[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6495312,"mediaKeyId","5546435-787d723b8cea033b45edc14faa198a3b","parentId",5546435,"title","Leesburg EDC debates sponsored outreach breakfast, sets topic for September work session","audioSeconds",835,"startMs",1891000,"endMs",2726000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5546435-787d723b8cea033b45edc14faa198a3b&start=1891&end=2726","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5546435-787d723b8cea033b45edc14faa198a3b/thumbnail_1891000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6495312/Leesburg/Loudoun-County/Virginia/Leesburg-EDC-debates-sponsored-outreach-breakfast-sets-topic-for-September-work-session","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6495312-637211f3ecb5cb22bac4c2b601882d15/orig.mp4?Expires=1770692391&Signature=E9XUzpJktf2G5Nh1QCe29jddlKoM7MWIDGX3IhvZHAo~pokxpfL95KHkdPXwNaftzJjI~6BEsFcNditl1jnmK9p2QQ-uRVtNRi5u051tIo5v2Sq2H7uXecaobqwzq1tw57UmocK30Ip1Vrs4zF3FbW74oWM3xGmG9KLVHYHvqN3KvsD5Px1asBxstA5DBdHstQDZc04nC1lkNifTsQKZ~lALn8BAAMiUkZNkFpL6lmb4ibItWY1VuVlZtAsa5EKOT078bfZjR1TxhZy8qCsiYJtSzyBtc7a-AQ~UFks3qdIsBqLDEhEO8BzxLK~z~dpY6~QGYUVgOCfZT7GzyvoOoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Leesburg","date","2025-08-06T00:00:00Z","article","Commissioners on the Leesburg Economic Development Commission spent a substantial portion of their Aug. 6 meeting discussing a proposed outreach breakfast to gather local businesses, seek feedback and provide educational presentations.

The proposal, introduced during new business, called for a moderated breakfast event modeled on the June outreach session but with a narrower focus. Commissioners discussed charging an admission fee, recruiting a headline sponsor to cover costs and offering smaller sponsorship slots for multiple local partners.

Commissioner Tony Talent framed the suggestion: “I would like to see if we could do that and maybe narrow the scope a little bit,” he said, citing time limits at the previous breakfast. Commissioners and staff suggested sponsors from banking, insurance, CPA or legal firms and professional employer organizations (PEOs) that assist small businesses with benefits and payroll administration.

Discussion covered logistics, sponsor levels and speaker selection. One model floated was a principal sponsor who would contribute roughly $1,000 and receive recognition and a short speaking slot; commissioners also suggested $500 sponsor slots to expand participation. Melanie Scroggins said the commission’s discretionary fund balance was about $1,200 and she agreed to confirm the exact amount after the meeting.

Commissioners emphasized a preference for locally connected sponsors rather than national representatives flown in for a single appearance. “I’d rather try to use someone that has hometown connections,” a commissioner said, noting local firms can better speak to Leesburg‑specific conditions.

Several potential presentation topics were identified: retirement and benefits options for small employers, commercial and flex office space trends, and professional services that help businesses scale. Commissioner Lindsay Potter offered to identify commercial brokers and staff members volunteered to explore local HR/benefits providers.

The commission did not set a final date but discussed October as a target and agreed to make the outreach breakfast and sponsorship plan a priority topic at the Sept. meeting for a vote on exact timing and format. Commissioners also agreed the intent is to defray costs, not raise funds beyond covering expenses.

Clarifying points recorded during the meeting: commissioners suggested multiple sponsorship tiers (principal and smaller slots), recommended local sponsors (banks, insurance brokers, PEOs, CPA firms) and stated the goal to cover event costs using a combination of sponsorship and the commission’s remaining discretionary funds.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Leesburg - Board of Architectural Review - Business Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners discussed staging another business outreach breakfast this fall with sponsor support, brainstormed sponsor types and presentation topics, reviewed available discretionary funds and agreed to revisit scheduling at the September meeting.","taxTitle","Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia","taxId",5641,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6495317,"Leesburg interns unveil business one‑stop materials as staff lists ribbon cuttings and Lafayette events",495,631000,1126000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5546435-787d723b8cea033b45edc14faa198a3b&start=631&end=1126","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5546435-787d723b8cea033b45edc14faa198a3b/thumbnail_631000.jpg","/articles/6495317/Leesburg/Loudoun-County/Virginia/Leesburg-interns-unveil-business-onestop-materials-as-staff-lists-ribbon-cuttings-and-Lafayette-events","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6495317-5bbd563393bdd7f15a5aec59c4481d2c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770692391&Signature=Y835hHj2VIT0bbHIVE7w1GOcw2lH5rXebFd~o~e4O3MAZDtYnxIyIUkftAq5BGflHnr8D0FIlQYqEYCnNuleWgrIqOWT-TzVh1imxUcYB9RWHLgmPEKnPBCRQxnyVPOhE9eQutPBVwIt5M-Qg4O9uCKUvVjS9yjCoJu8WUe9KFHbdHBjaEPqBkcLVVAAvv8CqtwBnm1x~cpf5wCQrcb4Qn4NOUUdm6u7Ep03ZPMH2ijSv9G5PnPa-IWs9dxOY6tmTBpIWtngTqCBaFaWTbV8eWRd0aANs4Ck78F8-SJF7au6ygqwC7EgPorLnjo5WvtRk3qgZYnT~00i9jstsSyUPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pragya and Maida, two summer interns with the Leesburg economic development department, presented a set of business-startup resources and pilot outreach tools to the Economic Development Commission during its Aug. 6 meeting.

The interns showcased a three‑panel “business rack card” that outlines startup steps and department contacts, a downloadable one‑stop PDF of links for downtown entrepreneurs, and a proposed HubSpot contact-management setup. The presentation was followed by staff updates on recent business openings and a slate of upcoming community events tied to Lafayette’s bicentennial.

The rack card and one‑stop PDF are intended to give prospective business owners a concise checklist and direct links to municipal contacts so they can move through licensing, zoning and promotion more quickly. “This essentially is a hands on resource for new businesses,” Maida said during the presentation.

Melanie Scroggins, economic development staff, told commissioners the town had several recent openings: Paris Baguette opened and “they had a ribbon cutting. It was lovely,” and Hotel Berg held a ribbon cutting on the 29th and opened Aug. 1, according to Scroggins. She also said Shutters completed a soft opening and began taking reservations.

Allison, a member of the economic development staff who led the department’s recent outreach blitz, said the promotional blitz at the Fredericksburg Welcome Center generated heavy interest. “We were getting emails from the welcome center saying how they were running out of stuff,” Allison told the commission.

Interns said the HubSpot demonstration included two options: a free tier with manual processes and a paid marketing tier with automation and enhanced reporting. They recommended QR-code enabled forms for event registration to improve data capture and proposed segmenting contacts by role (entrepreneur, developer, etc.) to tailor outreach.

The interns also described community projects they helped execute. They said they and staff produced about 48 Lafayette‑inspired wreaths and distributed them to roughly 44 downtown businesses to mark the bicentennial tour. The department has worked with the Thomas Balch Library and the Tour Leesburg app to publish a Lafayette tour that follows the historic route through town.

Commissioners praised the interns’ work. Commissioner Lindsay Potter said the materials would be useful if posted to the Choose Leesburg site; Commissioner Kathy Gilman and others said the one‑page, stepwise format would make starting a business feel achievable to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Melanie Scroggins said Taste Leesburg is scheduled downtown on the coming Saturday and runs from 5 to 10 p.m., and she invited commissioners to events celebrating Lafayette’s return, including a reenactor appearance and related programs coordinated with the Bosch Library.

The presentation closed with commissioners noting the materials could be distributed at multiple touchpoints — the visitor center, partner welcome centers and online — and recommending that staff make the rack card downloadable and link the one‑stop PDF from the town’s economic development pages.

Looking ahead, staff said the intern program wrapped after a six‑week placement and that department leaders plan to present metrics and next steps in future meetings.

Clarifying details from the presentation included the interns’ six‑week internship period, production of 48 wreaths delivered to 44 businesses, the proposal to use HubSpot for contact segmentation and QR‑enabled registrations, and outreach to the Fredericksburg and Clearbrook welcome centers.","High school interns presented a business rack card, a downloadable one‑stop PDF and HubSpot tracking proposals to the Leesburg Economic Development Commission on Aug. 6, while staff reported recent openings and upcoming ribbon cuttings and community events tied to Lafayette’s bicentennial.","actionData","errors"]

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Leesburg EDC debates sponsored outreach breakfast, sets topic for September work session

Leesburg interns unveil business one‑stop materials as staff lists ribbon cuttings and Lafayette events