Discover how Chris Peden’s FACT Maps help entrepreneurs uncover hidden financial challenges, tackle misconceptions, and make smarter decisions to drive sustainable business growth.

Building a successful business takes more than passion and hard work—it requires a clear understanding of one’s financial health. Chris Peden, a financial consultant with years of experience helping businesses thrive, shares insights into how his FACT Maps empower entrepreneurs to uncover hidden financial challenges and chart a path to success.

Facing Financial Realities with FACT Maps

“Sometimes, you need to slow down and see where you are,” says Chris. His FACT Maps address the fears that keep business owners awake at night. “We sit down and go through business and personal fears to make sure everything is out in the open,” Chris explains. From assessing cash flow and net worth to addressing debts, the process lays a foundation for growth by providing a clear picture of the current financial state.

Peden emphasizes the importance of starting with the present before moving into future planning. “You have to start with where you are first,” he advises, “then you can move into building the business you truly want.”

Addressing Common Misconceptions About Cash Flow and Profitability

One of Chris’s biggest challenges is helping business owners understand that profit and loss statements don’t tell the full story. “A lot of things don’t show up on a profit and loss statement,” Chris explains, citing taxes and loan principal payments as examples. His approach factors in these additional obligations to prevent surprises like a client’s unexpected $50,000 tax bill.

By looking beyond basic financial metrics, Chris ensures his clients are prepared for all aspects of their financial responsibilities. “We make sure these factors are accounted for so that you’re not blindsided,” he says.

Empowering Better Decisions Through Financial Awareness

Understanding the full financial picture isn’t just about solving problems—it’s about making better decisions. Chris recalls a client who wasn’t tracking the return on investment from their advertising. “I told them to ask, ‘For every dollar I spend with you, how much money do I get back?’ If the answer isn’t clear, it’s time to reconsider,” he advises.

This simple yet powerful approach enabled the client to make informed decisions and prioritize spending that directly benefited their bottom line. Chris’s advice is clear: “Ask the tough questions and focus on what really drives your business forward.”

With his FACT Maps, Chris Peden helps business owners face their financial realities, correct misconceptions, and build confidence in their decision-making processes. His practical insights ensure entrepreneurs are equipped to achieve sustainable growth while avoiding costly pitfalls.

Ready to take control of your business finances? Contact Chris Peden today to get started with a FACT Map tailored to your unique needs.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved a resolution on November 19, 2024, to transfer $484,007 from the county’s contingency fund to address litigation costs and hire additional staff to handle data center real estate assessments. The resolution passed with a 6-2 vote, with Gainesville District Supervisor Bob Weir and Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega opposing the measure.

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The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office arrested Ashley Kriesten following a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding suspected child sexual abuse material. Investigators executed a search warrant at Kriesten’s residence, seizing electronic devices, and charging her with multiple counts of child pornography possession, distribution, and aggravated sexual battery. The investigation is part of the office’s collaboration with the NOVA-DC Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce.

Spotsylvania County Sheriff:

On November 18, 2024, the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office Child Victim Unit members received an online cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding an online account where images of child sexual abuse were being uploaded, stored, and the potential sharing of these images.  NCMEC works with families, victims, private industry, law enforcement, and the public to assist with preventing child abductions, recovering missing children, and providing services to deter and combat child sexual exploitation.

After conducting an investigation and reviewing the reported items, a search warrant was obtained on the residence of Ashley Kriesten, 9600 block of Leaf Lane, Spotsylvania County. Multiple electric devices were seized during the search warrant.  Ashley Kriesten, was arrested and charged with five counts of 18.2-374.1:1(A) Possession, reproduction, distribution, solicitation, and facilitation of child pornography, five counts of 18.2-374.1:1.(C) Possession, reproduction, distribution, solicitation, and facilitation of child pornography, and two counts of 18.2-67.3(A1) Aggravated Sexual Battery.

The identity and relationship of the juveniles are being withheld for their protection.

Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office is a member of the NOVA-DC Internet Crimes Against Children Virginia State Police Taskforce (NOVA-DC ICAC). ICAC which is a national network of law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies that helps state and local agencies respond to online child exploitation of other crimes.

If you believe a child is being abused, please contact the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office at the numbers below, the Spotsylvania County Department of Social Services at 540-507-7898, Virginia CPS State Hotline at (804) 786-8536/Out-of-state: (800) 552-7096, or The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

On November 13, the House Privileges and Elections Committee convened to discuss House Joint Resolution 9, a proposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution that seeks to safeguard marriage equality. Delegates Michelle Maldonado (D-Manassas), Rozia Henson (D-Lorton, Woodbridge), and Paul Milde (R), representing parts of Northern Virginia, participated in the proceedings, which underscored Virginia's ongoing evolution in its approach to civil rights and marriage laws.

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Volunteer Prince William has several opportunities through the holidays and into 2025, so make sure to check them out below.

Greetings, Prince William: It’s All About a Kid and a Toy! Volunteer Prince William’s program Untrim a Tree which provides holiday gifts for local children in Title I schools is now live and accepting donor forms!  While we’ve been able to get kids sponsored, we still have over 1,300 children who are still waiting on Santa, so your help is still needed!  The online donor form is available to sponsor a child or donate a Senior Basket; please visit our website to fill out and submit a form. The whole family can participate, and you’ll feel great being part of a program which helps so many of our vulnerable children have a happy Christmas! Volunteers will also be needed Dec. 7-10 to help sort/organize toys and deliver Senior Baskets.

• You can help vulnerable families have a holiday meal for Thanksgiving!  ACTS’ Share the Bounty distribution needs volunteers to help with sorting donations and assembling the Share the Bounty bags during November. This will take place in their Food Donation Center, 17958 Dr. David Cline Drive, Dumfries, Monday through Thursday. Volunteer hours are flexible between 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  You’ll feel great knowing your giving spirit will help food-insecure families have a Happy Thanksgiving!

• If you love helping others learn, we have a wonderful opportunity for you! BEACON for English Language and Literacy is recruiting volunteers to teach adult ESOL students for their upcoming Winter session which runs from Dec. 2 to Feb. 27.  No teaching or language experience is required, and training is provided.  To learn more, please sign up for a virtual information session at Info session sign-up or contact Seth at 571-428-2524.

• Brain Injury Services (BIS) has an ongoing need for volunteers to be PALS (Providing a Link for Survivors) for survivors of brain injury.  This is a one-to-one friendship program for brain injury survivors; the program connects BIS clients with volunteers who can help them socialize in the community and rebuild social skills through friendship. Once a month outings for coffee, walks, chess, lunch and more can help a client get their life back on track following such a traumatic occurrence! Please visit their website for more information.

• You can help Manassas City families enjoy a Thanksgiving meal! Light of Life Church is hosting a City of Manassas Friendsgiving Outreach to benefit vulnerable families in the city. The event will be held at Metz Middle School, 9950 Wellington Road in Manassas. Volunteers are needed to help set up; serve food; hand out coats, personal hygiene products, diapers; and break down/clean up.  It’s a wonderful way to get into the spirit of Thanksgiving by helping our less fortunate neighbors! Please sign up for this meaningful event on their website.

• Ho Ho Ho! Get into the holiday spirit by volunteering for Santa Lights Manassas on Dec. 6 and the 78th Greater Manassas Christmas Parade on Dec. 7 in Old Town Manassas!  These events would not be possible without the support of over 300 volunteers which let them spread holiday cheer to the community! Volunteers are needed to help stage the participants, answer spectator questions and keep everyone safe so they can enjoy the parade and the tree lighting.  What better way to enjoy the Christmas holidays? Please visit this website to sign up and ask any questions.

• Calling all Rembrandts and Picassos! The City of Manassas Animal Shelter is looking for Volunteer Artists to do some murals on their walls which will brighten up the place for two-legged and four-legged friends alike!

• The “Power of A Knock” can help a homebound senior get nutritious meals! Meals on Wheels urgently needs volunteers to deliver meals to homebound senior citizens on weekday mornings. Volunteers must pass a criminal and driving record background check.  Routes take about 1.5 hours to complete, training is provided. You’ll feel great when you find out how inspiring it is to serve this vulnerable population and make their day! Please visit this website for more information and forms.

• The hard-working staff at Prince William County Community Foundation needs volunteers to support their Thanksgiving Food Drive to provide those in need with a holiday meal! Volunteers are needed to pack food boxes on Nov. 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. and load food boxes on Nov. 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Motiv8 Church, 14654 Joplin Road, Manassas. Volunteers are also needed to hand out food boxes on Nov. 23 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 17965 Dumfries Shopping Center in Dumfries.  Your help will bring holiday cheer to hundreds of local families dealing with food insecurity! Please email [email protected] to sign up.

• Is your office, club, Scout troop or service group looking for a volunteer opportunity? Streetlight Community Outreach Ministries has opened their hypothermia shelter located at 14716 Potomac Mills Road in Woodbridge and groups are needed to prepare and drop off meals for 30 adult residents through March 30, 2025.  Meals are needed each night and should be prepared off-site and dropped off at the shelter between 6:30 and 7 p.m. Your group will provide comfort for the homeless with a hot, nourishing meal they can enjoy during the cold winter months! Please visit Meal Train’s website to sign up and get more information.

• If you want to get firsthand experience working directly with the homeless, here’s a perfect opportunity!  Streetlight Community Outreach Ministries needs volunteers age 25+ to assist staff at their hypothermia shelter, 14716 Potomac Mills Road, Woodbridge.  Two volunteers are needed each evening through March 31, 2025, from 6 to 10 p.m.  Duties include assisting with preparing and serving dinner, passing out supplies as needed and light set-up and/or clean-up.  You’ll feel great knowing you are providing this vulnerable population with a way to get out of the cold for a hot meal and a warm place to sleep! Please visit the sign-up website to sign up.

Press Release:

The Prince William County Police enforce traffic safety all year, and the Department reminds motorists to Wear your seatbelt every time! That is the underlying message of this year’s “Click It or Ticket” seatbelt enforcement campaign, which runs from Nov. 23, 2024, through Dec. 1, 2024. Seatbelts save lives!

Prince William County Police join law enforcement agencies throughout Virginia in the “Click It or Ticket” campaign to enforce the Commonwealth’s safety-belt and child safety-seat laws. The Department will participate in high-visibility patrols – day and night – through Sunday, December 1.

Wear your seatbelt every time! Seat belts are mandatory in Virginia for all persons riding in the front seat. Virginia car seat laws also state that:

All children under the age of eight must ride in a federally approved, secured safety seat.
Children between eight and 15 must use a safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt, no matter where in the vehicle the child is riding.
It is the driver’s responsibility to make sure all children, age 15 and under, are secured properly.
Wear your seatbelt every time! Virginia law allows police to cite anyone driving a car in which an occupant under age 16 is not wearing a safety belt or is not in a child safety seat. It also provides that drivers may be cited if they are not properly restrained if stopped for other violations.

“Click It or Ticket” is one of several programs under the Smart, Safe and Sober partnership. Smart, Safe and Sober is a statewide program dedicated to preventing death and injury on Virginia roadways. It is a partnership of the Prince William County Police, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, the Virginia Department of State Police, the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, DRIVE SMART Virginia, and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

Wear your seatbelt every time! Unless you want to risk a ticket, or worse, always remember to “Click It or Ticket,” day and night.

By Sarah Roderick Fitch

(The Center Square) – The cases against two men from Jordan accused of illegally attempting to enter Quantico Marine base have been dismissed.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed motions to dismiss charges filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on Oct. 3. A federal judge ordered that the matter be dismissed “without prejudice.”

In earlier court appearances, the Jordanians identified as Hasan Y. Hamdan and Mohammad K. Dabous were released after being charged with misdemeanors stemming from a May 3 incident for attempting to “trespass” on the headquarters of the U.S. Marine Corps, home of the FBI Training Academy and the military’s top criminal investigative agencies.

The case garnered national attention, including pleas from Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who demanded answers from President Joe Biden’s administration. The duo’s identities were finally disclosed at the end of July following exhausted efforts made by congressional leaders in addition to Youngkin.

Prior to the recent dismissal, the Department of Justice accused the pair of “unlawfully go[ing] upon a military installation for a purpose prohibited by law, to wit: knowingly and intentionally entering Marine Corps Base Quantico,” according to court documents.

During their July court appearance, Hamdan and Dabous were granted release upon condition to appear for “all future court appearances,” including immigration appearances they have “pending.” They were ordered “not further trespass on Marine Corps Base Quantico or any other military installation.”

Potomac Local News first reported the May incident. The pair claimed to be Amazon subcontractors while attempting to enter the base; the truck driver reportedly ignored commands by security officials to wait while officers tried to identify the men, who did not have identification. The driver then “hit the gas” and hit a barricade deployed to stop the truck, according to sources.

The breach has been the focus of multiple congressional investigations into similar incidents reported at various U.S. military installations, demanding answers from the federal government.

From Fredericksburg Police

VANDALISM:

On November 8th, at 400 Maple Court, a vehicle’s windshield was reported shattered. Police later discover bits of brick remaining.
That same day, at 200 block Greystone Court, a person reported missing antenna attachments from their vehicle.

On November 12th, a person reported a cracked windshield from the night before.

LARCENY:

On November 9th, a woman reported that while in 100 Block George Street her camera, valued at 600 dollars, had been stolen. The device is a Go Pro Hero 10.

On November 11th, a person reported stolen rear license plate believed to have happened while shopping at Walmart, 1800 Carl D. Silver Parkway.
That same day, a woman was robbed nearby at TJ Maxx, 1833 Carl D. Silver Parkway. The woman reported that a man approached her asking questions before finding her purse opened and wallet stolen.

ROBBERY:

On November 9th, 911 was contacted by a store employee at Tobacco House 3345 Fall Hill Avenue. It’s reported that a man of light complexion and all black clothing came in the store with a green firearm, demanding vaping devices.

On November 10th, at 100 Block Hughey Court, a meeting had occurred between two people who met from a dating app. Suspect carried a firearm and robbed the other’s AirPods and some cash. Described as a dark-skinned man with a blue Hyundai.