Thanks to these forward-thinking Loudoun County, VA businesses for jumping on the Economic Development Commission’s “Loudoun is for Business” badge program over the past year - promoting Loudoun County, its businesses and communities by using the badge (or a prominent link) on their website! 

Get yours today, and take advantage of the Search Engine Optimization (SEO)/Online Marketing benefits that result…for example, your link to EDC helps your page ranking, your affiliation with “Loudoun Business” related search terms, your backlinks (from sites like this and social media amplication, for example via @loudounbusiness), and much more!

2011 Loudoun is for Business Badge participants:

KME Internet Marketing & Communications
Gateway to Loudoun Blog (KME - Loudoun Community)
Made in Loudoun Blog (KME - Loudoun Business)
Frias and Daisy LLP Government Contract & Contract Business Law
Notaviva Vineyards
Mesh Multimedia
Clarke-Hook Real Estate
The National Conference Center
Loudoun Chamber of Commerce
Loudoun Small Business Development Center
Fabbioli Wines
Blooming Hill Garden Gift Shop
Susan Wight Business Matchmaking
Ritu Desai - Realtor, Sampson Properties
The Curiosity Zone
Doukenie Winery
Northgate Vineyard
AR Group
Willowcroft Farm Vineyards
Don’s Dahlias
Future Harvest Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture (CASA)
Distilled Intelligence Startup Event
2011 Life Science Industry Awards

I had the pleasure recently to participate in an ongoing discussion among a number of representatives of the local Leesburg/Loudoun area business startup community - some who had started, grown and sold multiple businesses, and some who were deep in the sausage-making that is the startup process. Needless to say, there was quite a bit of expertise in the room with advice to those who needed it, as there certainly is throughout the vibrant Loudoun County business community.

A couple of representatives from the local entreprenuer community included C2 Management out of Berryville, offering investment recovery and asset management services, software solutions and a service very apropos to the burgeoning Loudoun data center community - secure, onsite sensitive data storage media destruction and removal. The franchise brokerage community was represented, along with startups in the digital marketing, event management and data warehouse analytics spaces. As these Loudoun area startups gain traction and come to market, I’ll highlight their succeses here.

While most of the startup projects and companies in this group are technology-focused, i.e. creating IT services, software or apps to meet consumer or business problems, a very common thread of discussion (at least this night) revolved around a real chicken-or-egg problem for fast-moving, committed, funding-constrained new businesses. How robust, feature-rich and essentially complete does my offering need to be, before I can confirm and define my target market? When can I stop developing, and start selling?

Eager, enthusiastic software developers are typically loathe to release code to the user base, before every last function, image and configuration tweak is fully complete and tested. This includes both the core functions, and usually a whole bunch of other very thoughtful, insightful and frequently esoteric capabilities for many of the users.

The business or project investors are usually unwilling to move too far down the software lifecycle investment path without pretty clearly researched and vetted information regarding who might actually buy the software, and under what circumstances and timeframes. They usually need clear details about the target demographics and the most likely ROI thresholds.

Here’s where inclusion of some professional marketing strategy can be very helpful - to translate and package the core product and all its complexities in a way that is readily consumed and understood by the priority, target demographic. Many times there will not only be a launch marketing strategy, but also a “pre-launch” marketing strategy, to gain early buy-in, to vet the target demographics and to surface early indicators as to whether the ROI is justifiable. An early marketing strategy that also evaluates the digital, social landscape and search engine rankings can very quickly provide input for nailing down the ROI, and therefore the software engineering plan moving forward. Basically - when to stop developing, and start selling something that works well enough for those who will pay.

More to come on the Loudoun startup community, a fundamental component of the regional economic recovery and Loudoun business ecosystem in particular.

In the spirit of local, Loudoun County USA American entrepreneurial spirit and a legacy of “Made-in the USA” manufacturing history, Over the Edge Creations, LLC proudly offers its newest product line “The-DeckMate”. 

The-DeckMate is a patent-pending polished, aircraft-grade aluminum and solid glass deck railing table tray, easily and securely installed for additional working or entertaining space on any deck, porch or patio railing.  This absolutely unique and highly functional deck railing table is an all-weather, durable and beautifully-designed addition and compliment to any outdoor living area, whether installed permanently or for temporary use.

The-DeckMate is now available for purchase in limited quantities here at The-DeckMate.com, and is available to resellers and retailers in wholesale lots. The-DeckMate is currently available in two sizes, with many additional configurations and uses to come – including a deck rail mounted herb garden, disposal bin and with additional decorative and adjustment features.

Truly Made in Loudoun

Invented and designed in Ashburn, VA by Chris Petrakis of Over The Edge Creations, The-DeckMate is wholly manufactured, assembled and shipped from Tallulah, LA – an agriculture-based yet growing regional center for shipping and manufacturing in the heart of Bayou Country USA. All corporate, marketing and manufacturing operations are based in the Southeast USA, in full support of the renewed and critical “Made in America” movement sweeping the nation during this troubled economic recovery.

“It’s incredibly important to both support local economies and help small businesses such as mine create and produce products that employ Americans and save jobs” says Mr. Petrakis, “my own story is similar to many, many others generated out of family-run startups, balancing the needs of raising a family with building a small business in a very tough economy. I’m very happy to support the engine that drives America’s growth and global leadership for future generations”.

The-DeckMate solves many challenges and offers many solutions for small or cramped outdoor deckspace, quickly and easily creating an extra surface that’s both practical and decorative. It functions as a removable deck caddy, a temporary deck tray, a deck railing table accessory and as a porch or balcony rail table - highly functional, extremely useful and set up or removed in minutes.

Purchase The-DeckMate today for your own deck, as a winter or spring holiday gift (Christmas to Mother’s Day), and find additional space and use for your outdoor deck railings when entertaining, gardening or simply for decorative appeal!