Start SMART Small Business Series (2026) - Prince William County - IN PERSON

Key Information:

In-Person Series | No Fee
Where: Prince William Chamber of Commerce HQ, 9733 Buchanan Loop, Manassas, VA 20110

• Tuesday evenings

• 11 weeks of instruction that concludes a pitch competition on the final day

• No class on November 24th (Thanksgiving holiday week)

• Refreshments provided

• Click here for detailed 2026 curriculum

Overview:

12-week program designed to equip participants with information, guidance, and resources to successfully launch and operate a small business in Prince William County. Ideal for new and aspiring business owners. The series concludes with a pitch competition, in which participants will compete for cash prizes and receive valuable feedback from expert business-panelists.

Schedule:
September 22, 2026 - December 15, 2026 (6-8 PM)

• Class 1: Orientation | Planning for a Healthy Business - Sep 22, 2026

• Class 2: Business Structures - Sep 29, 2026

• Class 3: Building Your Value Proposition - Oct 6, 2026

• Class 4: Marketing 101 - Oct 13, 2026

• Class 5: Customer Acquisition | Understanding Your Customer’s Needs - Oct 20, 2026

• Class 6: Understanding Your Digital Footprint - Oct 27, 2026

• Class 7: Pitch Competition Overview | Financial Management & Recordkeeping - Nov 3, 2026

• Class 8: Preparing Your Pitch - Nov 10, 2026

• Class 9: Financing Your Small Business - Nov 17, 2026

• Class 10: Managing Cash Flows & Building Strong Business Credit - Dec 1, 2026

• Class 11: Risk Management - Dec 8, 2026

• Final Session: Pitch Competition - Dec 15, 2026 (Series Conclusion): The culmination of the Start SMART series! Participants will present their business pitches to a panel of judges and a live audience, competing for prizes and gaining valuable exposure and feedback. This session will be held at a separate venue (George Mason Manassas Campus, Life Science & Engineering Building)

Questions? Please email your questions to Enica Russell - SmartMoney@pwcgov.org

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Instructional-Team:

• Enica Russell, Eva Gunia, Chuck Botwright - Prince William County
• Timm Johnson, George Siragusa, Bernard Ferret - Mason SBDC
• Noel Cherowbrier, ExCaliber Intact Forensic Capture (1st Place Winner, Start SMART Series, 2025!) - Guest Speaker
• Additional guest speaker(s) -TBA
• Additional series instructor(s) - TBA (PWC/Mason SBDC)

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Facilitated and Hosted by: Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Financial Empowerment Center, Virginia Career Works, and Prince William Chamber of Commerce

Support provided by: Mason SBDC and Prince William County Department of Economic Development and Tourism