This year, seven companies were ready to pitch. Xpress takes a look at them all.
Local companies prioritize hands-on giving
Local nonprofit leaders say they’re seeing more companies prioritize volunteering and service projects rather than just giving money. They’re also seeking long-term relationships with specific organizations rather than just one-off collaborations.
Conabeer Motor Building sports an unusual history
Built in 1928 and designed by the architectural firm of Beacham and LeGrand, the three-story space at 162 Coxe Ave. has been home to Well Played Board Game Café since summer 2022.
Green in brief: WNC Nature Center opens new exhibit
In partnership with the WNC Farmers Market, the Asheville zoo launches its Educational Farmers Market Garden starting Wednesday, Nov. 16. The new exhibit focuses on sustainable relationships between agriculture and nature.
Pinners Cove residents blast process for proposed development
After the Buncombe County Planning Board voted not to recommend a plan for mountaintop development on 176 acres in Pinners Cove, developer KLP Pinners EAT, LLC resubmitted an application for the same site using county rules that provide no avenue for public input.
From Asheville Watchdog: Why I really left the Asheville Citizen-Times
Asheville Watchdog contributor John Boyle explains his decision to join the nonprofit news startup after 27 years with Asheville’s daily newspaper.
Buncombe approves affordable parking program at Coxe garage
The initiative will make 150 spaces in the county’s Coxe Avenue garage available to low-income downtown employees at $40 per month — less than half the current $85 monthly rate — by the end of the year.
Women in Business: Know your values
“There aren’t a ton of women who offer both photo and video services, but we refuse to let that lack of representation hold us back,” says Eric McGrady, co-founder of Authentic Asheville.
Female financial advisers make their mark
“In our society, money is a taboo topic, especially for women,” says Laura Webb of Asheville’s Webb Investment Services. She and other local women are working to change that in the financial industry.
Women-owned plant shops are a growing industry in Asheville
Farmers and homesteaders can get their hands dirty all over Western North Carolina. For those with more modest ambitions, there are houseplants. Garden stores, chain stores and even pharmacies sell houseplants nowadays, but it’s also an attractive industry for many small-business owners. The Asheville area is home to several plant shops known for their intimate […]
Women in Business: Consistency and discipline
“It’s so easy to give up when you’re not getting the customers or clients that you want, or you’re not seeing a return on your investment,” says Tiarra Wilkie, owner of Groundbreaking Financial. “Staying consistent, disciplined and driven will play an integral role in your businesses success.”
Women in Business: Prepare for growth
“You have to prepare for growth before it happens,” says Melissa Blaha, owner of The Tax Raven. “It is hard to recruit, hire and train once you are buried under a mound of work.”
Black Wall Street AVL vies for national award to help women-owned businesses
When Nicole Lee moved to Asheville from Cincinnati two years ago with the idea of starting a consulting business for aspiring entrepreneurs, she reached out to Black Wall Street AVL for assistance. “They helped guide me to get my name on the map here in North Carolina,” says Lee, who runs the for-profit Counsel to […]
Women in Business: The importance of reputation
“Get passionate about your customer and learn how to serve them uniquely better than anyone else,” says Aisha Adams, founder and owner of Aisha Adams Media.
Women in Business: Build a support system
“Starting a business is both mentally and physically draining,” says Marjory Rockwell. “You’ll need a solid group of people who will be there for you when obstacles come your way, and when everything seems impossible and you want to quit.”
Green in brief: Wildlands Network flags WNC roads for wildlife crossings
Of the 20 North Carolina sites in the new report, six are in Western North Carolina — including the nonprofit’s No. 1 site, Interstate 40’s path through the Pigeon River Gorge.
Buskers, downtown businesses grapple over amplification
Buskers are visible ambassadors of Asheville’s artistic community, and some downtown businesses say street performances create a convivial atmosphere. But for others who live and work downtown, amplified sound is a daily cacophony.
WNC explores tiny homes as housing solution
Western North Carolina leaders have been thinking big when it comes to the region’s affordable housing crisis, with Buncombe County alone aiming to create or preserve up to 3,150 affordable units by 2030. But when it comes to actually building those spaces, some in the area are also thinking small.
Development roundup: Asheville proposes changes to manufactured home rules
Currently, Asheville prohibits the replacement of any manufactured home by another after its spot has been vacant for 180 days. City planners want to ease that rule and others to “stop the slow attrition of affordable housing units that are desperately needed in our community.”
WNC’s hemp industry worries about ‘legal gray area’
On June 30, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 762 (the 2022 Farm Bill) with language distinguishing marijuana from hemp, and Governor Roy Cooper signed it. That might have seemed to be the end of the hemp industry’s woes. But local businesses say it would be premature to stop there.
Asheville gets one-year update on noise ordinance
Before the noise ordinance was passed last September, most noise complaints were called in to the Asheville Police Department nonemergency line. While APD still handles nighttime noise complaints and those that might come with safety risks, the city’s Development Services Department resolved 71% of complaints over the past year.