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.
Startups
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.
Handmade Soaps to Clean up Main Street
A transplanted couple from Arizona wants to cleanup a block of East Main Street – by making and selling soap in a formerly dilapidated store. Michael and Sharon Walsh started making soap 18 years ago after receiving a how-to book as a gag gift. “The book was horrible. I was forced to find a way… Read more »
A lathery business opens on Main Street
Row House Soaps, which sells natural herbal soaps, opened on E. Main street downtown, according to the local Monroe Ward blog. The owners, Michael and Sharon Walsh had been making soaps in their Arizona home for years before moving to Richmond and hitting the festival circuit. In response to the many requests from their customers… Read more »
Will car-sharing work in Richmond?
If you’re looking to take a Zipcar on a test drive for yourself, you’ll have to leave Richmond’s city limits, In fact, the closest locations to Richmond are in Washington, D.C. and Chapel Hill, N.C. The company, which is not yet profitable, is adding new customers at a 4% or 5% monthly clip, mostly because… Read more »
Private Equity startup about to seal first deal
Local startup Boxwood Partners is putting the finishing touches on its first deal as a private equity fund. Boxwood is acquiring an out-of-state internet wholesaler/distributor (name not revealed) that can perhaps best be described as an online version of Sam’s Club. That web-based business has millions of dollars in revenue and six employees, according to… Read more »
Startup Junkies
There’s a great program on TV called “Startup Junkies,” which follows a Seattle startup called Earth Class Mail. There are high-fives. There are firings. You can watch it for free at Hulu.com. Most of the characters seem like they came out of central casting. I find the blazer-and-no-tie-wearing CEO fascinating — and by my count… Read more »