For more than a year, Clarice Grove has worked in the Prince William County Economic Development office as a small business development manager.
Her job: help small businesses who are ready to grow and expand find the right location in the growing county of nearly a half-million people.
Grove sat down with us for our regular Five Questions series.
PLN
I’ve talked to so many different entrepreneurs, and with me being an entrepreneur myself, I’ve heard so many different people say. “I’ve got a 10-year-old start-up business.” Is there a such thing as a 10-year-old start-up?
Grove
That’s a great question. So. kind of. Our partners that I’ve worked with closely, Mason Small Business Development Center, the Community Business Partnership in Springfield, the SBA office, we kind of cut it off around two years. I mean, also we kind of see it a little bit different versus startups. High-growth entrepreneurs — think “Shark Tank” — versus small businesses who are just kind of growing gradually, who are seeing a steady incline for their business. Whereas the “Shark Tank’ entrepreneur, that’s more of a hockey stick model, where you see a spike in growth.
PLN
So, I’ve got an idea. Let’s say I’m an entrepreneur and I make really great cupcakes. I now seeing that my kitchen is no longer the best place to make cupcakes because I can’t guarantee up to the standards and demands of my customers. Overall, Prince William County is known for being a bedroom community, it’s not known for manufacturing (or cupcake making) And so what would you tell me, an entrepreneur, why Prince William would be such a good place to grow my business?
Grove
It really depends on what your goals are. I would say it’s a lot more of a discussion instead of just kind of a simple question. We sit down and I can define that answer for you really quickly. But generally, what we would do in that process — if there is a business that would sit down and have that question on why Prince William County, I have a team of partners. It’s not just me that’s kind of selling you.
We would have a one on one consultation, and we would talk about all the different partners and the resources and why Prince William County is offering incentives and services to grow and nurture the businesses here in Prince William County, which is not common in other jurisdictions.
Prince William County just invested over half a million dollars in startups. There are many different things that many different times in our program that sell like Prince William County.
PLN
Are you a mountain person? Are you a beach person? What’s your perfect day out?
Grove
Actually, before my time in economic development, I was in Parks and Rec. So I do enjoy getting out on our trails on the weekend. But to answer your second question, my favorite type of weather is actually rainy weather. I’m a enjoy sitting on the couch on a rainy day and watching the movie with a cup of tea.
PLN
When you talk to business owners, what are some of the challenges that they’re going to face the next 12 to 18 months?
Grove
Actually, right before this call, I was on another call with a business. And right now [the business owner] just wants to motivate customers to come back now that CDC guidelines are now changing. So, for a lot of our businesses, I wouldn’t say challenges. It’s more as opportunities. They want to get their doors open, and they’re ready for folks to come back and get back to the traffic that they saw pre-covid.
PLN
When dining out during the pandemic, do you eat indoors or do you eat inside?
Grove
A little bit of both. I think last year when the covid pandemic kind of started, [Prince William County] Office of Tourism did an initiative where you can order takeout but then enjoy it at some of our local parks. But now a lot of folks have been using our capital investment grants and some of our incentives to create more outdoor dining space. For me, we just spent some time at Hot Chikn Kitchn with my family last week for their opening and we dined inside safely.
PLN (Bonus question)
What’s so great about Hot Chikn Kitchn?
Grove
Honestly, the best part is just the people. You kind of walk in and it is a very warm atmosphere, and you walk in and someone’s yelling at you, “hey, welcome to your kitchen.” So it’s that cool part, that you’re here. So it’s it’s definitely a community feel, which is nice in Prince William County
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Due to inclement weather, the Prince William County Judicial Center will be closed tomorrow, Monday, January 6, 2025. This closure affects all courts at the Judicial Center, including the Circuit…
Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS), the second-largest school division in Virginia, announced the closure of all schools and offices for Monday, January 6, 2025, due to a Winter Storm Warning. The announcement, posted on the division’s official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, stated, “Due to Winter Storm Warning, all Prince William County Public Schools and Offices will be closed Code Red on Monday, January 6, 2025 (exception: Inclement Weather Employees). Weather conditions will be monitored throughout Monday and an update will be provided as needed.”
The closure affects more than 90,000 students enrolled across the division’s 100 schools, including elementary, middle, high schools, and specialty programs. PWCS serves a diverse and growing population, providing a range of academic, athletic, and extracurricular opportunities for students in Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
Under the Code Red designation, only designated inclement weather employees are required to report to work. The school division emphasized that it will continue to monitor weather conditions throughout the day on Monday and provide further updates if necessary.
Manassas Park City Schools (MPCS) announced that all schools will be closed on Monday, January 6, 2025, citing snowy conditions as the reason for the closure. The announcement on the division’s website stated, “All Manassas Park City Schools will be closed tomorrow, Monday, January 6th, due to snowy conditions. Code RED for employees.”
The closure affected more than 3,000 students enrolled in the city’s four schools, which include Cougar Elementary, Manassas Park Elementary, Manassas Park Middle School, and Manassas Park High School. MPCS serves the small, tight-knit community of Manassas Park and provides a range of academic and extracurricular programs designed to meet the needs of its students.
A Code RED designation means that all school employees, except those specifically designated for inclement weather duties, are not required to report to work.
Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) announced that all schools will be closed on Monday, January 6, 2025, due to forecasted inclement weather. The announcement, shared on the district’s official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, noted, “Manassas City Public Schools will be closed Jan. 6, 2025, due to forecasted inclement weather. Code BLUE for employees.”
The closure affects approximately 7,000 students across the city’s nine schools, including five elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school, and one high school. MCPS serves the city of Manassas with a variety of academic programs designed to meet the needs of a diverse student population.
The Code Blue designation means that employees are not required to report to work unless specifically notified by their supervisors. Further updates regarding school operations will be provided through the district’s official communication channels, including its website and social media accounts.
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