Va. Beach Economic Development, 1701 Coworking select entrepreneurship program participants

Program provides training in hiring, strategic planning, business practices

Published September 21, 2020 by Sydney Lake

Virginia Beach Economic Development and Virginia Beach-based 1701 Coworking announced Friday it has selected two participants for its three-month Entrepreneur-in Residence (EIR) program. 

Kate Johnson with Heritage Business Services and freelance educator Meghan Raftery were selected for the program, which provides training in hiring, strategic planning and other business practices. 

“The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Virginia Beach,” Virginia Beach Economic Development Business Development Coordinator Ray White said in a statement. “The city’s partnership with the 1701 EIR program continues to provide a platform through which locally grown and owned new businesses prosper. The support the program lends to individuals working toward self-sustainability is exemplified by the quality business entities that develop in this coworking space.”

Johnson owns Heritage Business Services, working as a virtual bookkeeper serving local and national clients. The military spouse created her own business along with The Bookkeeping Side Hustle, a collaborative and educational forum. 

Raftery is launching a platform that would allow educators to create their own businesses or side hustles based on their educational skills. She is also launching her own brand for creating curriculum for school districts, educators and families. 

A total of eight people will be selected this year for the program. Participants are chosen every three months, and the next session starts in the winter. The deadline to be considered is Nov. 27.