VCE Prince William Financial Ed & Housing Counseling

11/06/2025

🚀 Week 7 of Start SMART: Acquiring Customers Like a Pro! 🎯
This week, we dove deep into the strategic side of growth with SBDC Director Timm Johnson and the legendary George "Coach" Siragusa. The whiteboard practically glowed under the intense discussion on Customer Acquisition!

If you were there, you know the concepts of CAC and the difference between Markup vs. Margin really hit home. It’s like discovering the secret handshake to making actual profit—no more guessing games! Some serious "Aha!" moments were had.

Huge thanks to Timm and Coach for giving us the playbook on how to find, win, and keep customers without accidentally spending a fortune. Now, go forth and calculate those margins! 📈

What was your biggest takeaway from this week's session? Share your "Aha!" moment below! 👇

10/30/2025

🚀 Halfway to Pitch Day!

Six down, a few to go! The Start SMART Small Business Series is hitting its stride. This week, we learned from the best: Virginia Cooperative Extension's Chuck Botwright broke down the magic of Financial Management and Recordkeeping. More importantly, Mason SBDC Director Timm Johnson dropped the Pitch Competition blueprint (rules, judging, and timeline) for our big day on December 16th. Time to turn those receipts into riches and those ideas into a winning pitch! Who's ready? 🎤💼

10/23/2025

The "SMART" in Start SMART is really starting to show! 😉

We wrapped up Week 5—a deep dive into Managing and Leveraging Your Digital Footprint—and the questions are getting deliciously specific! The transition from general learning to applying this to your unique business is our favorite part.

Keep those thoughtful, business-centric questions coming! You're building an incredible foundation. 💪

Topic Highlight: Making sure your online presence is working for you.

10/23/2025

🍀 Talk about lucky number 13! 🥳

We just added a phenomenal "baker's dozen" of Master Financial Education Volunteer Instructors to our roster! That's 13 brilliant minds ready to put their expertise to work.

Get ready, Prince William County! With this incredible team, we're boosting financial literacy across the community, one smart decision at a time. The future of financial education just got a whole lot brighter! ✨

10/15/2025

You know a class is going well when the students start looking less like attendees and more like CEOs-in-training. Week 4 of our Start SMART series was a hit, with the incredible Bernard Ferret from the SBDC breaking down Marketing Strategies. The engagement is off the charts, and these business pitches are about to be 🔥.

10/08/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A9BsC21sv/

Free class series: Register at https://tinyurl.com/VCECDSMP

10/08/2025

Were Enica and Margie working or posing for selfies? You be the judge.

10/08/2025

Another great turnout at this week's Start SMART Small Business Series. This week "Coach" Siragusa spoke on the subject of building your business' value proposition.

10/03/2025

National 4-H Week is October 5–11, and you are invited to get involved and kick off the new 4-H Year with energy and excitement. On Tuesday, wear your best 4-H green to celebrate and join fellow members at the Prince William Board of County Supervisors Meeting, share your 4-H Story with the officials and guests, and witness the official proclamation of National 4-H Week. Let’s make 4-H Week unforgettable!

Contact MaryBeth Lerch to attend the BOCS Meeting on Tuesday @ 2 PM and share your 4-H Story!

09/25/2025

Excellent turnout for the first night of our 12-week Start SMART Small Business Series & Pitch competition. Business growth in Prince William County looks quite promising!

08/22/2025

08/20/2025

Start SMART Small Business Series registration is NOW OPEN! For more information on the free 12-week in-person course, visit the link or scan the QR code for details. Classes begin on September 23, 2025 and conclude on December 16, 2025.