Develop your entrepreneurial skills and business acumen at a free Brown Bag Lunch seminar. This seminar will explore Financial Management & Funding Your Business. Ron White, of Merrill Lynch will be the keynote speaker. Ron specializes in financial services and cash management. His focus is on assisting individual clients and business owners in fulfilling their financial goals and objectives.

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From the office of Gov. Kaine: GOVERNOR KAINE ANNOUNCES $6 MILLION INVESTMENT IN DINWIDDIE COUNTY ~ EMJ to open metal products distribution operation and create jobs

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… or, at least, 10 minutes behind a microphone in a public venue.” Minerva Books is hosting a poetry reading September 12 at 7:30pm. Sign-ups for one of roughly 15 slots will begin August 15 and will be first come, first served until all the slots are filled. Note: you must stop by the store to sign up. And I quote: “You are allowed to perform your own original work, read from a favorite author’s work, or do some combination. But you will be limited to no more than 10 minutes of time, after which you will be gonged, drawn in crayon, and burned in effigy on the deck.” How cool is that?

Today’s RTD features a story on the region’s newest independent bookseller, Minerva Books — “Trading in ideas, coffee and comfortable seating since May, 2008.” And on the ‘ideas’ note, Minerva Books will host a poetry reading event in September. More on that in the next post.

The Destiny Inn B&B will host an Open House celebrating completion of the newly renovated Carriage Barn Recreation Room during Friday for the Arts, August 8, 6:30pm to 10pm.

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From Utopia Spa: Please join us on September 12 (during Friday for the Arts) for the Grand Opening of our full service spa at 115 N. Sycamore Street! Come meet our staff… Enjoy the music of Narissa Bond (if you missed her performance at Minerva Books, now is your chance to hear her!)… See the first floor of our beautiful new facilities… Enjoy browsing our Positive Body Image Photography… Sign up for the chance to win numerous free door prizes… And… We have a few other treats that we aren’t announcing yet!!

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This week’s sales and specials as advertised by the Old Towne Merchants Group feature Therapeutic Massage Center & Boutique, Divine Diva, Signature Style Polish Pottery, and the Brickhouse Run British Pub and Restaurant.

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From The Cordial Cricket: I have always heard and have certainly found it to be true…that our customers are our best form of advertising. The word of mouth advertising and referrals that we get from our loyal, satisfied customer base has always proven to be our best source of new business. So why not have our great customers help us advertise our new store location and all we have to offer! We would like to reward our customers with a contest to win a $50 gift certificate to shop for anything they would like at our new larger store in Chester. To be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to The Cordial Cricket in Chester, all you need to do is email us a testimonial statement regarding your shopping experience in our store or even on our website. All comments will be welcomed and appreciated, all we ask is that you allow us permission to use your testimonial comments in advertising material for our new store.

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Narissa Bond will perform at Minerva Books at 233 Bartow Alley, Petersburg July 11th at 8pm. The recipient of a Kansas Arts Commission fellowship, Bond has opened for national touring artists Richard Shindell, Lucy Kaplansky, Nina Gerber, L.J. Booth, Vance Gilbert and Ulali.

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Due to some restructuring of Lavender & Lace Bridal Boutique, the service room that was being used for spa clients will no longer be available. Rather than inconvenience clients by choosing another temporary location, Utopia Spa will refrain from accepting appointments until the move into the Full Service Spa at 115 N. Sycamore St. this summer! Gift Certificates that have been purchased will be extended. The new location will offer expanded services, set hours, and unique gift items.

Minerva’s Owl Club (the kids’ book club) will meet the third Saturday of every month — starting this very Saturday!! — at 11am at Minerva Books. Designed for children 8-12 years old, there will be reading, discussion, and fun reading-related activities. Participation is free and books for the club are discounted 10%. The book for July’s discussion is Betsy Byars’ The Summer of the Swans, available for purchase now at Minerva Books’ online and regular stores.

Today’s RTD features an article that tells the story of Beverly Rivers (of Better Homes and Gardens and Petersburg’s River’s Edge) and Jeff Abugel’s relocation to Petersburg, and includes both a slideshow of their home and helpful design tips from Beverly in the article side bar.

This month’s Business Update Breakfast will focus on the Chamber’s new website… how to post events to the Chamber calendar, how to change your listing with the Chamber, how to announce specials through the Chamber website, etc. The meeting will be at Old Towne Catering, 9 W. Old St., 7:30-9am.

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June 10th at 7 pm: Our inaugural Book Club Meeting. The meeting this time will consist of a get-to-know-you session, and copies of July’s discussion book, Hillary Jordan’s Mudbound, will be available at a 10% discount.

June 11th at 1 pm: Children’s Story Hour: Designed for 3 to 5-year-olds and a caretaker, this will involve the reading of an age-appropriate story and a treat afterwards to say thanks for coming!

June 13th at 7 pm: Friday For the Arts poetry reading. Poet Cynthia Atkins will be reading from and signing copies of her latest book, Psyche’s Weathers. Come early and get a good seat!

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The804.com blog raves about Petersburg’s Java Mio Coffeehouse, highlighting among other things the coffee quality and outdoor garden out back. Click here to read the full review.

The next Business After Hours will be June 10, 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at Addison Crater Woods apartments, 200 Addison Way, Petersburg, VA 23805 (behind Ukrops off of South Crater Road).

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This event will provide matchmaking sessions with General Contractors, the Dept. of Minority Business Enterprise, Crater Procurement Assistance Center, Virginia Community College System, New Visions New Ventures, Inc., just to name a few. The guest speaker will be Bill Cooper, Director of Supplier Diversity at University of Virginia. The event will be June 27, 9am-noon, at the Bank of America building, 1111 E. Main St., Richmond, Floor 18 Reception Room. The event is free, but pre-registration is required. Click here for a copy of the flyer with more details.

Cynthia Atkins, poet and author of Psyche’s Weathers, a poetry collection, will be at Minerva Books for the June Friday For the Arts, June 13, for a reading and book signing.  The event starts promptly at 7 pm.

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May 28th, 1 pm: Children’s Story Hour. Designed for 3-5 year olds and a caretaker, this will involve the reading of an age appropriate story and a treat afterwards.
May 29th, 7 pm: Writing Group Meeting. Designed for aspiring writers of all genres, this affords members the opportunity to meet and talk about writing, and to practice the craft of writing.

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Monday-Thursday, 7am to 7pm
Friday, 7am to 10pm
Saturday, 8am to 5pm

This month’s Chamber Business Update Breakfast will be Tuesday, May 20, 7:30-9:00 am, at Old Towne Catering (9 W. Old St.). The guest speaker will be Ron Laux, COO of Workforce Success and Dr. Marshall Smith, John Tyler Community College. The topic of discussion will be the Military Spouse Training Program at Fort Lee, which Ron manages under a grant from Governor Kaine.

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Lots of produce, sweet-scented goodies for the garden, eggs, sausage, maple trees, …. it’s all there. Saturdays, 7am to noon. Present location: ** NOT at the Farmer’s Market building at 9 E. Old St. as indicated on Google, but a block north and 1-2 blocks east on River St, under what Google gives as the Adams St./2nd St. bridge.

1) Saving Program for Entrepreneurs
2) Small Business Information Session
3) Who’s Looking at My Site?

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In today’s P-I: “Moss Motors Ltd., a supplier of specialized vintage auto parts, is moving into the former Nippon Wiper Blade building on Simpson Road just outside Petersburg. The company’s $5.15 million investment will create 90 new jobs.” The article notes that the company will be both opening a distribution center in and relocating its HQ to Dinwiddie.

Minerva Book’s grand opening extravaganza is set to coincide with the May Friday for the Arts (May 9). Best-selling author Sheri Reynolds will be reading from her latest book, Firefly Cloak, and signing books at 7pm.  MB will have copies of all of Sheri’s books available for sale before and after the reading.

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