To thousands of guitar aficionados, Richmond is known as the return address for one of the finest craftsmen in the world. That’s because Lindy Fralin has built a rabid following for his Richmond-made guitar pickups, magnetic and copper wire apparatuses that translates the vibration of metal (the strings) into sound and send it to the amplifier. Fralin’s story is a refreshing lesson for budding entrepreneurs — if you can be the best at whatever it is you enjoy, you can build a thriving business.
Startups
Two seniors win $2,000 in UR biz plan contest
UR seniors Daniel Brunt and apartment-mate Christopher Genualdi pitched their business plan to a panel of judges about their concept Sniff-Stick LLC and won $2,000 to get rolling. The three other finalists had some promising ideas, too.
Q&A: In the driver’s seat (a used seat)
Not everyone is hunkering down. EverDrive, a Chesterfield business that serves as the Match.com of used car parts, hired 10 workers in March and is looking to bring on five more. In April, the company is rolling out a new feature that will let any customer in the lower 48 states buy a used engine… Read more »
Surf’s up, couch style
Talk about homestyle. One social networking site is providing travelers with a free alternative to staying in a hotel. That might be why about 10,000 people a week sign up to join CouchSurfing.com. The Couch Surfing Project matches people all over the world who have an extra couch or bed with someone looking for a… Read more »
Startup Journal: maker of trucking software trying to raise capital
Editor’s Note: This is the first of what we hope are monthly features about local startups looking for funding. We are still searching for a catchy name. Company: Masslogics, Mechanicsville Product: Web-based workflow software which helps trucking companies manage fleets and expenses The Pitch: There are more than 150,000 trucking operations in the U.S. “Conservatively,… Read more »
A list of Richmond companies to watch
An upcoming event that selects some of the most promising startups and new companies in Central Virginia has released a list of nominees. The Greater Richmond Companies to Watch event is October 29 at Toad’s Place.
Text a question, get an answer from ChaCha
The Monday Tech Review: A new search service acts like your personal Googler for when you’re not at your computer. Users call or text in questions to ChaCha (1-800-2ChaCha or 242242), then sit back and wait. A ChaCha employee, called a Guide, receives the query and scours the internet for the best possible answer. About… Read more »
More SBA-backed loans in Virginia going into default
The number of delinquent Small Business Administration-insured loans in Virginia is rising. Last week BizSense reported that bankruptcy filings for businesses and individuals is rising in Richmond. The SBA could not provide statistics in time for that story, but we have them now for the state of Virginia. Fiscal Year: $ of purchased loans #… Read more »
Internships.com: A startup to match interns and businesses
Richmond-based startup Internships.com is a collection of resources, contacts and ideas for students, employers and educators. C. Mason Gates still talks like the bright-eyed kid that graduated from Radford University with a degree in marketing in 1989. Today, Gates is the president and founder of Internships.com, a Richmond-based startup that matches college students with internships…. Read more »
Most promising startups in Richmond?
The search is on to find the most promising startups in the Richmond area. The fourth annual Greater Companies to Watch series is now accepting nominations on its freshly-launched website. The winners will be announced on October 29 at a celebration at Toad’s Place, and will then be featured in a widely read brochure.