Entrepreneurship in the Valley

Entrepreneurship in the Valley

The Shenandoah Valley is known for sweeping mountain ranges, a rich history, thriving downtowns, cultural offerings, and over 3,000 farms in the 11 counties that stretch along I-81 from Winchester all the way to Buena Vista. Family farms and independent vineyards dot the scenery as you travel through the Valley, and charming downtowns invite visitors to stay, stroll, shop, and dine locally. At the heart of these bustling towns are hundreds of local businesses – the makers, dreamers, doers, and tinkerers that make the Shenandoah Valley unique.

Starting, managing, and growing a business is a daunting endeavor for any entrepreneur. Support organizations, champions, and advocates have rolled up their sleeves to make the Shenandoah Valley a thriving interconnected ecosystem to help these local businesses succeed. 

The Valley Business Compass is an interactive platform to help dreamers and doers navigate their entrepreneurial journey, and making it accessible to find news and upcoming events, as well as resource and service providers that serve entrepreneurs in the Shenandoah Valley:

Each quarter, we shine a spotlight on a different aspect of entrepreneurship in the Shenandoah Valley. We tell the stories of our visionaries, innovators, and entrepreneurs who are making it happen for themselves and their communities in the Shenandoah Valley.

The Side Hustle

“I’m a single mom of three teenagers. My 16-year-old is on the Autism spectrum and my 13-year-old seems to do every sport available to her. As a full-time working parent, I’ve always had to figure out how to manage my time effectively,” Kiki Scott says about the early days of her side hustle, Embracing Fire Designs. In 2023, she was able to leave her job and transition to becoming a full-time entrepreneur. Embracing Fire Designs is only one of three businesses in Kiki’s portfolio.

And Kiki is not alone. The Shenandoah Valley is full of side hustlers: People who work full-time jobs and run a business on the side. With their stories, they talk about the challenges and upsides of running a business on the side and share some of their best advice for anyone who wants to start their own side hustle.

The upside of the side-hustle

Taking the entrepreneurial leap is scary. Having the chance to test the waters for an idea before jumping in with both feet is a great way to test your products and services, get early feedback from customers, and refine your processes before launching your business full-time.

Testing your products & processes

Heather Benin, owner of Sugar and Bean Cafe in Bridgewater, started out at farmers’ markets to test her products: What did customers buy? Which baked goods and specialty drinks were popular? What should her processes – from order taking to preparation – look like to ensure she could create a great experience for her customers? Now, she’s able to run a brick-and-mortar cafe Monday through Saturday!

Release the financial pressure

Josh Grimm, co-founder of OV3 Media shares the upside of building a business organically without the financial pressure of replacing the multiple full-time incomes that support their households, “Chad and I both wanted to take that big entrepreneurial leap but we also had to stay rooted in reality: We have bills to pay and our families to support. We want to do this well and continue to a point where it might become our full-time job. Right now, running the business on the side allows us the flexibility to devote time, energy, and resources to it without financial pressure. That way, we can grow organically and lay a strong foundation without the stress of replacing two full-time incomes. Besides, doing it on the side helps us stay focused. It’s a passion of ours. We don’t call it work, we call it our small business. It’s never felt like work and we enjoy every minute of it.”

Explore stories of entrepreneurs from across the Valley: