You’ve got an idea for a business. Or maybe you want to take your existing business to the next level. Now you just need the tools to put those ideas into action. Luckily, there are a number of local resources that can help. Here are a few to get you started:
• Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business & Entrepreneurship department provides information and seminars to help folks start and grow a small business in Asheville (36 Montford Ave., Asheville; 258-6101; www.ashevillechamber.org).
• A-B Tech’s Small Business Center offers free business counseling, a resource center, plus workshops and other educational opportunities (A-B Tech’s Enka campus, 1465 Sand Hill Road, Suite 1060, Candler; 254-1921; www1.abtech.edu/sbc).
• The Asheville SCORE chapter is part of a nationwide nonprofit association that provides free advice from experienced volunteer business counselors (151 Patton Ave., Asheville in Room 259 of the Federal Building; 271-4786; ashevillescore.org).
• Blue Ridge Food Ventures, a program of the regional economic development partnership AdvantageWest, rents a large shared-use kitchen to entrepreneurs who need a place to produce and package foods (A-B Tech’s Enka campus, 1461 Sand Hill Road, Candler; 348-0128; www.advantagewest.com).
• Center for Community Self-Help and its financing affiliates, including Self-Help Credit Union, “provide financing, technical support, consumer financial services, and advocacy for those left out of the economic mainstream,” according to its website (34 Wall St., Suite 704, Asheville; 253-5251; www.self-help.org).
• The nonprofit Eagle Market Streets Development Corp. develops “people, property and businesses” with a focus on minority-owned and –operated businesses. Sept. 29 launches the newest session of BLOCK Academy, a free, 14-week intensive entrepreneurship and job-creation training program “aimed at equipping participants to be able to better compete in the mainstream marketplace,” says CEO Stephanie S. Twitty (70 S. Market St., Asheville; 281-1227; www.eaglemarketsts.net).
• Mountain BizWorks, a nonprofit community development financial institution, aims to support entrepreneurship in 12 Western North Carolina counties through lending, consulting and training, with services in English and Spanish. Its Womens Business Center targets women entrepreneurs (153 S. Lexington Ave., Asheville; 253-2834; mountainbizworks.org).
• The SheBIZ Alliance is a women’s networking and referral group that provides a non-competitive environment to connect with other business owners and develop business leads (1456 Patton Ave., Asheville; 230-8112; shebizalliance.com).
• Small Business Administration’s Western North Carolina office offers information on small-business loans, grants, bonds and other financial assistance (29 Haywood St., Asheville, 225-1844; www.sba.gov).
• Small Business and Technology Development Center, the business and technology extension service of the University of North Carolina, provides training and business expertise to small and midsize businesses and start-ups (Two offices through Western Carolina University: 68 Patton Ave. in the lobby of the Bank of America building, Asheville; 251-6025; and 226 Forsyth Building, WCU College of Business, Cullowhee; 227-3504; www.sbtdc.org).
Thanks for reading through to the end…
We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.
We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.