About that Open Executive Director Position at BizWorks

My husband and I moved here in April of 2006 for his job. I spent the first summer here overseeing some projects on our house. When I began looking for work I ended up being connected with BizWorks. I met Bill Girvin the Executive Director at the time. We talked and I gave him a resume in hopes that someone might take a look. Well he did and he hired me.  I spent three years at BizWorks before leaving to run the Legal Information Network for Cancer for two years.  But I guess BizWorks had gotten into my blood because I came back right as Bill was leaving to take another job.  I became the interim director then the Executive Director in 2011. 

It has been such a wonderful experience here working every day with amazing people who have great big dreams. It has always amazed me that I get to help them with those great big dreams- what a job! We have grown a lot in the last four years and added new programming. After many years of being a program under the Jefferson Davis Association (the nonprofit that started BW) we received our own nonprofit status in 2011 along with a new board of directors.  Our board is a wonderful crew of small business owners and beyond.  Most of them volunteer their time as mentors as well.

My husband and I have been planning almost since we moved here for his retirement. We purchased a house in Florida several years ago and are almost ready to make the move.  When the Executive Director job advertisement went out to the public we received a lot of calls and emails asking where I was.  Well for now I am still here!   But over the next two months my goal is to transition out and bring on a new Director. 

So I am on my way to sunny Florida to The Villages where I plan to play a lot of golf and start my own business of jewelry design.  I have enjoyed meeting each and every one of you and appreciate all those who support BizWorks and our cause.  We are THE ONLY true incubator in Richmond area and Chesterfield County.  We hope to continue to grow under new leadership. I wish my successor a wonderful ride, like the one I have had here. 

Helping people with their great big dreams- what a job!

Suzanne Cormier

Executive Director

BizWorks (Small Business Incubator)

Follow Suzanne Cormier on Facebook and

Twitter @BizWorksCenter

...Blogs Ugh!

When I think of writing a blog sometimes I think “aaugh” as Charlie Brown says.   Sometimes I hate the thought of writing a blog.  I usually wait until one day and write five or six. It helps me to understand that if I sit down and devote the time I will have blogs written for a couple of weeks or months.  It’s a little thing I do to bargain with my time for myself.  I usually put on some music and get started. 

This blog session it was Dwight Yoakam, Buck Owens and a little Grace Potter thrown in as I write this blog (eclectic I know).  The music helps me relax and hopefully have more ideas flow. 

So what do you put off every month? Is it writing bills, balancing the checkbook, meeting with employees? What is your blog task you put off?  Think about ways to make it more enjoyable.  I know that if I finish all the blogs I have a break for a while and that motivates me (sometimes).  Listening to some great music is my treat while I am writing. 

Think about making that task a little more enjoyable and see if it works for you.   Making these things little lesss tedious can really help motivate you to start and finish a task you just don’t want to do!     

Suzanne Cormier

Executive Director

BizWorks (Small Business Incubator)

Follow Suzanne Cormier on Facebook and

Twitter @BizWorksCenter

Spring Cleaning

So, it’s FINALLY HERE! Spring that is.  After our long winter I was wondering if it was ever going to happen. Now it’s the dreaded green stuff- the pollen that coats everything from your car to your deck! I just took my car through the car wash but I know when I go out this afternoon it will be green again. 

Spring is the time to clean and get rid of things.  My husband and I have been in this mode for a while. Geez, the things we collect!  I am amazed at what we have collected over the years. 

Do you spring clean? Do you clean your office?  How about people? Yes people.  Is it time to take a look at your staff and even your customers?  Now is great time to evaluate all these things.  Do you have staff that need to be reviewed?  How about those customers that drive you crazy, cost you extra money and time and just aren’t worth keeping as a customer? 

The beauty of owning your own business is that you don’t have to keep those people who drag you down.  Do some spring cleaning and lighten your load!

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Suzanne Cormier

Executive Director

BizWorks (Small Business Incubator)

Follow Suzanne Cormier on Facebook and

Twitter @BizWorksCenter

Why Telling People Your Story is Important

One thing I have learned recently is that we haven’t done a good job of telling the story of BizWorks to the county leaders.   I made the assumptions (incorrectly) that since we had been around for so long that county leaders knew who we were and what we have done for economic development in this county.  I was wrong. 

We have recently gone on a campaign to correct this but I wish we had done it so much sooner.  Telling people who we are and what we are doing isn’t bragging- it’s letting people know your worth.  How many people do you see often that you assume they know what you do and how you are doing?  Probably a lot.  But you don’t think to tell them periodically what you do and how you do it.

This may be something that causes you to lose business.  Make sure people know who you are and what you do- so that if and when they need your service you are the first one they think to call. 

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Suzanne Cormier

Executive Director

BizWorks (Small Business Incubator)

Follow Suzanne Cormier on Facebook and

Twitter @BizWorksCenter

A Day in the Life of BizWorks

So what’s it like to run a nonprofit incubator?  Well…. It’s usually a different thing every day.  Some days we do the work of reporting to our grant source.   Sometimes it’s a board meeting talking about our future, thinking strategically and figuring out what’s next.

Other days it’s working with entrepreneurs who walk through the door and need our help.  One thing that is always happening here, we work with our BizWorks’ entrepreneurs! It could be celebrating the good stuff, listening while they vent, talking over employee hiring, finding additional resources or looking at their business strategically to see what’s next. 

Whatever the day brings the staff here is never bored.  There are networking meetings or training sessions on how to run a business.  But what we do every day is talk about running that business and the best ways to do that. We are always looking at ways to help each business grow and hire more employees, which for the bottom line of Chesterfield County is a good thing.

Suzanne Cormier

Executive Director

BizWorks (Small Business Incubator)

Follow Suzanne Cormier on Facebook and

Twitter @BizWorksCenter