Community and Economic Development

The small business center fosters and supports entrepreneurship, small business, and economic development in local communities, with an emphasis on assisting start-ups, early-stage, and at-risk enterprises. It offers high quality, accessible assistance to business owners.

The Small Business Center provides a variety of training including free business webinars, seminars, interactive workshops, and classes.

Seminars

The Small Business Center provides confidential counseling at no cost to both start-ups and existing businesses. Whether you are exploring starting a business or have a business and need some type of consulting assistance, the Small Business Center team can help.

Start Up Asheville provides online trainings, advice videos, how-to-blogs, live chats with experts, and local one-on-one counseling. They also connect local entrepreneurs with educational events in the Asheville area.

Asheville Angels is a member-based angel investor network. They invest in and support startups and early-stage, high-growth companies in Asheville and across the Southeast.

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce provides a variety of resources including information regarding taxes and incentives, research about the area, and information about the City's economic development strategy

BioNetwork host classes, offer laboratory rental space and testing services, and maintain a small test kitchen for recipe pilot testing and product development.

Black Wall Street is a membership program that hosts a listing of Black-owned businesses in Asheville, hosts events, and offers partnership opportunities.

is an 11,000-square-foot shared-use kitchen and natural products manufacturing facility located at A-B Tech Enka. This commercial kitchen offers support in product development, guidance through the maze of government regulations, equipment for bottling and packaging, advice on marketing and label design, and much more.

New Client Application

Carolina Small business Development Funds provides loans and financial training to start-ups and existing businesses along with lending services to community-based organizations.

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce provides a directory of businesses that offer a range of services to small businesses including accounting, legal services, and banking.

The City of Asheville's Development Portal is the go-to site for all of your building, zoning, land disturbance and permitting needs.

The City's webpage that includes fees, codes, and ordinances related to building and development.

The Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast®(CBI)at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College is designed to support the rapidly growing craft beverage industry in Western North Carolina and the Southeast by providing curriculum and non-credit courses in brewing, distilling, fermentation, and related business practices. The Institute prepares individuals for positions in brewery and distillery operations and management, distribution, sales and marketing, and customer service or to be self-employed and open their own craft production facility.

Eagle Market Streets is a Non-Profit organization which serves the Asheville Buncombe community in property development, economic development and access to human services.

Go Local Asheville is a membership organization dedicated to strengthening the economy by supporting local businesses. Businesses that are members will be added to the online and print directories.

Green Opportunities’ mission is to support marginalized communities toward employment through job training and service.

Hatch Innovation Hub offers 36,000 square feet of tech incubator, meeting, event, and retail space in downtown Asheville with world class amenities.

A monthly networking event for entrepreneurs to provide peer-to-peer coaching.

Hatch offers an expanded suite of programs that entrepreneurs need and want. These include programs to get a business started, build, learn, and scale. They share and coordinate programming, education, and mentors between support organizations. They also provide access to capital.

Monthly “open mic night” for entrepreneurs to provide a safe space to try out new ideas and pitches, held both in-person and virtually.

A “90 day sprint” to identify and resolve key risks in a business model.

Application Form

An annual fast paced 3 day event to “build a business plan in one weekend.”

Mountain Bizworks provides a variety of resources to Asheville businesses including funding, learning, and investment opportunities.

This 5-week course provides a peer-to-peer learning environment for you to assess your venture to date and address the opportunities and challenges emerging on the horizon.

Mountain Bizworks pairs new business owners with local successful busineess owners who have grown their business in the community. This tailored coaching provides relevant support for businesses of all types.

Participants of Catalyst Cohort will be embedded in a peer advisory group facilitated by an experienced growth coach. They will also gain access to one-on-one mentoring, expert speakers, business development services, and other opportunities for transformational learning.

Interest Form

A series of classes that educate and inform small business owners on best practices for organizing and managing business finances.

Cohort style course that provides entrepreneurs with foundational business skills

The invested course allows a cohort of entrepreneurs to learn about and execute investment crowdfunding campaigns.

The Catalyst Fund includes a program of tools to help founders of color and portfolio companies thrive. These tools include: integrated business advisory services, credit building, and grants.

Application

ScaleUp provides intensive growth strategy development and implementation assistance to cohorts of Western North Carolina small businesses with strong potential for growth. This course is typically offered twice annually.

Mountain BizWorks specializes in providing financing to help Western North Carolina small businesses launch and expand, by offering non-traditional loans from $1,000 to $250,000.

Application

Waypoint Accelerator is an outdoor entrepreneurship and innovation accelerator program for early-stage, outdoor-focused companies who have recently embarked on their journey or are still at the trailhead waiting to take the first step.

Interest Form

The Mountain Community Capital Fund is a loan collateral fund that helps act as a guarantee for funding for small business loans to entrepreneurs in Asheville and Buncombe County. It is a collaboration between Carolina Small Business Development Fund, Mountain BizWorks, Self-Help Credit Union, the City of Asheville, and Buncombe County.

The mission of this office is to promote the economic opportunities for historically underutilized businesses in State Government contracting and procurement that will foster their growth and profitability.

NEXT AVL is a 9-month professional mentorship program that pairs local university students with working professionals who offer connection, mentorship, and professional development.

Application Documents

PCI membership enables you to make connections, network and grow your business through Chamber membership.

Application Documents

One-on-one no-fee confidential business coaching

In this FREE four week long cohort, participants will learn about different aspects of starting a business, including identifying potential markets, writing a business plan, running the finances of a business, and marketing a business. You'll work with mentors and peers in fun breakout activities designed to help strengthen your business ideas and prepare you for success!

Application Form

Through collaboration, Spark Tank develops partnerships that support those who seek tools, resources, and capital.

Catapult is an interactive event where entrepreneurs and business owners receive comprehensive group counseling from experienced mentors

Application

Supportedly is a website that connects small businesses to resources for success.

Elevate is a membership program that offers mentoring and networking for startup entrepreneurs with high level founders, executives, and functional experts.

Free job board for local companies hiring knowledge-based workers

The Western Women's Business Center reduces barriers to success for women entrepreneurs in North Carolina. They offer workshops and group trainings, one-on-one business coaching, and access to capital.

WomanUP is an initiative from the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce focused on women in business who wish to build a strong network of women intent on inspiring one another to achieve individual potential; supporting each other in business endeavors; and creating a legacy through mentorship.