On Wednesday evening, the Prince William Committee of 100, invited a group of entrepreneurs and community leaders to discuss a post-pandemic and stagnation entrepreneurial review of small businesses in Prince William county. Moderated by PWC100 Program Director Rebekah Perkins, this event was held at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Manassas, Virginia. The panelists discussed the state of small businesses post-pandemic and what we need to further growth in the community.

Christina Winn, Executive Director of the PWC Department of Economic Development, gave survey results to assist small businesses in Prince William County. Christina shared that these findings are key to ensuring that we will meet Prince William County residents where they are to ensure they know where to go to get the help they need.

Clarice Grove, PWC DED’s Small Business Development Manager, discussed the achievements of small businesses in the region and the necessity of informing them of available opportunities. Clarice encouraged residents to check out the many ways that PWC DED can help their business including available funds for certain businesses.

Charles Gilliam, former owner of Okra’s Cajun Creole, and currently the executive Director of Leadership Prince William, explained the advantages of enrolling in one of the Leadership Prince William courses. Leadership Prince William is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) serving Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park. Their mission is to engage and inspire individuals, organizations, and alumni to enrich the community through collaborative leadership.

The final panelist, John Reid, Founder of PW Perspective, shared key points around being a solution-based community media outlet. John shared the following 4 ways to sustain your small business during shifting environments.

• Research Your Reach
• Define your Minimum Success Criteria
• Know that you don’t know
• Partner with like-minded organizations and people

PW Perspective looks forward to working closely with these organizations to ensure that we do our part to support Prince William county and our strong small business presence.

The Prince William Committee of 100 provides a non-partisan, educational forum to study essential interests, problems and goals of the people of Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park. By exploring these issues, we hope a common understanding of problems can be reached and possible solutions offered.

The committee membership represents a diverse group of leaders from the business, civic, and government communities. Members meet in a relaxed social setting (when meeting in person) and listen to presentations from a variety of perspectives on current issues of importance to the community. Membership is open to individuals living or working in the Prince William area who are interested in the affairs of the local area through participation in civic, business, cultural, humanitarian or similar activities.

The Committee meets the third Thursday of every month, with the exceptions of June, July, August, and December. The forums generally consist of a panel of experts on the issue at hand and include both local, area, and national figures.