Reimagining Main Street

A veteran-owned-and-operated small business, Riffle Farms raises grass-fed and finished bison in the hills of Preston County. Owner and Operator Liz Riffle began working with WV SBDC Coach Sharon Stratton in 2018 when Stratton helped them through creating a business plan. She also toured the farm and made recommendations on expansion ideas. Over the past couple of years, she also has helped the business with SBA COVID relief loans and assisted them with two grants that helped them put in more fencing to expand the herd. “This year, she has been instrumental in getting me hooked up with streamlined bookkeeping services, which will help us grow our business and be competitive for business loans,” Riffle said.

Moorefield, WV, was about to lose its only Emergency Medical Service, so a group of emergency workers made it a 501c3 for funding to keep it open. They needed money for payroll and operating expenses. “What the bank wanted to see was a business plan,” WV SBDC coach Hammer said. “That's something we do at the SBDC; as coaches, we help develop a business plan and financial projections.” Under the new classification as a non-profit, they worked with the county commission to secure funding.

Owner, Cyclops Industries Inc

Bullock Distillery is a family-owned craft distillery in the historic Elk City district of Charleston, West Virginia. Founder Tighe Bullock says the WV SBDC has been instrumental in helping the distillery chart through the unfamiliar territories of becoming who they are today. Because the distillery industry is still in its infancy in the state, finding the right people to help them was essential to their success.

ExesaLibero Pharma has completed preclinical studies on a drug designed to control excess bone erosion associated with rheumatoid arthritis and multiple myeloma. It will also be effective against trauma-induced arthritis. The company received an Innovation Award at the 2022 TechConnect DC Conference. A Phase II STTR bolstered development from the National Institutes of Health, which was reinforced by a matching fund from the State of West Virginia through the WV SBDC. "Matching funds are extremely important to SBIR/STTR grantees, providing essential bridge funds to get from research to commercialization," said Dr. John Barnett, President and Chief Science Officer.

Utopia Wellness could not provide face-to-face services to clients during the mandatory shutdown amid Covid-19. “With WV SBDC coach Will Miller's help, we applied for every financial resource available to us,” said Tackett. “As a result, we received the Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Save Small Business Grant, The State of West Virginia CARES Act Grant, Facebook Small Business Grant, and the PPP Loan.”

The veteran-owned Aurora Coffee & More consists of a brick-and-mortar coffee shop in Fayetteville, WV, and a mobile shaved ice truck. They saw steady growth as COVID restrictions accelerated the demand for food truck vendors. One of their main coffee shop competitors was closed due to staffing. Co-owner Daniel Mikels needed additional employees for the coffee shop to continue booking more events for the shaved ice truck. WV SBDC Business Coach Heidi Prior helped the business get a customized employee handbook, a checklist to reference when hiring new employees, and a better understanding of how to organize employee paperwork safely. As a result, Aurora Coffee & More went from the two owners being the only employees to five employees.

After three decades, Morgantown business Masman Jewelers continues to shine. A full-service jewelry store, Masman offers jewelry, clock and watch repair as well as custom designs. “My friend Pat and I attended a Small Business Development Center (WV SBDC) event and decided to purchase the store,” Morehead said. “It was a great seminar that helped us learn how to do the paperwork, the taxes, and the different things we would need to be involved in.”