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Priceless Vol 7 Number 3
Personal and Professional Empowerment
www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com
Annual Hampton Roads Housing Consortium Awards
Page 15
Local Conference Helps Small Businesses 'Think Big'
Small Businesses Thinking Big Conference and Awards Luncheon Photos
Page 8-9 Serving Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach since 2006
Budgeting for the Holidays — Smart Spending for the Season
Page 2
Obama, Kaine and Rigell Win: United States, Virginia and Hampton Roads Win
Hampton Roads Messenger 2012 Community Development Awards Honorees BY A. R. WILLIS
Not even Superstorm
Sandy could put a damper on the perpetual entrepreneurial spirit in Hampton Roads. Over 300 small business owners, operators and supporting organization members from across Virginia and around the country gathered in Chesapeake, VA on October 31, 2012 with a common objective: “Thinking Big”. The 2012 Small Businesses Thinking Big Conference and Community Development Awards Luncheon, presented by the Hampton Roads Messenger, was the first event of its kind to come to the region. The much anticipated conference brought well-established businesses, recent start-ups and economic development partners together for a day of information, innovation and inspiration.
Small businesses have
long been the foundation of the U.S. economy; this is why the goal of the Small Businesses Thinking Big Conference was to help businesses gain
valuable knowledge through the informative workshops that were offered. Although the SBA, FDIC and many other state and local small business advocacy government agencies were the main workshop presenters, several private sector organizations also participated. “The workshops were filled with content and the presenters were all excellent,” said conference attendee Wayne Jones of Air, Land and Sea Heavy Equipment Services, LLC, when asked his opinion about the event. The workshops presented this year were: Writing an Effective Business Plan, Certification and Procurement Opportunities, Why Every Small Business Owner Should Have an Estate Plan, Funding Options for Small Businesses, Turnkey Business Opportunities, and the FDIC’s Money Smart for Small Business.
The 2012 Community
Development Awards luncheon, which featured Barbara Hamm-Lee of WHRO as the mistress of ceremony, was inspirational to small business
THINK BIG PAGE 6 THIS EDITION’S HIGHLIGHTS
Your Opinion Editorial Career Opportunities Hampton Roads Upcoming Events Scholarships Watch
What Does a Second Obama Term Mean for Your Finances? 8 Ways Hip-Hop Can Help You Understand Your Kids
Own a 7-Eleven Franchise TowneBank Dedicates Towne University It’s All About You: Memoir Writing Workshop Women In Defense Horizons Scholarship
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10 12 13 11
2006-2012
Free November 2012
President Barack Obama Virginia Presidential
51% Obama 47% Romney
Senator-elect Tim Kaine Virginia Senatorial
53% Kaine 47% Allen
Congressman Scott Rigell
Hampton Roads Messenger Election Results Snapshot: Hampton Roads Presidential Results
54% Rigell 46% Hirschbiel
Chesapeake Obama 50% Romney 49%
Hampton Obama 71% Romney 28%
Newport News Obama 64% Romney 34%
Norfolk
Obama 72% Romney 27%
Portsmouth Obama 72% Romney 28%
Suffolk
Obama 57% Romney 42%
What’s the Right Account for Your Everyday Banking Needs?
Questions and tips to help you narrow down the choices It’s important to have a banking
product to handle everyday financial needs that range from making payments to getting paid. There also is no shortage of options — from different kinds of checking accounts to products such as prepaid cards that, at first glance, may seem like convenient alternatives to bank accounts but may lack the federal protections for insured accounts. How can you choose what’s best for you?
The FDIC has developed a 10-question
self-test to help you focus on what you want most in a bank account, plus additional tips to help you narrow your choices and make a good decision. Ready to get started?
Questions to Ask 1. How do I want to deposit money into
an account? If you’re not already having your payroll, pension, Social Security payments, unemployment benefits or other income directly deposited into your bank account, look into it. Direct deposit may save you money on fees, plus you will receive the payment more quickly than depositing it in person.
For checks that you need to deposit into
your account, consider how you’d prefer to do that (in person, electronically, by mail) and if a bank you’re looking at would be a good
choice. For example, you might be interested in depositing checks using a smartphone, but not all banks offer that service. Or, if you like to make deposits at a teller window, find out the hours you can do so.
2. How do I plan to pay bills or purchase
goods? More people are using debit cards instead of writing checks to draw money from their checking account, in part because of the convenience and speed. The FDIC recently conducted a pilot program at nine institutions offering electronic, card-based accounts and found that “checkless checking” can reduce the risk of overdrawing accounts.
If you want to pay bills online, explore
what the bank offers and whether there are any fees. “The potential benefits of EVERYDAY BANKING PAGE 4
Virginia Beach Romney 50% Obama 48%
2nd Congressional District
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