Hampton Roads center teaches small business 101

Brian Evans' wife, Melinda, came home from work three years ago and told him she wanted to start a business.

With nearly 20 years of design experience, she was ready to leave her job at a local print shop and start her own graphics design company. But neither she nor her husband, an electronics repairman in the Air Force, had any business experience.

So they called the Small Business Development Center of Hampton Roads and signed up for a 12-week course designed to help them navigate the entrepreneurial waters.

The NxLevel for Entrepreneurs class taught them how to complete a business plan, secure financing, do bookkeeping and taxes, apply for special certifications and market their company.

"We'd never had business experience, so we had to do something to get started," Brian Evans said. "They kind of bombard you with information and then you kind of come out of it with a lot of knowledge."

They graduated in May 2006 and launched Designs by M.E. that August. Two years later, they're still going strong, growing from $10,000 in annual sales the first year to about $90,000 in 2008, Brian Evans said. They've designed fliers, business cards, logos and other items for clients such as the city of Virginia Beach, Busch Gardens, Langley Speedway and Dove Chocolate.

NxLevel is a course offered to aspiring entrepreneurs nationwide. It's taught locally at the Small Business Development Center in Chesapeake and the Peninsula Workforce Development Center in Hampton.

"It's kind of like building a business with a really solid foundation," said Lauren Small, who teaches the Chesapeake class. "When you understand how to do strategic business planning, you have this knowledge and these tools and you really do make better decisions that allow you to be proactive rather than reactive to the business environment."

A group of 11 aspiring and existing business owners gathered at the Chesapeake development center on Volvo Parkway on Monday for their first NxLevel class.

As the students cast apprehensive glances at their 657-page textbooks, Jim Carroll, executive director of the Small Business Development Center, encouraged them to take the class seriously and do their homework. "This class is a mini-MBA in small business ownership."

"It's only a lot of reading if you do it," he added. But "if you do take that attitude, it's going to crucify you because this, ladies and gentlemen, is your business. The success of your business rests solely on your shoulders."

Some students were looking to improve existing businesses, such as David Rourk, who owns Rourk Public Relations in Virginia Beach. Others were preparing for future ventures, such as Jay Agar-wal, who hopes to start a business importing pharmaceuticals from India.

For 24-year-old Juniette Griffin, NxLevel was the first step toward opening a full-service spa and boutique for clients with disabilities and terminal illnesses. She got the idea while doing hair and make up for movies and TV shows in Hollywood.

"I have had a lot of clients with terminal illnesses over the years, and when I do their hair they feel so much better," she said. "I love motivating people and helping them to look their best because then they feel their best."

The course teaches people such as Griffin how to write a business plan, which lays out a company's goals, management structure, financial plan and marketing ideas.

"When you have a business plan, you are so much more credible to a bank because now you have your ideas down on paper and they feel a lot more confident about what you're going to do," Small said. "It allows you to really sell yourself."

It's easier to be successful when the economy is healthy, she said, but when times are tough, careful planning can be the key to survival.

"Now they're exposed to a tough economy, where every little decision matters, and they may not have the tools to make those right decisions..." Small said. "That's where NxLevel really comes into play."

Kathy Adams, (757) 446-2583, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com