CLINTWOOD, VA – DECEMBER 9, 2021 – When it comes to outdoor lawncare and landscaping services, Porter’s Lawncare, LLC, provides a variety of services to meet both business and homeowner needs throughout the year.
Porter’s Lawncare, LLC, owned and operated by Michael Porter in Clintwood, Va., is a recent recipient of a $6,500 Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) seed capital matching grant.
“Porter’s Lawncare, LLC provides services of benefit to both homeowners and businesses, making it an ideal candidate for a seed capital grant,” said VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher. “Porter’s Lawncare projects one full-time and two part-time jobs within three years.”
Landscaping, mulching, driveway sealing, gutter cleaning, brush and leaf removal, pressure washing, mowing and weedeating services are offered .
“We cater to a wide variety of customers,” Porter said. “Most everyone has a lawn that needs mowed or weed eating that needs to be done; a driveway that needs to be maintained; or a house or deck that needs pressure washed.
“Our fees are by the job and we do provide free estimates,” Porter added. “Right now, our primary service areas are in Dickenson and Wise counties and the city of Norton.”
Porter noted he used the seed capital funds toward equipment purchases.
“It has definitely helped me in starting and growing my small business,” Porter said of the VCEDA seed capital grant. “We’ve stayed really busy.”
The company may be reached by calling (276) 395-1662.
Porter worked with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in the development of his application to VCEDA and received a letter of support from the Dickenson County Industrial Development Authority.
“The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southwest Virginia Community College was pleased to provide Michael Porter with assistance in securing the VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Fund for his lawncare business,” said Margie Douglass, SBDC program director at SWCC. “Statistics show that businesses who work with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) are more successful and sustainable.”
She added, “the Seed Capital Matching Fund program not only provides funds for startup businesses in the VCEDA region, but also provides access to vital business resources. By working with the SBDC (a requirement for any applicant), business owners receive guidance from experienced advisors and learn how to utilize available tools to evaluate their business and develop a formal plan of action. As a result, applicants are better prepared to apply for funding and better equipped to make their business a success.”
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
About the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Seed Capital Matching Grant Fund: VCEDA region for-profit businesses one year and under with less than 10 full-time employees are eligible to apply for dollar-for-dollar matching grants up to $10,000 from the VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Fund. Applicants work with the Small Business Development Centers at Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia community colleges to prepare the applications to VCEDA that include detailed business and financial plans. Businesses must be located in or plan to operate in the VCEDA region in southwestern Virginia that includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton.