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Open up the Metro Business section of the Times-Dispatch this morning and you’ll find a familiar face in Dave Gallagher as he explains his endeavor into entrepreneurship with David Fratkin in depth! Dave is a member of the Virginia Council of CEO’s, an association that connects the top executives of the state together to share ideas. The council has 170 members, and 35 percent of them were below the age of 45. As Scot McRoberts goes on to elaborate in the article, “members are more likely now to carry a backpack than a briefcase.” Always outspoken about his philosophy on a younger workforce, Dave offered his insight this time on the growth of younger entrepreneurs around the Commonwealth. Two of the questions he answered:
“Biggest challenge in the next few years: “I have made a decision in my company to build it around young and intelligent people. That is one of my biggest challenges: keeping the younger generation happy and productive.
I believe controlling my growth and balancing that with people’s health — and by that I mean not burning out anybody because we grow too fast — that will be one of my big challenges.”
On the environment for young entrepreneurs: “I think it is favorable. What I am seeing is a lot of people that were at big companies and were either laid off in the downturn, or decided the corporate culture was not for them, and they decided to start their own business.
Now these companies are getting to be 4 or 5 years old; they have grown and matured and started some cash flow. Then you realize that for the next 10 years, building a sustainable company is different than a startup. You are out of the garage now. I am seeing a lot of the young guys come to the council trying to figure that out.”
You can reach out to Dave and share ideas by giving us a call at the Richmond office at 804-355-3430 and asking for the man-with-a-plan himself!