Collegiate Times

The end of May marked an exciting time for VT KnowledgeWorks as the local business acceleration center announced the launch of a new four-month program called FirstOffice. 

Located in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, VTKW is known to help entrepreneurs with not only starting up their new business, but also how to keep it running strong.  The FirstOffice program will stand out from other programs offered at VTKW because it offers counseling and networking, specifically on matters many companies won’t realize are important until later down the road.

When someone logs onto the VTKW website there is a full breakdown of all services offered with FirstOffice.

“You pay a minimum cost for a maximum pay off,” said director Jim Flowers.

With of price of $750, members are receiving VTKW membership, access to conference rooms, Wi-Fi, peer-interaction, three two-hour strategy sessions with two mentors, and local and regional start-up press releases.

Members will also receive commercial insurance offerings overview, human resources issues and answers, financial and administrative set-up, banking services primer, tips on public relations and internet impact, a $50 gift certificate to Wikiteria and unlimited coffee. For those who only have a great idea and a basement, these amenities will make all the difference for the future of their business.

Running a business that helps launch other businesses is a hard thing to do but Flowers and his staff of three manage to do so efficiently.

“We are more of a catcher not a grabber,“ Flowers says about how they attract clients. “We need people to know that we exist so that when the time comes, they know we may have something that will help them.” 

“VTKW isn’t here to make a profit,” Flowers said.

The company is subsidized by the CRC and because they aren’t officially a part of the university it allows the company to experiment with new ideas such as the idea of FrontOffice.

“We are allowed to be flexible and experiment what better suits individuals,” Flowers said.

FirstOffice caters to each company’s business aspirations. The goal is to help companies minimize obvious mistakes made by other businesses in the past. The program offers a co-working space in which you will have the ability to receive advice from others and create relationships with other businesses that can help your company grow down the road. 

Three companies have already shown interest in the FirstOffice program, one coming from as far as Clemson, South Carolina. VTKW is a company with global connections so their client list reaches out further than the NRV area.  Businesses who show interest in VTKW services are generally technology-based innovators, or those who are creating an idea from scratch using advanced materials, alternative energies or even chemists with an idea of their own.

The most important clientele VTKW hopes to reach out to are students here at Virginia Tech. To invent the future is the pride of every Hokie and VT KnowledgeWorks will help students do with what they think is just a small thought or idea.  

Their ability to provide entrepreneurs with ample information about the business world is rare. Students may not have that million-dollar idea just yet, but when they do, VT KnowledgeWorks is just the place to take
it.

A version of this article appeared in the Jun 9 issue of the Collegiate Times.