Read the story here.

Accelerate Virginia is part of the Virginia broadband mapping initiative and is collecting end-user Internet connectivity information to be used in conjunction with the information supplied by Internet service providers to more accurately map the availability and speed of broadband Internet in the Commonwealth.

Participating is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Just visit the Accelerate Virginia webpage and follow the easy instructions. You’ll be helping Accelerate Virgina to map current Internet availability and you’ll also get an instant review of your broadband speed connection as well as a survey of what others in your community are reporting. And, it will only take about 5 minutes of your time!

After you’re done, don’t forget to share the Accelerate Virginia link with your friends, family, and business associates. Remember, end-user input will help to verify the state broadband map and make it easier to identify and serve areas in need of affordable broadband infrastructure investment.

Visit www.acceleratevirginia.org for more information.
 

A keynote address from John May, Managing Partner with the New Vantage Group will give insight into non-institutional entrepreneurial financing. The seminar will also include two panel discussions on “What Investors are Looking for in Investable Ideas, Companies and Entrepreneurs” and “Preparing Yourself to Raise Money from Friends and Family, Angels, and VC’s” as well as a session on educating future entrepreneurs from Nancy Bagrenoff, PhD, University of Richmond, Robins School of Business.

The Seminar is free and open to entrepreneurs and investors on Wednesday November 9, 2011 from 1:30- 5:00 PM at The Science Museum of Virginia. Seating is limited, so RSVP to ssimmons@vabiotech.com. For questions, call 804-828-5390.

For additional information, visit: Dominion Resources GreenTech Incubator.
 

According to an October 2011 report by the Tax Foundation, for every one dollar of wages paid to Virginia workers, businesses only pay approximately one-third of a penny for unemployment insurance. Just one state, Louisiana, offers a lower tax rate. The national median tax, approximately three-quarters of a penny, is more than double Virginia’s rate, which puts you at a competitive advantage. No wonder Virginia is repeatedly named the best state for business by organizations such as Forbes.com and CNBC!

The Tax Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan research and public education organization that monitors tax and fiscal activities at all levels of government. For more details, see the full report here.

Source: Tax Foundation, October 2011, No. 61, “Unemployment Insurance Taxes: Options for Program Design and Insolvent Trust Funds.” Figure 5, Average Unemployment Tax Rate by State, UI Tax Collections as a Percent of All Wages, 2010.