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Virginia Small Business Owner Highlight
Starting a small business may seem daunting for most people, but for those who take the risk like Tierra Henderson, it’s a matter of seeking mentorship and applying yourself.
Virginia Events
Virginia Policy
Browse our latest state-based regulatory comments and legislative testimony in this area below, or click the button to view all records.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
On April 8, Small Business Majority State Policy & Advocacy Vice President Awesta Sarkash sent a letter to Governor Spanberger urging her to sign legislation that would establish a Commonwealth-run paid family and medical leave program into law.
Monday, March 2, 2026
On March 2, DelfinoCo Founder and CEO Giovanni Delfino testified in support of HB1207. This legislation would create a Commonweatlh-run state paid family and medical leave program that self-employed small business owners could opt into.
Friday, February 20, 2026
On February 20, Small Business Majority State Policy & Advocacy Vice President Awesta Sarkash sent a letter to Virginia policymakers urging them to support a budget amendment that would increase funding for the CDFI fund so that Virginia entrepreneurs can access the capital they need to start and grow their small businesses.
Thursday, February 19, 2026
On February 19, Small Business Majority State Policy & Advocacy Vice President Awesta Sarkash sent a letter to the Virginia Committee House General Laws: Subcommittee on Housing/Consumer Protection urging them to pass SB 177. This legislation would protect reproductive health data privacy.
Virginia Research
Published:
Tue, 08/13/2019
Policymakers at all levels, from town councils to the halls of Capitol Hill, emphasize the challenges of small businesses as a key talking point during political debates. But new opinion polling in four states—Illinois, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin—reveals small businesses feel their government officials don’t actually understand their challenges, and they support a wide array of policies to address their needs, some of which might come as a surprise to their elected officials.
Published:
Tue, 03/04/2014
Extreme weather events have been front-page news lately, especially with the U.S. experiencing record storms across much of the country and devastating droughts in the West. Research shows small businesses are especially susceptible to financial ruin after an extreme weather event.
It’s not surprising then that Small Business Majority's polling found nearly 1 in 5 Virginia small business owners had to lay off workers after they were negatively impacted by an extreme weather event.
Published:
Thu, 05/10/2012
Small businesses account for a significant share of Virginia’s economy. For every one large business in Virginia, there are 50 small businesses diligently working to reenergize the state’s economy. These entrepreneurs are doing everything they can to hire, grow and move their businesses forward. As part of these efforts, recent scientific opinion polling shows that Virginia’s entrepreneurs want pragmatic, innovative policies that help guide them into a competitive, modern clean energy economy.
