As WNC heads into yet another year of economic uncertainty, Xpress asked regional business leaders, government figures and laborers about their takeaways from 2021 in the world of work.
Year in Review: Residents and local leaders reflect on Asheville’s growth and tourism
With growth comes worsening traffic, rising housing costs and long lines of tourists waiting at locally beloved bars and restaurants. But it’s not all bad, as 2021’s Year In Review participants note in their reflections on Asheville’s development and tourism sector. These residents and local leaders shared their growth gripes and hopes as they look forward to the coming year.
County authorizes nearly $1.7M in pandemic funding for economic development
The funding supports three different economic development projects.
Q&A with Jane Carter, therapist and small business coach
There are thousands of books containing business advice on topics like brand development, marketing, startup funding and networking. But less frequently addressed are the psychological and emotional impacts of being a business owner. That’s where Jane Carter, who holds dual professions as a therapist and a business coach, comes in. She guides her clients through […]
Soothe winter dryness with Asheville’s skin care shops
Everyone knows Asheville is the place to go for craft beer, outdoor gear and anything a person could possibly want with a black bear emblazoned on it. Less attention is paid, though, to the many businesses selling locally made skin care products.
Q&A with Jill Sparks, executive director of A-B Tech Business Incubation and Small Business Center
Unlike modern job-hoppers who switch roles every few years, Jill Sparks jokes that she’s a “monogamous worker.” She spent over six years at Appalachian State University, primarily in career planning services, and for the past 16 years, she’s worked at A-B Tech. As executive director of the community college’s Business Incubation and Small Business Center, […]
New shops join scenic views among Mars Hill’s attractions
After more than a year of lockdowns and hesitant restarts, the Madison County college town of Mars Hill is feeling the effects of shifting trends. “People have decided they want to have a less congested life but still have access to restaurants and shopping,” notes real estate agent Angela Morgan.
Business in brief: Sew Co. joins the RAD family
Libby O’Bryan discusses her cut and sew factory’s history, plus Asheville gets a Board & Brush studio and UScellular adds jobs for the holidays.
Specialty shops find plenty of reasons to join Go Local
Dog & Pony Show and more than a dozen other locally owned, independent specialty shops joined the Go Local Card program in 2021. More than 500 businesses overall participate in the effort, now entering its 11th year, which has helped to raise nearly $200,000 for Asheville City Schools.
WNC wrestles with light pollution
With the notable exception of the IDA-certified dark sky park at the PARI in Transylvania County — one of only two such facilities in the state — no sky in Western North Carolina is untouched by light pollution. Central Asheville can reach as high as a 6 on the Bortle Scale, in which 1 is complete darkness and 9 is the Las Vegas Strip.
Q&A with Fred McCormick, editor of The Valley Echo
The former Black Mountain News reporter launched the online publication in early 2020.
City forum highlights Asheville’s growth despite pandemic
This year’s event — the first since the start of the pandemic — covered affordable housing, hotel regulations, Urban Place Zoning and more.
Repurposing vacant commercial property could help combat sprawl, create affordable housing
Countless existing structures of every shape and size remain vacant throughout the city, many in decrepit condition after years with no occupants. According to the National Association of Realtors’ Q3 2021 Commercial Real Estate Metro Market Report, 26% of Asheville’s currently available commercial space is vacant, including industrial, multifamily, retail and office properties.
Second Mountain Raise highlights crowdfunding for WNC businesses
More than 100 potential investors packed into Hi-Wire Brewing’s event space Nov. 10 to hear pitches from Western North Carolina small-business owners looking to raise capital for their enterprises at a gathering hosted by nonprofit Mountain BizWorks.
Q&A with Nnweyna Smith, founder of Sankofa Market AVL
The Asheville native seeks to elevate Black small business owners and entrepreneurs with the twice-monthly pop-up market.
Mountain Raise connects small businesses with local investors
Mountain BizWorks is hosting its second Mountain Raise Wednesday, Nov. 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Hi-Wire Brewing. The event features five WNC businesses — Cardstalk, GreenLifeTech, North Cove Leisure Club, Spectra3D Technologies and SteakAger — that will present their fundraising goals to the community in the hopes of drawing local investors from all income levels and walks of life.
TDA to unveil plan for tourism grant funds by end of year
The Tourism Product Development Fund totaled over $7.8 million as of Sept. 30.
Council approves funding for Haywood Street development
The proposed location for the affordable development is located in the West End/Clingman Avenue Neighborhood. All of the apartments would be reserved for people earning less than 80% of the area median income ($60,100 for a family of four); up to half of those units could be available for those earning 30% AMI or less.
Business in brief: Asheville mom starts kids cycling club
Teaching children to ride a bike can be nerve-racking for parents and kids alike. And Asheville mom Emi Kubota, a longtime cyclist, realized that while a lot of classes existed to teach kids how to ski, there was nothing for cycling. Kubota, a cycling instructor with the League of American Bicyclists, taught her daughter to […]
What happens to short-term rentals in the long-term?
The amount of money brought in by these short-term rentals in Buncombe County during the first half of this year was up 131% compared with STR revenue for January through June 2019. Consumer preferences — and choices to be made by government officials locally and in Raleigh — will affect the size of that gravy train and who will benefit from it in the years to come.
Asheville works to partner with women- and minority-owned businesses
The city’s Minority or Woman Business Enterprise Certification, a process that officially went into effect on Jan. 1, is designed to help entrepreneurs build their businesses and get more opportunities for government contracts.