Beautiful Gloucester County is centrally positioned between the major metro areas of Hampton Roads, Richmond, and Washington, DC. Our labor force of 20k workers includes college students, military spouses, and retiring military personnel. The major thoroughfare Route 17 has 37k drivers per day, and Gloucester is near three international airports. Located on the Chesapeake Bay, we have hundreds of miles of shoreline and access to the country's most active shipping terminals. Award-winning schools offer technical and college prep classes, and we are home to Rappahannock Community College and William and Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science. You'll find affordable land here, and real estate taxes among the lowest in the region.
Gloucester strives to be a community "open for business" with a welcoming and positive business-friendly attitude. Our mission is to promote and improve the economic health and quality of life in Gloucester. Whether you're starting, expanding, or relocating your business, be it manufacturing, retail, small or home-based business, the Economic Development Department is here for you!
During the initial four years of this program, we have approved and awarded 149 grants in the amount of $245,617.00. Private investment totals $6,213,747.00 from new and expanding businesses.
Property Improvement
Façade Improvement
Advertising
Website Design & Development
Free Business Consultant Meetings
Jim Carroll, executive director of the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center, is Gloucester for private consulting appointments every month! Meetings are free and held at the Gloucester Library on Main Street. Contact Lucy to schedule an appointment.
An up-to-date and comprehensive directory of small businesses in Gloucester County! Whether you are looking for a great lunch, a haircut, or a veterinarian, you will find it here. Please contact us Opens a New Window. with any updates or additions.
Terri Crowder, owner and CEO of Northern Neck Popcorn Bag Opens a New Window. , spoke with Gloucester Home-Based Business owners on July 25th.The attendees of this informal lecture in the Lunch & Learn series had many questions for Terri about her expansion story. Terri explained how she began with a process for making her product, and then built her branding and concept around the recipes. Her approach is consistency of design from logo, to packaging, to the interior and exterior design of her shops. Terri shared how she has benefited from the Economic Development Authority’s Small Business Incentive Program as well as grants from Main Street Opens a New Window. , and encouraged the attendees to look for resources for their growing businesses. In just three years, Terri has expanded to two stores with a combined 12 employees, and is preparing to open a third location in Warsaw.
The next Lunch & Learn topic “Marketing Your Business” will be held 12:00pm-1:30pm at the Bay Area Transit Center on September 25th, with special guest Candice Smith of Connected Communities.
Gloucester County is one of the 212 sites that the U.S. Department of Treasury designated as Virginia's Qualified Opportunity Zones. The Opportunity Zone covers Gloucester Point up to Ordinary, Virginia as seen on the map to your left. For information on the opportunity zone in Gloucester County please click here.
For general information on Opportunity Zones please click here.
