City Unveils Small Business Initiatives

Two new city efforts are designed to foster small business procurement opportunities and smooth out the permit process.

The City of Alexandria has launched two new initiatives seeking to support local, small businesses. “Small business is the lifeblood of the community,” City Manager Rashad Young said at an event last week hosted by the Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association. The first initiative will provide outreach and assistance to emerging and new small firms, with a special focus on expanding procurement opportunities for small, minority, women-owned and Alexandria-based businesses. The effort will be based in the City Manager’s Office and is overseen by the city manager’s special assistant, Rose Boyd. It will develop an outreach program promoting such businesses in the city’s procurement process. A second initiative located in the city’s Permit…

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Business Owners: Claim Your Listing on Patch—Free

Business owners can claim their free listing in Patch Places to promote their business and inform local Patch readers.

When Patch launched in late 2010, editors and freelancers ventured to local businesses to collect information for our directory. They made Patch Places into a spot where local consumers can find descriptions, hours, accepted payment methods and much more for stores and restaurants around town. All Patch readers can add information about local events, can rate the business on a scale of one to five stars and can add a review. But many owners of local businesses don't realize the full advantages and extra bonuses they get when they claim a listing. How to Claim Your Listing—and Why Owners or managers should search for their business listing on Patch in the search box above, click on your business listing and then click on "claim your listing…

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Sequestration Bites Dog Walking Businesses

Service industry firms like dog walking and dog day care businesses say pay cuts and furloughs will hurt their small firms.

Planning Commission OKs Proposal for Emma's

Plans for the new Hume Avenue wine bar and cafe will now go before council.

A new coffee and wine bar on Hume Avenue in Del Ray moved one step closer to fruition last week when the Planning Commission approved the endeavor. Of 13 speakers who signed up to comment on the proposal put together by mother and daughter team Connie and Jackie Desrosiers, 12 were in support. "I think it will be a real asset to that end of Del Ray," said Connie Desrosiers. "We don't want to be a bar. It's a community gathering place," adding that there will be no amplified music. The old farmhouse site also includes two apartments above the proposed cafe. However, the planned cafe’s neighbor, Epiphany Productions, said while they favor small businesses in general, the new cafe will generate noise impeding their ability to work as well as …

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Small Business Development Centers Offer Resources

Businesses looking to expand globally could benefit from a specialized program in Fairfax while others may be interested in an Alexandria workshop examining management of company finances.

Alexandria's Small Business Development Center is offering a seminar for area small firms seeking to understand more about managing company finances. The free roundtable, "Small Business Banking Essentials: What You Need to Manage Your Company's Finances" will be held Aug. 21 from noon to 1 p.m. No pre-registration is necessary. For more information, contact Pat Melton via email. This free meeting is held in the SBDC office at 625 N. Washington St., Ste. 400. In other SBDC news, Alexandria small business owners looking to understand exports might want to examine the Virginia Small Business Development Center export program designed to help small businesses learn the ins and outs of expansion into global markets. Passport to Global Markets …

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Caboose Cafe Opens in Parker-Gray

Restaurant open just for breakfast and lunch, but dinner will be added at a later date.

The Caboose is open for business in Parker-Gray. Rhoda Worku opened a second location of her popular Del Ray cafe on Tuesday morning at 1125 Queen St. in the building that previously housed Cafe Nicole. The Cafe Nicole awning and sign remain for now. Worku said new Caboose signage would be installed soon. “We’re ready to serve the community here,” Worku said. “It seems to be a really nice neighborhood.” At the moment, the Caboose in Parker-Gray is open for just breakfast and lunch. The hours aren’t completely set, either, as Worku and staff sort our some of the details. She said she does plan to eventually open for dinner, offering the Ethiopian cuisine that’s become so popular at her Caboose Cafe and Bakery in Del Ray. “There’s a big …

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City resident

12:15 pm on Thursday, August 9, 2012

At least one of the Nicole staff -- the woman who usually worked the counter -- is still there, now in a Caboose T-shirt. The original Caboose has had very little staff turnover in the last several years and Ms. Worku seems very nice, so I expect the Nicole staff will likely continue to be a fixture there, much like Sgt's old jukebox.   more ›

Alexandria Marketing Fund Applications Due

Program provides matching funds for new and innovative marketing ideas that also aid the city.

The Alexandria Marketing Fund is accepting applications through Aug. 6 for fiscal year 2013. The grant program provides seed money as matching funds for projects it deems new and innovating marketing. It is adminstered by the Alexandria Marketing Fund Committee, and City Council appropriates monies for the fund annually. The committee reviews and approves applicants for funding and for those applicants filing by Aug. 6, offers preliminary feedback on potential projects by Aug. 17. The fund's goals are to foster new and innovative marketing projects that eventually will become self-sustaining while enhancing the long-term marketing goals of the city. The Old Town Boutique District group is a fund recipient, for example. To submit an …

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Are Thong Sales a Barometer of the Upcoming Election?

Lingerie store Bloomers has spotted a local trend.

It’s Party time. In fact, it’s Grand Old Party time. Old Town Alexandrians are leaning Republican, if their underwear purchases reveal their political leanings. Kim Putens, owner of lingerie store Bloomers, is seeing a trend. The Hanky Panky brand of lingerie has come up with political-party themed stretch-lace thongs. The red thongs are adorned with an elephant, the navy blue sports a donkey and the white, an American flag. In the King Street shop, the elephants sold out quickly while many donkeys remain, she says. In Bloomers’ Shirlington store in Arlington, the donkeys are significantly outselling the elephants. The flag version is not selling nearly as quickly as the others, Putens told Patch. Virginia really is a swing state.

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Old Town Theater to Remain Entertainment Venue

Local production firm to operate the theater with an eye on opening in the fall.

The show will go on. Old Town Theater will continue as an entertainment venue. Rob Kaufman of PMA Properties announced Saturday morning that a local production company will operate the theater as a live performance venue. The building is currently being renovated and Kaufman said more details would be available closer to the renovation’s completion. Kaufman said: “This strong pledge of support from the entire community has helped to breathe new life into this old building. Renovations are underway to return the theater to its original eloquence and should be completed by this fall.” According to the announcement from Kaufman, a full calendar of matinee and evening performances featuring comedy, music, magic and dance will be offered along …

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Old Town Boutiques Host Charity Day

Proceeds from sales on May 19, as well as other activities, will go toward a boutique-selected charity.

The Old Town Boutique District is hosting its second Boutiques Give Back Charity Day, one of the largest retail charity collaborations in the area. On May 19, more than 30 retailers and 30 charities will participate in the event. Each participating retailer has chosen local and national charities to support and honor on this special shopping day. For example, Pink & Brown will donate profits to K.I.D.S. (Kids In Distressed Situations), Current Boutique will give customers 15 percent off their purchases if they donate gently used suits for Suited for Change, and Red Barn Mercantile will offer free design advice all day, craft for kids and 20 percent of sales from the day will go to Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia. A complete list …

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