Advantage Valley is Fertile Soil for Growth-Minded Entrepreneurs
Advantage Valley has always been a great place to start or grow a small business, and our team provides a wealth of resources to small business owners and entrepreneurs alike. Our FASTER WV (the acronym stands for Fostering Advantages for Start-Ups & Entrepreneurial Resurgence in WV) initiative is here to identify, encourage, and support businesses like yours through one-on-one business coaching, a series of information-packed workshops, basic business entrepreneurship courses, technical assistance, mini-grants, and loans from a revolving loan fund.
Let us help you as you navigate the challenges of starting or scaling a small business in Advantage Valley.
Through its FASTER WV Initiative, Advantage Valley and its partners (Unlimited Future, Inc., and the Wyoming County Economic Development Authority) are building a stronger culture of entrepreneurship in the region, which is comprised of Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Putnam, Mason and Wayne Counties.
Participants will work one-on-one with a FASTER WV business coach, take an entrepreneurship training class, and consider tapping into a Revolving Loan Fund to start or grow a business in the region.
How to Get Started!
Contact a FASTER WV Coach Today:
Advantage Valley
Bryan Shaw
Director of Entrepreneurial Development
(304) 352-1165
Send Bryan an Email!
What’s Next?
Take a Basic Business Entrepreneurship Class
Upcoming Classes!
Advantage Valley’s Kauffman FAST TRAC classes:
Thursdays 5:30 – 8 pm, 3 week class
West Side Charleston (in person)
August 22 – September 5 (WVSU Economic Development Center)
Upper Kanawha Valley (in person)
March 21 – April 4 (Montgomery City Hall)
September 19 – October 3 (TBD)
Town of Wayne
May 9 – May 23
October 17 – October 31
Link to register for FAST TRAC classes: https://airtable.com/shrjJJw6DZS1eqXa0
Unlimited Future, Inc. Business Basics:
Mondays or Tuesdays 6-8 pm, 8 week classes
Jules’ Bills Instructor (in-person and Zoom class)
January 23 – March 12
April 9 – May 28
June 25 – August 13
September 3 – October 22
November 12 – December 17
Tracie Ferguson Instructor (In person class only)
February 5 – March 25
April 22 – June 10
July 8 – August 26
September 16 – November 4
November 18 – December 23
Link to register for UFI Business Basics classes: https://forms.gle/sCfRnJLKfDdF4rxY6
In person classes offered at Unlimited Future, Inc., 1650 8th Avenue, Huntington, WV
Sector Specific Resources for Business Owners
Click on your industry for more information!
Childcare
Construction Trades
Food and Beverage
Healthcare
River & Outdoor Recreation
Small Manufacturing
Archive of Recorded FASTER WV Webinars
Watch Now!
FASTER WV Webinar
Steps to Scaling Your Food and Beverage Business
May 13, 2021
FASTER WV Webinar
Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Advantage Valley
July 22, 2021
FASTER WV Webinar
How to Start a Small Manufacturing Business
September 2, 2021
FASTER WV Webinar
How to Start a Construction Business
November 11, 2021
FASTER WV Webinar
How to Start a Child Care Business
December 9, 2021
FASTER WV Webinar
Help Starting or Expanding Your Business
November 17, 2020
FASTER WV Webinar
Start a Child Care Business
December 9, 2020
FASTER WV Webinar
Start a Construction Company
January 7, 2021
FASTER WV Webinar
Start a Health Care or Wellness Business
February 11, 2021
FASTER WV Webinar
River & Outdoor Recreation Business Opportunities
March 25, 2021
FASTER WV Kickoff Webinar
April 15, 2020
FASTER WV Webinar
Cottage Food Sales
June 10, 2020
FASTER WV Webinar
River & Outdoor Recreation
July 29, 2020
FASTER WV Webinar
Mastering the Basics of Hosting AirBNB
August 19, 2020
FASTER WV Webinar
Maker to Manufacturer
November 5, 2020