There has been an on-going discussion for several years about why the region’s economy and job growth are
flat. Certainly, there are many reasons such as over-reliance on the military, port and tourism. All great and
we’re thankful to have them. However, the regional discussion is on how to create a new pillar of our economy
with small-to-medium sized business.

The Hampton Roads Innovation Collaborative (HRIC – former Tech Council) conducted a “Business Environment Survey” with almost 30 questions asked of 21 business owners in our region. These interviews uncovered a series of common themes and ones that were translated to suggested action items.