Bill Text: VA HJR385 | 2010 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2010-03-11 - House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ385ER) [HJR385 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2010-HJR385-Enrolled.html
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WHEREAS, since the Commonwealth's founding days, small business and entrepreneurship have been the lifeblood of both the Hampton Roads and Virginia economy; over 85 percent of all employment is done by small business owners; and WHEREAS, the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center, a program of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and Thomas Nelson Community College, was established in 1990 to serve the needs of the small business community throughout the 18 cities and counties of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore; and WHEREAS, since its founding, the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center has grown from two offices and now, through innovative partnerships with chambers of commerce and local economic development offices, has offices in Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Melfa, and Williamsburg and satellite offices in Franklin, Smithfield, and Suffolk; and WHEREAS, the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center's mission is to grow the region's and the Commonwealth's economy through professional counseling, training, and education for both prospective and existing small business owners; and WHEREAS, the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center serves as a key partner of the region's economic development departments and supplements their activities; and WHEREAS, since its inception, the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center has provided counseling to over 9,500 clients and both online and classroom training and education for over 9,000 event attendees; and WHEREAS, the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center has helped Hampton Roads small business owners contribute over $225 million in overall economic impact to the region, create or save over 3,000 jobs, and start more than 100 businesses; and WHEREAS, since 2003, the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center's website has provided information to over 143,000 unique visitors who accessed the site over 213,000 times and who downloaded over 695,000 pages of information to assist them in managing their businesses; and WHEREAS, the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center was instrumental in developing the first public-private initiative in the country for local small business lending, which was used to assist recovery efforts by the small business communities in Franklin, Southampton, and Isle of Wight Counties in the wake of the damage caused by Hurricane Floyd; and WHEREAS, the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center has been officially recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration for its efforts on behalf of small business owners and was recognized by the Virginia Small Business Development Center with an Excellence Award in 2008; and WHEREAS, the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center was instrumental in adapting new and innovative training programs to serve small business owners and entrepreneurs; NxLeveL and Profit Mastery provide thorough and in-depth information and guidance to small business owners in the managing of their enterprises; and WHEREAS, the Mayor of Franklin specifically requested that the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center spearhead the small business recovery efforts in that city and the Counties of Isle of Wight and Southampton following the announced closure of the International Paper processing facility; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center for its commitment to the small business community of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center as an expression of the General Assembly's respect and admiration for the Center's dedication to the small business community and economic development of the Commonwealth. |
