Letter to Editor: Entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of our country
Loudoun Now Letter to the Editor: Entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of our country. Without entrepreneurs we would not have Apple, Google, Microsoft, or Amazon. Locally, we have Mom’s Apple Pie, Weird Brothers Coffee, and Salamander Resort and Spa, just to name a few great locations started by entrepreneurs. Our country and our area need entrepreneurs to continue our strong economic presence. With that said, I was disheartened to hear that the Mason Enterprise Center is exiting Leesburg.
Entrepreneurs can have a great idea but not know how to execute their vision. As a community college professor of business and entrepreneurship, I encounter students frequently who have wonderful ideas but nowhere to find financing, how to market, how to price a good or service, the difference between an employee or contractor, how to obtain a patent or trademarks, and many where to find a location. Leesburg needs a place for entrepreneurs to find the resources to succeed.
Imagine a downtown Leesburg that has an entrepreneur center on Loudoun, Market, or King Street. An entrepreneur with a great idea walks in and gets all the resources they need to startup. Mentored startups have a much higher rate of success than go-it alone individuals. Entrepreneurs need a place to test their product or service. Testing a good or service is vital to the future of a startup.
Leesburg requires an entrepreneur center. Not a coworking space but a place that future entrepreneurs can thrive by finding all the resources they require. Leesburg is becoming more vibrant and varied each month. Those businesses will not be there forever though. Leesburg can have a center that is churning out tested goods and services ready to open a new business venture. The community has a myriad of entrepreneurial thinkers who do not have a place to test out their ideas. Whatever we call it, an entrepreneur center, innovate center, or incubator must exist in downtown Leesburg if we are to be the Hometown of the 21st Century.
Todd Cimino-Johnson, Leesburg