RICHMOND, Va. -- The gap between a million-dollar idea and an actual, sustainable business exists within the thousands of pages inside leather-bound books lining the shelves at the Richmond Public Library's Richmond Room.
Earlier this year, the east side of the Main Library was transformed into a legal and business resource area known as the new Law Library.
"I sometimes think of myself like I’m a legal translation service," said Charles Schmidt with a laugh. “I’m not technically a librarian, I’m a lawyer.”
Schmidt runs the Richmond Room and Law Library, but before his career in the stacks, he served as an attorney in both private and government practice.
Attorneys charge hundreds of dollars per hour in many cases to consult with entrepreneurs on the proper paperwork required to launch a small business. Schmidt now helps connect those without the means or connections to the correct legal resources they need to get their business off the ground.
Specific business models require different organizational structures and contracts depending on the idea. While Schmidt does not provide specific legal advice, he helps facilitate connections and ensure an entrepreneur pursues the correct paperwork.
“Somebody coming in, 'I just have an idea; I don’t even know where to start.' That’s the kind of role we can play at the library is to help them find the next step and know where to go next," Schmidt said.
“If you have time and money, you can hire out these questions; you can pull in the resources that you have; you can take the time to build your brand, build your business, concentrate on conflict when it happens. But if you’re in the hustle and bustle of running your small business day to day, and day to day is your survival, you don’t have hours to deal with some of the administrative headaches that come up," he continued.
Thursday evening at the Law Library, Schmidt and partners with the Capital Region Small Business Development Center (SBCD) will host a workshop for anyone who has an idea for a business but needs a blueprint to get the ball rolling.
“How do I get started running a business, what sort of legal resources do I need to have, what sort of legal support can I find?” Schmidt said. "Here’s a blueprint for what you’re going to need to start your business, and oh by the way, here’s all the additional resources that will help you in step one, in step two, in step three.”
“Once they have access to that information, then they know what other questions to ask," said Megan Nolde with Capital Region SBDC.
Nolde will be part of Thursday's workshop and will work directly with small business owners launching and expanding their company or organization. The instinct for some entrepreneurs, Nolde said, is to dive right in and expect quick success, but the setup of a sustainable business takes time and care.
"You don’t have to have it all figured out, but we really want you to try to be lean, meaning don’t try to lasso the moon quite yet," she said. "There’s a lot of things we can’t control, so we try to help people manage the things they can control because you want to kind of be a slow burn and not a firework.”
Schmidt said success isn't just a theory. Earlier this week, a man who he had been working with approached him at the library saying he booked his first client.
"We actually to be like ‘shh-shh’ because it's still the library. . . you’re not supposed to scream and yell," he said with a laugh. “I’m just as excited about his success as he is. That’s a real heartfelt moment for all of us when we see those successes.”
The workshop begins at 6 p.m. insidethe Richmond Room at the Main Library. Registration and walk-ins are available, and anyone is welcome to attend. You can learn more about Capital Region SBDC here.
