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 […]
Asheville, NC
If you’re thinking of starting up a small business in North Carolina, Asheville may not be the best choice according to a new Small Business Friendliness Survey from Thumbtack and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The survey, conducted over 38 states and 82 metropolitan areas and including responses from over 12,000 small business owners, ranked Asheville dead […]
While it is true that a business owner needs to analyze the financials and create an effective marketing plan, success requires more. There are two other crucial ingredients, which may at first seem like a strange combination: determination and flexibility. Many of Mountain BizWork’s clients, especially the Latino immigrant entrepreneurial community, demonstrate just how powerful […]
All year long, the Minority Enterprise Development nonprofit helps minority business owners get their feet on the ground and their ideas to the next level. And once a year, they recognize what those entrepreneurs have accomplished. Said one winner, Roman Marin-Vera, “This country gives opportunity to everyone.”
More than 100 entrepreneurs and investors gathered Thursday, Oct. 27, for Venture Local, a business conference dedicated to the growing local-business movement. Hosted by the Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council, the forum brought business people from across the region and speakers from across the nation to the Asheville Renaissance Hotel.
Soap peddler: Kimberly Masters Kimberly Masters has always been the crafty type. As a business student at UNC-Greensboro, she made things in ceramics classes. Later, she moved on to fleece hats and headbands, which she made while working as a bicycle tour guide in Alaska. It was a more recent trip to the doctor, though, […]
As downtown shops go, it’s a bit of an anomaly. But owner Lisa Ziemer sees her new Battery Park Avenue business, Va Va Vooom, filling an important need for Asheville women. Bringing sexy back: Lisa Ziemer and Brian Kirk want their new downtown intimate-apparel store, Va Va Vooom, to be a fun, sexy and comfortable […]
Business is about to burn out for Rick Fornoff‘s profitable invention, and he says he’s just fine with that. Rick Fornoff Photo by Jonathan Welch The creator of The Burning Bush Fire Starter, Fornoff is one local entrepreneur who’s ready for his product to be off the shelves. He’s closing up shop in tandem with […]
Diane English has held many jobs in her time. She’s been a medical technician, has sold ads and shoes, and served a stint as a newspaper graphic designer “in West-by-God Virginia,” she says. She even owned a metaphysical bookstore in St. Augustine, Fla., for 14 years. Fanny tickler: Diane English, owner of Asheville’s Great Cosmic […]
If you’re a savvy entrepreneur with a good idea or a smart investor with a fat wallet, there’s a networking event on Thursday you shouldn’t miss.
Honeywear Inc. began humbly enough: two busy working moms with an idea for a better baby sling. Now, after less than two years in operation, the home-based business appears poised to make the big time—or at least take a giant leap. Moving on up: Local entrepeneurs Christen Ward and Kristin Keliher and their company, Honeywear, […]
Ever thought you had a great idea for a business or invention? Ever let the thought pass without acting on it? Don’t be ashamed—you have a lot of company. Egg-cellent idea: Borne of a back ailment, the Three Minute Egg yoga prop is the brainchild of Asheville’s Jason Scholder. Photo by Jonathan Welch But Jason […]
If, as Rudyard Kipling famously wrote, “A woman is only a woman, but a good Cigar is a Smoke,” then what does that make the box the cigar came in? In the hands of craftsman and entrepreneur Steven Miller, it’s a fiddle—and one that not only feels and sounds like the real thing but is […]
In the span of just three weeks, green-minded transportation businesses in downtown Asheville have doubled. OK, so the number increased from just one to two companies, but a pair of local entrepreneurs nonetheless are excited about being on the vanguard of a local green-transportation movement. The first, the Your Chariot Awaits pedicab service, along with […]
A lot of entrepreneurs launch a business to fulfill a dream. Some, however, go a step further, using their original startup as a steppingstone to bigger things. Felicia Thurman of Asheville fits squarely in the latter category. Driven: Felicia Thurman, 23, is passionate about her new pedicab service, which is slated to open May — […]
