Small Business Focus: Santa Claus is coming to Arlington

This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

While Jolly Ole St. Nick gets all the credit for delivering gifts every holiday season, this year BizLaunch has pulled together its resources to bring together some awesome opportunities for small businesses this year and beyond.

Funding for BizLaunch’s ReLaunch program now extends into 2023. With a bit of help from our dear friend at the North Pole, we’re able to help small businesses launch their storefront online and provide high-level business counseling services through 2023.

ReLaunch is a free program for small businesses that started in 2021, with two components, ReVitalize and ReNew. Through ReVitalize, companies can access up to 10 hours of business consulting services. Through ReNew, companies can get support in enabling technology in their business. An example could include the development of a website/e-commerce solution or helping small companies implement business analytics into their current website.

Since the program began, we’ve been able to help 163 small businesses in Arlington and recently have completed 17 website/e-commerce projects. For our Small Business Focus, we thought we’d share with you some of the firms that have received a new website/e-commerce solution thanks to ReLaunch.

Island Jewelry

As with many small businesses, Island Jewelry wasn’t immune to the effects of COVID-19. Like many legacy businesses, Island Jewelry, located in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, didn’t have a website to reach a wider audience and depended on foot traffic.

“However, finding ReLaunch was like finding light at the end of the tunnel. ReLaunch was perfect for my small business. I was thankful to be able to gain assistance with developing my website,” says Danitza Galindo, Owner Island Jewelry.

With the help of Nub8 and AWS, Island Jewelry now has a new, secure website that is easy to update. “In fact, on the first day of the launch of our website, I had my first online sale!” said Galindo. “I would like to acknowledge the experts and team of professionals that helped make my dreams come true to serve my online community. Helping me reach a broader audience of current and future clients.”

If you’re looking for eco-friendly gifts this holiday season for women, men and children, check out Island Jewelry’s beautifully designed online shop today. 

The Food Sherpa

Now is the time of year when many people put together their New Year Resolutions. If you or someone you know resolves to eat better, or maybe even get more fit, The Food Sherpa is for you.

Started in 2007 by Keith Steury, the Food Sherpa is your guide to great food. The Food Sherpa provides customized meal plans, cooking classes and special events for busy clients. Like many startups, Food Sherpa launched its website in 2007 and redesigned it in 2014, using it as a tool to onboard clients over the last 14 years.

“My old website was pretty content-heavy, and that my website had served as an integral part of the on-boarding process for new clients. For this reason, I was a little hesitant to launch this project”, said Keith Steury, owner of The Food Sherpa.

Keith began working with Nub8 and AWS in September, “My initial reservations in working with Jayson and William, part of the Nub8 team, were completely unwarranted. They were knowledgeable, responsive and extremely accommodating throughout the duration of this project,” said Steury.

With the help from Nub8 and AWS, the Food Sherpa went through a complete overhaul of their website. “While I am still learning WordPress, I am confident that this new site design and structure will save me much time. Making this part of my job much easier moving forward,” said Steury.

If you’re looking for a gift to help someone with their New Year’s Resolutions, look no further than The Food Sherpa.

King of Koshary

If you’re looking for a switch from the traditional American holiday flare, order take out from King of Koshary — Egyptian Cuisine. King of Koshary launched in Arlington in 2019, a family-owned small business in the heart of Arlington. Since its opening, King of Koshary had received much notoriety in Arlington for its traditional Egyptian/Middle Eastern Cuisine.

King of Koshary had a website; however, the website didn’t allow customers to purchase online. With COVID-19 lockdowns causing a shift in consumer purchasing preferences, King of Koshary realized they needed an e-commerce component to their online presence.

Thanks to the help from ReLaunch, Nub8 and AWS. King of Koshary was able to add an e-commerce option to their website, making it convenient for customers to try their authentic Egyptian cuisine.

If you’re looking for a refresh for your small business, let BizLaunch help your small business thrive this holiday season, and sign up for ReLaunch today!

From your BizLaunch team, we wish you a Happy Holiday season and many blessings for 2022.