Five New Business Trends

Culpeper Star Exponent

Business Monday

November 12, 2012

Jim Charapich

There are so many things that went right about the Culpeper Chamber Banquet last week. We are a vibrant business community and when we come together to celebrate our achievements great things can happen.

As predicted, Aneesh Chopra, our keynote speaker, was inspirational. His depth of knowledge in business, entrepreneurship, and government are unique. His role under President Obama and former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine could have led to expressed partisan views. It was very powerful to hear of his bipartisan appreciation for some of the work of Governor McDonnell, Congressman Eric Cantor, and Senator Mark Warner. This was a perfect message, putting the politics of the election behind us, and focusing on the bright collaborative opportunities that we have before us.

Mr. Chopra offered five trends pointing to future opportunities in business development. Trend #1 Digital Infrastructure – Wireless, “Gig” networks are a key to unlocking future growth. Trend #2 – “Crowdfunding” – a new word describing an innovative non-traditional way to channel venture capital investment to entrepreneurs using the internet. Trend #3 Big (Open) Data – Use of data to identify threats, opportunities, and trends. Trend #4 Smarter Manufacturing – Democratizing access to mod & simulation techniques for small and medium enterprises, increasing the rate of innovation. Trend #5 – STEM for All – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are the building blocks of innovation. Including STEM as a part of workforce training beyond K-12 supports adaptive economic growth opportunities.  

The discussion about STEM and work force were fitting as we sat in the Germanna’s Daniel Technology Center. Mr. Chopra showed a recent analysis of the wage difference between a tradition Associates degree oriented towards a Bachelor’s Credit vs. Occupational / Technical training. The wage difference was 30% more for the Occupational / Technical fields. Culpeper is perfectly positioned to support workforce training for higher paying jobs through the resources of Germanna.

Finally the Awards presentations were an example of why our business community is so impressive. The excellence in community support, customer service, business development, technology advancements, innovation, training, and an ever present interest in continuous improvement make Culpeper a great business ecosystem.

By all accounts, this was one of our best annual banquets - sold out at over 320 tickets, a powerful world class message, great networking, amazing food (by Kitchen Gourmet)…. If you missed it go to CulpeperMediaNetwork.com and watch the internet broadcast.

Thank you to the Members of the Chamber of Commerce, Our Sponsors, and the dedication of our Board of Directors for your vision in making Culpeper a great business community.