The successful sale of your business starts months, if not years, before you are ready to sell. Proper preparation not only ensures you will receive the maximum value for your business, but also a quick transaction and favorable terms from potential buyers and lenders. Below are some of the critical components in determining how sellable your business is:
Financial Performance
Owner Dependency
Operational Efficiency & Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Management Team & Key Employees
Growth Potential
Transferability
Future Potential
At Atlantic Coast, we’ll work with you to determine your business's value and sellability. We can then develop a proper plan to guide you and your business to a successful exit.
Contact us today to take the first step in planning your exit and for a Complimentary Business Valuation!
“It's not just about finding a buyer; it's about finding the right buyer for the business you have put your heart and soul into for so many years. Every transaction involves dramatic life changes and represents accomplishments for both the buyer and seller. We embrace the challenges because we know dreams are hard work, which is why we never stop working to make yours come true. Goals are meant to be exceeded, dreams fulfilled, and life enjoyed (especially retirement).”
Kégan English - Founder of Atlantic Coast
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Welcome to the Women in Business special edition. If you’re reading this, thank Grace Hay. And Joanie Fischer. And Kyle Hulsey. Without these three amazing women, WNC Business wouldn’t exist.
It all started in 1982 when Grace Hay created Hendersonville Magazine. Grace sold the magazine to her associate Joanie Fisher in 1987. As publisher, Joanie was successful in growing the brand into a recognizable and celebrated institution. I was introduced to Joanie Fischer in 2012, and was presented with the opportunity to acquire Hendersonville Magazine and Healthcare Resources of WNC from her company, Fischer Publications. My beautiful wife Kyle, an entrepreneur herself, gave me the nudge I needed to take the leap of faith and realize my own dream of being a business owner in the local media industry.
Thanks to Grace and Joanie’s innovation and commitment to excellence, combined with the support and encouragement I continue to receive from my wife Kyle, Hulsey Media has been able to create multiple opportunities for women to achieve success. The impact of these three women has empowered our team to grow, including the addition of WNC Business to our suite of local publications in 2022.
In this issue, we are celebrating local Women in Business. We are also sharing information from insiders working in the Retirement, Retail, and Government/Nonprofit sectors. As we do so, we acknowledge the significance of Women in Business across all industries and sectors in our region and beyond. We also acknowledge the women who may not be directly involved in business, but who support their spouses and partners in their career paths in so many ways.
We encourage you to share your accomplishments and celebrations with us. Tag us on social media, click Submit News at WNCBusiness.com, or email Editor@WNCBusiness so we can share your success.
Here’s to Grace, Joanie, Kyle, the team of women who have made Hulsey Media what it is today, and to the many, many women who empower and inspire others to do great things.
President & Publisher
Brett Hulsey Editor Randee Brown
Advertising
Katie Cornwell | Katie Eastridge
Jenn Muckelvaney | Jen Sechrist
Marketing Manager
Alissa Fuller
Operations Manager Michelle Tracy
Design/Production
LS Creative Cover Photo
Juls Buckman
We would like to thank the fine businesses and organizations who have purchased advertising in our magazine, thereby helping us to bring you an attractive and informative publication. If you have a business or provide a service that would benefit from exposure in WNC Business Magazine, call to reserve a space in the next edition.
828-513-3888
Info@WNCBusiness.com WNCBusiness.com @WNCBusiness
Brett Hulsey President & Publisher, Hulsey Media, Inc.
COPYRIGHT
For 125 years, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has been committed to building a stronger community. Our initiatives and projects have stimulated economic development and supported the growth of thousands of local and regional businesses.
Today, we are the local champion for a balanced, thriving economy and connect businesses, large and small, to the resources they need to be successful.
We believe that together, we are more.
Discover all the ways the Asheville Chamber can grow your business and your community at: www.ashevillechamber.org
• WNC Career Expo, Oct. 25 WomanUP Celebration & Awards Ceremony, Nov. 3
FInd YOUR opportunity for connections & insights: Monthly education & networking
• Metro Economy Outlook, Dec. 13
• Venture 15, Dec. 14
Kofi Lomotey, the Chancellor John Bardo and Deborah Bardo Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership at Western Carolina University, recently received the 2023 Distinguished Contributions to Social Contexts in Education Research Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Educational Research Association Division G.
DragonAss Smoked BBQ owners Annmarie Dragonette and Gary Baker were awarded 2022’s Business of the Year at the Andrews County Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Dinner & Awards in July.
Hornsby Creative Founder John Hornsby received the prestigious Business of the Month Award from Haywood Chamber of Commerce.
Inc. revealed Brevard-based SylvanSport has been named to its annual Inc. 5000 list, the ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. SylvanSport ranks at 1,554 on the 2023 Inc. 5000, and also ranks 97th in the consumer products category in this ranking.
Blue Ridge Energy has been named by Best Companies Group to the list of 2023 Great Employers in North Carolina.
During the North Carolina Building Inspectors Association’s annual conference, Director Bob Haynes and
Assistant Director Jason Rogers took home the President’s Choice Award and were voted as President-Elect and Director of Area 1, respectively.
Haywood Community College leaders presented Calab Tate with the Superior Staff award, and Stephanie Wampler with the Master Teacher award in August. Inc. announced that Benton Roofing ranks No. 4,275 on the 2023 Inc. 5000, its annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
Jack Benton has been named as the new director of sales at the 188-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown.
Sandra Mowell of Hendersonville will sit as Secretary among the new board members of The League of Women Voters of North Carolina.
Kanuga, a historic 1,400-acre site specializing in retreats, summer camps, conferences, group events, and outdoor experiential education, has hired French Chef Bruno Martin .
The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed Sydney Lyons to the Chamber team as the new Member Services Assistant.
Upon retirement, Pam Pratt , a locally well-known seamstress, sold La Boutique to entrepreneur Christine Gibson , a longtime Haywood County resident.
AdventHealth welcomed Vicky Scott, DO, FACOG, ACLM, AIHM to its team of Gynecology providers at AdventHealth Medical Group Multispecialty at South Asheville.
Samantha Cole , Director of Workforce Partnerships at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, has been appointed to the Land of Sky P20 Council.
McGuire Wood & Bissette attorney and Managing Partner Sabrina Presnell Rockoff has been named 2023-2024 Chair of the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Steve Gwaltney started a new position as a Commercial Banker at Park National Bank in Hendersonville in July.
Blue Ridge Community College welcomed three new members to its Board of Trustees this summer, Dr. Janice C. King, Alfred F. Platt, Jr., and Mike Hawkins.
The Board of Directors of OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling recently announced that Melinda Bullen has joined the agency as Executive Director at OnTrack WNC, replacing Celeste Collins who retired in August.
The Council on Aging for Henderson County announced Elizabeth Williams will be joining the COAHC as Executive Director.
Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital, Duke LifePoint hospitals, announced the appointment of Ashley Hindman as the new Chief Executive Officer.
e-outbox will host a ribbon cutting event on October 11.
Fountain Electric will host an open house for its new headquarters in Spindale in October.
Whole Body Chiropractic will host a ribbon cutting at its Asheville location on November 1.
HCA Healthcare held a ribbon cutting for the new Sweeten Creek Mental Health and Wellness Center in July.
Collab Coworking announced the grand opening of Weaverville’s first coworking space on August 1st.
The Main Event , a Main Street events venue in Hendersonville, announced its grand opening in August.
The $38 million Cancer Center at UNC Health Blue Ridge Valdese held a grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting in August.
Appalachian State University marked a significant milestone in its 124-year history by opening the new Hickory campus.
Heart Strings Intimate Apparel announced their store has expanded to a larger location in the Laurel Park Shopping Center in Hendersonville.
Little Bee Woods , a short term rental and micro event center, celebrated their grand opening in Swannanoa.
Trailside Brewing Co . announced its opening in the Lennox Park Complex in Hendersonville.
HOTWORX , a 24 hour infrared fitness studio, celebrated its grand opening in Asheville.
Grey Hawk Bar & Gardens held its grand opening celebration in Lake Lure on August 31.
Hendersonville Outfitters , a new fly fishing and tackle retail store, announced its grand opening in September.
Appalachian Truss located in Burnsville was acquired by The Oxford Group , a family office and private equity firm headquartered in Minnesota. Officials from Blue Ridge Community College and Southwestern Community College announced that they are partnering to launch the Western North Carolina Respiratory Care Consortium , which expands access to respiratory therapy education in the region.
AdventHealth Hendersonville announced a partnership with Mountain Area Pregnancy Services to bring prenatal care resources to women at the MAPS location in Asheville.
MANNA FoodBank has announced the return of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort as a Premier Platinum Partner for MANNA’s 2023 Signature Events.
Asheville Outlets partnered with Yoga Nut to host a Wellness Expo in September with booth proceeds benefiting Babies Need Bottoms.
The Council on Aging for Henderson County announced Jill Hart will be retiring from her Board of Directors position after serving two three-year terms, acting as Vice Chair (2018-2019) and Chair (20202022).
Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours and its owner Kaye Bentley celebrated their fiveyear anniversary in June.
Mountain Housing Opportunitie s celebrated its 35th anniversary in August.
The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce marks its 125th anniversary in September by celebrating Asheville Through the Looking Glass – a reflection of business prosperity and success and a connection to Asheville’s future progress and growth.
Land of Sky Regional Council’s Area Agency on Agin g celebrates its 50th year in 2023.
Riverside Rhapsody Brewing celebrated its fourth anniversary in August.
Caldwell County’s Commerce building celebrates its 30th anniversary with a Grand Reopening in September.
The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2023.
WEST JEFFERSON - Wilkes Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing program has achieved national accreditation from the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation. The NLN CNEA upholds standards in nursing through an accreditation process that values the diversity of program mission, curricula, students, and faculty. The process also emphasizes a culture of continuous improvement and influences the preparation of a compassionate and skilled nursing workforce. With a demand for certified nurses, this program can open more doors for job prospects of graduates.
Source: Wilkes Community College
In the recent round of funding from Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology grants, internet service provider Skyrunner Inc., was awarded $1.8 million to expand internet service to 500 unserved and underserved households in Buncombe County. While final agreements are still under development, this project will benefit residents in North Turkey Creek, South Turkey Creek, Fairview Forest, Reems Creek, and the Ox Creek area. Buncombe County has provided $500,000 to date in matching American Rescue Act funds. This is the third installment of GREAT grant funding Buncombe County has received, and work is continuing to provide broadband access to as many households as possible.
Source: Buncombe County
LENOIR - The Caldwell County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the newly created Economic Development Strategic Plan. Designed to give guidance to Caldwell Economic Development, the Strategic Plan consists of four action areas: Existing Industry Support, Site Development and Recruitment, Public Awareness and Marketing, Other Opportunities for Collaboration, and Education and Support. The plan includes metrics to help gauge success and lists the various collaborative partnerships for each of the areas of interest.
Source: Caldwell County Economic Development
HENDERSONVILLE - The City of Hendersonville announced it has begun the process of developing its 2045 Comprehensive Plan. It is being referred to as ‘Gen H’ to encourage the community to think generationally about the future of Hendersonville. Gen H will act as a blueprint that will shape the community’s path forward. This plan will build on the foundation of the existing 2030 plan while updating and expanding the policy framework to the year 2045 and beyond. Gen H will help guide local growth and development of the community. It will target topics such as: public infrastructure; community character, cultural, and historic resources; natural resources, sustainability, and resiliency; parks, recreation, and public spaces; downtown and other community-identified focus
areas; and community and economic development.
Source: City of Hendersonville
CULLOWHEE , SYLVA - The Golden LEAF Foundation Board of Directors awarded the following funding projects through the Open Grants Program that will support job creation, economic investment, and workforce preparedness:
- $500,000 to Southwestern Community College in Sylva for dental equipment and supplies to support establishment of a new dental assistant program. The one-year program leading to certification as a dental assistant is expected to begin in the fall of 2023. After two years, the college will add a dental hygiene associate degree program.
- $200,000 to Western Carolina University in Cullowhee to purchase nursing curriculum subscriptions and equipment as well as to pay onboarding fees to implement a new simulated learning environment using virtual and augmented reality technologies for Western Carolina University’s Master’s Entry Prelicensure Nursing program.
Source: Golden Leaf Foundation
MARION - In July, the City of Marion created a new downtown social district with a theme of “Eat, Drink, and Be Marion”. The district officially launched in August, and has since been a huge
success in downtown Marion. So far, downtown restaurants, brew pubs, and retailers have seen a positive impact from the newly-established social district. Although the social district is very new in Marion, downtown business owners have stated they feel that it will help them during the City’s busiest days. Marion is one of more than 40 municipalities in the state that have designated similar districts.
Source: City of Marion
LAKE LURE - The Town of Lake Lure in Rutherford County will receive up to $7 million in loans to construct gravity sewer lines and complete a partnership between the Town and Chimney Rock Village through a physical interconnection of their wastewater systems. The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure reviewed 338 eligible applications from 83 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, requesting $2.676 billion. The State Water Infrastructure Authority approved the awards during its July 18 meeting, using the State Revolving Funds to provide low-interest loans and Principal Forgiveness loans.
Source: Department of Environmental Quality
BREVARD - The Golden LEAF Board awarded funding to support projects through the Flood Mitigation Program, including $250,000 to the City of Brevard in Transylvania County for installation of new stormwater infrastructure to mitigate flooding that occurs in Brevard’s downtown business district at the Times Arcade Alley.
Source: Golden Leaf Foundation
Boone - The second quarter of the year is naturally slow due to the seasonal nature of the local commercial real estate market in Watauga County. Compared to August 2022, sales are down by 10.53%. This is based on sales from the second quarter of 2022 versus the sales in the second quarter of 2023. In terms of permitting activity for the second quarter, Amorem is planning a new patient care unit at a project cost of $5,384,874, Home2 Suites is being built along East King Street at a project cost of $14,058,417, and Boone Dermatology is renovating one of their buildings in the medical district at a project cost of $500,000.
Source: Boone Area Chamber of Commerce
BURNSVILLE - The Federal Highway Administration awarded a $18,742,587 construction contract to Bryant’s Land and Development Industries of Burnsville, $15,681,860 of which is for Lakeview Drive reconstruction in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Work will include the complete reconstruction of the six-anda-half-mile-long road, replacement of all guardrails, construction of ADA accessible parking spaces, new road signs, drainage repair, and other miscellaneous work. The contract also includes $3,060,726 for Bryant’s to repair Heintooga Ridge Road. Work will be complete by September 30 and includes roadway patching, crack sealing, and an asphalt pavement preservation overlay.
Source: National Park Service
More passengers used Asheville Regional Airport during the month of June 2023 than in any other month in the airport’s history, exceeding 200,000 monthly passengers for the first time. Up 25% compared to June 2022, this is another example of the rapid growth that is occurring at AVL. The continued growth in passenger traffic month after month is a testament to the region’s growing popularity as a travel destination, as well as the area residents’ propensity for travel. The airport’s range of routes and airlines has played a pivotal role in catering to the region’s travel needs, connecting travelers to an extensive network of domestic and international destinations
Source: Asheville Regional Airport
North Carolina set a record for visitor spending in 2022, according to county-level data released in August by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. North Carolina’s urban counties registered the largest gains in 2022 visitor spending, following a few years of rural counties leading visitor spending post-pandemic. A record $33.3 billion in visitor spending statewide in 2022 came to counties that rely on both business and leisure travel spending, and 45 of the state’s 100 counties had doubledigit increases in visitor spending. Buncombe County ranked third in the state (after Mecklenburg and Wake Counties) bringing in $2.9 billion, up 9% from the previous year.
Source: NC Department of Commerce
Working to overcome challenges in many aspects of life, women are continuing to rise to the forefront of the business community in WNC and beyond.
Though women have technically been business owners in the US since 1739, it was only in 1988 that Congress passed the Women’s Business Ownership Act, which directed the Small Business Association to provide resources and support to businesses owned and controlled by women and eliminated discriminatory lending practices that favored men over women.
The number of women-owned businesses doubled between 1992 to 2002, and the number of Women’s Business Centers has grown exponentially around the country since 1989.
With a vast array of support organizations and networks for women in business, the number of women-owned businesses continues to grow. Women are leaders in any and every industry around WNC, some making their way up the ranks of corporations, and some embracing the region’s entrepreneurial spirit and building successful, scaling businesses of their own. In this feature, we hope to share some disparities that still remain, some of the resources available to help women achieve their goals, and some of the success stories of the women who are doing just that.
UNCA professor and co-author of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: A Gender Perspective, Susan Clark Muntean, MBA, Ph.D. has a thorough understanding of gender disparities in entrepreneurship. Muntean began her research before her first publication in 2011 with a focus on high-growth female-founded businesses and the equity gap in funding. “It’s enormous, and it’s not getting better,” she said.
In 2022, about 2% of venture capital funds went to female-founded businesses, and only about 1% of capital funds went to people of color. Muntean said over the last decade, female-founded businesses
have received between 3% and 7% of this funding, but never more than 7%, and there has not been any trend of increase. With a body of researchers studying gender disparities in entrepreneurship, the majority of focus has been what’s wrong with the women — why are those businesses smaller, why don’t they hire more, and why are they undercapitalized. Some solutions over the last couple of decades have been women leadership and mentorship programs.
“The problem with these solutions is a lack of a theory of change, and we need a compelling theory of change to fix the problem,” Muntean said. “If the problem was that women aren’t as skilled or ambitious, knowledgeable, or confident, the theory would say once these intervention programs were in place, the problem should go away. If leadership and mentorship programs were the solution, we should see the Fortune 500 include 51% women, reflecting the population, but it’s been steadily only 6%.”
Implicit, second-generation, or unconscious bias has a part in the capital discrepancies, according to Muntean. Our brains have a lens through which they interpret the world, informed by our upbringing and social media.
An experiment was conducted in which female-founded and male-founded startups going for venture capital presented their ideas. The study found that females get asked downside questions regarding risks and weaknesses, implying ‘going down that rabbit hole’ may seem risky. Alternatively, males were asked questions about upside potential and revenue projections, creating a disadvantage for females right out of the gate, and even female investors are more skeptical of female-founded startups.
Another reason for the disparity is networks, according to Muntean. While there are always exceptions to the rule, there is a big difference in how women
use social networks. A concept in social network theory says there are two types of ties — weak and strong. Strong ties include long-time friends and family, and weak ties are more transactional like fellow members of a chamber of commerce.
“In the entrepreneurial world, weak ties are more likely to lead to finding resources,” Muntean said. “Research shows that women are more comfortable and more likely to rely only on strong ties, and this is true when asking for money. Men are on average more likely to feel comfortable going to weak ties and having more transactional conversations in the business world. Weak ties are incredibly important for gaining resources, partners, collaborators, support, and investors. Women are disadvantaged in this network.”
The sociological concept of homophily plays a role in the entrepreneurship disparity as well. This concept states that people are more likely to interact and engage with people who are similar to themselves. Muntean said this is not intentional nor based in discrimination; it’s simply human nature. Since 97% of venture capitalists are male, it takes a lot of intentionality to tap into the networks of minorities.
Implicit bias is another issue, according to Muntean. Women who received SEED capital from funding specifically for women were less likely to get funding at later stages. Investors became skeptical at later stages of capital need due to an unconscious assumption that the only reason they received funding is because of gender, and the business wasn’t otherwise worth the investment.
Muntean suggested five steps that can move the needle in the direction of equitable investments for entrepreneurs: Awareness - Some people literally don’t see the gap. Though awareness of the support gap has grown, the problem won’t be solved without across-the-board understanding.
Will - Top-level leaders of funds need to have a commitment to bringing about these changes.
Knowledge - Many people know the disparity is a problem but don’t know how to fix it. They aren’t aware of factors like implicit bias, and would benefit from education on best practices.
Action - Leaders must take intentional action as well as change patterned behaviors.
Measurement - Investors must commit to transparency, accountability, and closing the loop by analysis of funding patterns and recipients, open reporting on that analysis, and continued efforts when patterns don’t change.
“Asheville is exemplary and emergent in that many organizations work together to support female- and BIPOC-owned businesses,” Muntean said. “Being a great place to live and move to, there is a diverse community here from all over the country. Asheville is a gem in the
rough, and can really be a model for other small- to medium-sized cities trying to build inclusive, vibrant ecosystems with available capital and support.”
The Greater Women’s Business Council® is an Atlanta-based nonprofit that is a regional partner of Women’s Business Enterprise National Council providing Women Business Enterprise certifications in GA, NC, and SC. GWBC is one of 14 regional partner organizations authorized to provide third-party certifications for corporate entities in the public and private sectors, and according to President and CEO Roz Lewis, GWBC is one of the largest organizations in the US.
We raise funds to support the life-nurturing equipment, facilities, and medical technology that has made UNC Health Pardee Hospital a fixture of Western North Carolina
www.pardeehospitalfoundation.org
828.233.2700
“We’ve certified close to 1 million businesses between three states,” Lewis said. “Think about what that number must mean for economic value. These are women going out and trying to make a difference in their communities, and they are hiring within their communities. The breadth and quality and talent that we have within these women-owned businesses is phenomenal, as most small businesses are.”
The WBE certification is a tool that gives access to education, resources, funding through partnerships and Community Development Financial Institutions, and innovative networking opportunities with major corporations including introductions to representatives from Fortune 1,000 companies and prime suppliers.
“Large corporations are interested in supporting this organization to create a central portal to access WOSBs for opportunities and to build relationships,” Lewis said. “This helps major corporations support their goals of spending with diverse suppliers.”
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program managed by the Pardee Hospital Foundation since 1997 to help bridge the financial gap for women facing critical health issues.
There is also a mentor/protege program addressing top challenges for women in business. Lewis said the top two challenges are available mentorship and access to capital, and the third is being taken seriously. GWBC felt it was important to create a WBE to WBE mentorship program for those who understand the challenges from startup to scaling a business. She said they are engaging more corporations to participate, and they also have peer-to-peer partnerships in which participants must interview and meet qualifications.
Trends for WBEs are changing as well. With so many WBEs now in existence, they are paving the way for the next generation to follow in their footsteps.
Some women-owned businesses are also looking at succession planning, providing opportunities for the next generation to acquire existing businesses owned by women as opposed to creating their own. According to Lewis, this generation is setting the foundation for the next to take these businesses to the next level.
Lewis often sees that women are adverse to loans, and believes a paradigm shift needs to take place. Women are often mitigating risk, but some do so to the point of paralyzing the business’s ability to grow. Repetitive messaging showing examples of successes and how they got there can be helpful.
“Women are hiring more, offering a direct correlation to community growth
and expansion,” Lewis said. “Looking at the economic value of women-owned businesses is what conversations should be on a daily basis, and now is the time to really look at the intentions and impacts on our communities. Our goal is to expand even more within the Carolinas to hopefully accomplish that, offering opportunities for WBEs to engage with us and take advantage of resources in order to grow.”
WNC is a region that stands out from other parts of the state because of the closeness of the community and the desire to support each other, according to Western Women’s Business Center Director Zurilma Anuel.
WWBC offers a variety of training workshops from the Small Business Administration, and also partners with the Small Business Technology and Development Center and SCORE for collaboration in creating their own training programs.
There are specific opportunities for underrepresented populations within WWBC’s programming as well. WWBC’s African American Business Association is a program of Opportunity Asheville. Opportunity Asheville is a partnership between Mountain Bizworks, Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation and the City of Asheville. Grants are
provided through other collaborations including the Community Development Block Grant Program which supports community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities.
WWBC offers a Latino business program to support the local Hispanic community. Trainings and coaching sessions are available in Spanish, and include the same types of course topics including business start-up help, access to capital, and more.
“Everyone is welcome here,” Anuel said. “Even men come for some trainings and workshops. While we want to make sure women know this is a program for them because that population is in more need, we won’t say no to anyone.”
Programming varies as well, as Anuel said offerings are always changing to reflect what is relevant and needed. During COVID, coaches spent a lot of time helping people prepare to be loan-ready and receive their PPP loans. They have had programs about doing business on TikTok and a training on how to ‘go live’ on Facebook, and there is increasing demand from participants to receive training about how to do business online.
Challenges experienced by these womenor minority-owned businesses also vary. Many are afraid of the unknown, according to Anuel, and many are not very confident at the beginning because they don’t know if they will be able to find the resources and support they need. She said it’s great to talk to family and friends about business
“Looking at the economic value of women-owned businesses is what conversations should be on a daily basis, and now is the time to really look at the intentions and impacts on our communities.”
ideas, and it’s also important not to deny yourself a potential business opportunity without talking to the experts.
“Do your homework, get to know your resources, and follow your instincts,” Anuel said. “People will use any excuse not to go for their goals when they are scared, so we have very open conversations with our clients. We laugh, we cry, and we share all the resources because there are plenty to go around. Women have superpowers, and we help them discover those superpowers when they need them.”
A resource partner of the US Small Business Administration, the Small Business and Technical Development Center focuses on supporting small- and
medium-sized businesses during their start-up phases. While their programming is available to anyone in business that needs support, more than 35% of businesses served are women-owned. Regional Center Director Elena Gupta said they are trying to increase that percentage, and they do offer special programming for women-owned businesses in WNC.
In March of 2023, the SBTDC supported an International Women’s Day event providing business information and support to 344 attendees from around the region. During the first six months of the year, the organization worked with more than 2,000 business women in NC with over 16,000 hours of consulting. This resulted in $37 million in capital infusion and led to the start of 215 new women-owned businesses, creating and
retaining 1,633 jobs and increasing statewide sales by more than $40 million.
Understanding that women-owned businesses can suffer from lack of capital, Gupta said the SBTDC offers help with exploration of funding options and works with locally-based businesses and Community Development Financial Institutions to expand and present different options for capital formation. They also help business owners with tasks such as constructing business plans and creating financial projections before they meet with a lender.
“Throughout the US, women always get less investments than men,” Gupta said. “This is not a secret; this is our society and our reality.”
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The SBTDC helps connect women to specific grants, CDFI programs, and investment groups nationwide that focus on women-owned businesses, and Gupta said they try to spread as much information to women as they can.
A program of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, WomanUP was created in 2016 with the help of Webb Investment Services President and Founder Laura Webb and her passion for supporting women in business, particularly those in male-dominated fields.
Vice President of Member Services and Director of WomanUP Leeanne Briggs said the program’s focus is on connectivity, support, and inspiration with a big celebration each November.
Annually, WomanUP events include two main workshops, the WomanUP In Action Series, and the WomanUP Awards ceremony. Asheville Chamber’s Vice President of Communications Erin Leonard said the WomanUP Awards brings a large number of attendees every year. With fewer than 350 attendees at the first ceremony in 2016, attendance has grown to as many as 750 people.
“People talk about what it’s like to be in that room full of women and the energy that’s there,” Leonard said. “Attendance really closes the spectrum of industries, company size, and positions held within businesses. Lots of non-Chamber members also attend, and it’s always so inspirational.”
Briggs and Leonard work together to create content for the program based on surveys gauging interest in different areas. With a passion to diversify the program’s audience and that of the Chamber in general, they are intentionally reaching out to a wider variety of people, and they factor that goal into creating content and programming. Briggs said she has heard people say WomanUP is the reason they join the Asheville Chamber, and the workshops have created friendships, mentorships, and collaboration among attendees.
Founded in 1982 by Martha Mayhood, ATHENA International is a women’s leadership organization that supports, develops, and honors women leaders through the programs it administers.
ATHENA’s flagship program, the ATHENA Leadership Award, has honored about 8,000 women leaders from 48 states and 11 countries since its inception.
The ATHENA Leadership Award recognizes women from a wide variety of sectors. The ATHENA Leadership Award is presented by chambers of commerce, women’s organizations, and universities
“Throughout the US, women always get less investments than men,” Gupta said.
“This is not a secret; this is our society and our reality.”
to an individual or organization who demonstrates the qualities embodied in the ATHENA Leadership Model. All our programs are based on the ATHENA Leadership Model which feature the Eight Principles of Enlightened Leadership and the unique way women lead. These eight principles include: Live Authentically, Learn Constantly, Build Relationships, Foster Collaboration, Act Courageously, Advocate Fiercely, Give Back and Celebrate.
Vanessa Y. Mintz brought the ATHENA Leadership Award to Henderson County in 2008. She embodied the values underlying ATHENA International’s philosophy of incorporating the talent and expertise of women into the leadership of our businesses, communities, and government.
According to Henderson County Chamber of Commerce’s Operations and Programs
Manager Amy Muniz, Award nominees are recognized for their professional excellence, community service, and actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. Anyone can obtain a nomination form from the Chamber’s website or an ATHENA Committee member.
“My favorite part is that the committee seeks judges from outside the community to review nomination forms,” Muniz said. “These judges can be from outside of the region or even outside of the state so there is no bias; they can only judge nominees by what is written on the form by the nominator.”
The ATHENA Leadership Award in Henderson County is presented at the Professional Women’s Luncheon each May to an exemplary leader who has
achieved excellence in their business or profession, served the community in a meaningful way, and actively assisted women to achieve their full leadership potential.
“Women’s pants suck” was the general sentiment for Founder of Stagehands Clothing Julie Walther and her business partner. Wanting to build an authentic business for people working at live events and in trades, Walther began actively getting to know more women working in trades to better evolve the company to the needs of her customers.
Relocating to the Asheville area from Chicago in 2022, Walther started reaching out to handywomen with the goal of pulling people together. She began
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a MeetUp group in January of 2023 called Women in Trades, inviting anyone identifying as female working in a primarily male-dominated business to attend. The first MeetUp consisted of 16 women, and by July the group comprised more than 110 individuals.
The group now hosts a monthly formal meeting with programming in addition to several social gatherings each month. Program topics can be anything that a member wants to share including business issues like recruiting, preventing burnout, and social media marketing. The programming provides a vehicle for initiating conversations about these subjects as people mingle afterwards, and Walther said these conversations lead to friendships and collaborations.
Collaborations like these are also bringing community issues to light, according to Walther. Many older women who live alone
prefer a woman to come into their home to help with repairs when something goes wrong. She hired a handywoman to help her own mother and was able to pass along the handywoman’s information to another friend for the same reason.
“This highlighted an obvious need,” Walther said. “I want to create a space that is women-run. I reach out when I hear about women in trades and invite them to the group; it’s a space that feels really safe and connected. These women have really hard jobs, and it feels great to have allies that get it and take us seriously.”
Walther said she finds that the more people talk, the more they see connections with each other. They are sharing tools, techniques, and sales strategies, and individuals with “straight up trade skills” like a plumber or a handiworker often get asked a lot of questions. She said there is so much joy for everyone in gathering
and everyone is excited to share and talk. There is lots of peer encouragement and interviewing that takes place at each of these meetings, according to Walther. There are conversations about working toward retirement and how to train a replacement or bringing on an apprentice. Some women have gone to work for a day with another woman to see if the type of work is a good fit, which can turn into incubators for finding and testing new employees.
More than sharing trade information, tools, and direct business advice, Walther said there are also many conversations helping to empower women. Participants discuss the tendency to undervalue services, that it is okay to make money, and how to properly price the services being provided. She said so many women either volunteer or give away or underprice their skills, and there are often reminders that just because it is easy for one person does not mean a service, skill, and someone’s experience is not incredibly valuable to someone else.
“We have all been given messages of how to use our body and our brain and our skills,” Walther said. “We are taught how to behave at home and in the workplace. Having an outlet for women to be able to talk about their personal lives and also provide support to each other in that arena supports the positive thinking that each woman can be their own person and make the choices that work for them.”
“Having an outlet for women to be able to talk about their personal lives and also provide support to each other in that arena supports the positive thinking that each woman can be their own person and make the choices that work for them.”Henderson County's 2023 ATHENA Leadership Award nominees.
With a 28 year career in the banking industry, Vice President of First Horizon Bank’s South Asheville Branch Stephanie Lee is used to being the only woman in the room.
Originally working in retirement and investment services, Lee said her job gave
her the satisfaction of helping customers reach their goals as well as a sense of personal success. Loving her work, she earned a security license for investment services and continued along that path, later pivoting to retail banking where she works more directly with individuals to help them achieve their financial success. Working in banking allows Lee to help people understand their role in their money cycle, as well as how to use it to benefit themselves and their community. She is able to help women and minorities make their dreams of having a better financial balance or have a business come true, saying those goals can’t be accomplished without money. Though she enjoys her career in this maledominated industry, Lee said she has often been the only woman in the room and has felt as if she is not being heard.
“I’m there, but I’ve sometimes felt like no one is really listening to me,” Lee said. “There were often no minorities in the room either, so I had two challenges there. I have to make a point to do my research, studying and preparing to show up and use the knowledge that I have because I do have something to say, and I do want to be heard.”
Lee said within the variety of segments of banking, some tend to be more maledominated than others. Many deals are often made on the golf course, and though she has the experience and the knowledge to help businesses keep growing, she doesn’t get invited.
“I don’t play golf so I wouldn’t be a good partner, but I still want to be recognized for the skills I can bring to the table,” Lee said. “I can make just as good a deal over
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lunch, in a meeting room, or in any other setting as my male counterparts. It’s a little disheartening when this happens, but the challenge ultimately makes me rise even more to the occasion with the drive to really show who I am and what I can do.”
Bringing so much knowledge to the table, Lee will always say something when she has the opportunity to do so. She has rarely left a meeting when someone didn’t say “Wow, you are really smart,” and she often thinks “Well, what were you expecting?” She feels the statement comes from someone being surprised at what she has to say, but she has consistently worked hard to earn each position along her path to Vice President, and deserved to be in each of those roles.
“I still get that comment at least once a week,” Lee said.
With a continued goal of being more front-facing to the community, Lee works to be impactful to young women deciding what to study in school, not wanting them to underestimate the opportunities in finance and business. She also has the opportunity to work in the community to teach women and minorities how to manage their money and grow their business by serving on the board at the Western Women’s Business Center and working with Dr. Hackett at Black Wall Street.
“I love being a role model for my daughter and her friends and other people starting their work,” Lee said. “It’s one thing to hear that anything is possible, and it’s another thing to see it; it’s more impactful to be seen in real life. It’s so rewarding because this influence is happening organically, and it feels really great to be that person.”
Accomplishing what she set out to do is non-negotiable for local serialentrepreneur Brittany Bettini.
Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, Bettini said she noticed life revolving around the business and remembers thinking she didn’t want to do that. After college, she left a domestic violence
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situation and realized she couldn’t afford to feed her children on a single income. She recognized that she needed to do something extra in order to provide for her kids the way she wanted to.
“I worked for my family’s company and realized the freedom and flexibility of time that was offered,” Bettini said. “I realized they were the ones calling the shots. I worked in every position of that company from cleaning toilets to eventually becoming CEO, taking back my power and retiring my parents. It feels really good to know they are taken care of.”
Bettini promised her parents to take care of Clean Streak, Inc. and its reputation, and she also saw other opportunities to create other businesses in recent years. She notices a problem, solves the problem, and wants to help others solve similar problems for themselves.
Bettini said she spent a lot of time in her life being told she couldn’t do certain things. Hearing she wasn’t good enough, pretty enough, or smart enough, she said at some point something inside of her snapped and she wanted to prove everyone wrong.
Investing in herself and her growth, Bettini found others doing whatever it was she wanted to do. She paid mentors, went to therapy, and “bet the whole farm” on herself. She said she is a dedicated and loyal employee, wanting to be that for herself just as much as anyone else.
“People keep thinking I’m crazy until I’m successful in a new venture,” Bettini said. “I’m doing it even though I’m broke or don’t have any clients and it doesn’t make sense to others, but I have a laser focus and once I set my mind to something, I don’t question it.”
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“Avoid overthinking, avoid the temptation that to be on track you must spend lots of money. My best mentors have been my friend group and my own reading, studying, observing has served my quite business well”
- Lisa Laney, MSW, CMCKnowing she will occasionally get treated differently as a woman, Bettini said she has learned to just embrace it. She owns and appreciates her femininity while also knowing how to speak in a way that makes it clear that she is the person to talk to.
“I’ve learned the balance of being a soft woman and being a powerful woman,” Bettini said.
As a mom, Bettini said her children are her biggest motivator. She has been able to show them they can do whatever they put their minds to, having exposed them to messy and challenging moments in business that have ultimately broken belief barriers. Now, she said as they grow up, they won’t ever think something isn’t possible.
“They were with me through some of the worst times, and they loved me when there was no money and I couldn’t buy them presents on their birthdays,” Bettini said. “It is truly unconditional love. When I started this journey, I asked them to stick with me, telling them I was going to have to work a lot for a while but it was going to be worth it. Now I can take the time I need and do anything I want for them. I’ve been able to give them a different life than the one we used to have.”
After working in sales for other industries in Charlotte, Leah Wong Ashburn came to work with her father Oscar Wong at Highland Brewing Company in 2011. She began her time with Highland working in the sales department, eventually moving
from Vice President to President in 2015 then CEO in 2018.
“I remember feeling so nervous because my personality is more cautious; my dad was the risk-taker,” Ashburn said. “That is often a stereotypical thing with women. We often have a real need to make everything right and make all the right decisions. This was a big responsibility in a rapidly-changing industry.”
There was a bit of hesitation from others when Ashburn began her leadership roles in the company, though she said she didn’t feel like it was because she is a woman. There was a change in some of the company’s top leadership positions, and any change can be difficult. She said it all worked out fine, as the company is always evolving, and these different evolutions are what has helped to make the company successful.
“There was a call to make the brewery my own,” Ashburn said. “It was such a gift, and my dad was so willing and open to have the business be mine and reflect new times, new people, and fresh eyes. I’m still really grateful for that.”
From an external perspective, Ashburn said she felt “verbally patted on the head” by some of her customers when she took over ownership of the company. Not being as outwardly social as her father, she feels that her personality type can sometimes be read as a lack of appreciation for a customer, but that’s not the case.
“I read a comment in our reviews that spoke to that, and I took that really hard because I knew it was incorrect,” Ashburn said. “I know how much I care and my staff know how much I care. I’ve learned to maintain confidence in myself, and I’ve learned not to read all the reviews. I feel like
taking these things personally overlaps with trying to get everything right.”
Ashburn said she hasn’t tried to make a big deal about being a female brewery owner. Her dad always told her it’s more important to do than to say, and she feels that is working when she hears sweet words from Highland’s fans.
“I was raised in a family that said assimilation is the smoothest route,” Ashburn said. “I haven’t pointed out that I’m half-Asian or female in a blog or gone after grants for that. The most impactful things that have happened are when other members of the brewing community or fans of craft brewing approach me and are so gracious and grateful. The respect they give is really touching; it feels great to hear people say they are proud I’m representing women in this field.”
Highland has a 40% female staff, and Ashburn said her father would say that women have brought so much value to the company. Female staff have played a significant role in the development of their philanthropy work. Marketing, accounting, and quality control are also female-dominated areas of the business, and the first male in the events department came on just recently. The lead designer that helped with Highland’s rebrand also happens to be female, and she feels a female perspective has helped shape the look of the brewery’s spaces as well. The values Ashburn said she brings to the company are the same three words she learned as a child at home — quality, integrity, and respect. She maintains company values set by her father of doing good to do well, delivering quality beer, sticking to her word, and treating everyone with respect because every human is deserving of that.
“Being the President and CEO of Highland is a bigger thing than I ever thought I would do,” Ashburn said. “I’m surrounded by creative and intelligent people. I feel responsible for all of their welfare and I
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Formerly a wilderness instructor with NC Outward Bound School, Leslie Apple helps navigate the risks and unknowns of retirement planning. Since 2017, she has earned designations as Retirement Income Certified Professional® and Accredited Asset Management Specialist™️. With her business partner Teri Church, she designs comprehensive, coordinated financial strategies to prepare for and live in retirement.
“Knowledge applied to new situations is innovation, and that’s valuable. Never underestimate the value you bring.”
828-505-0490 | EdwardJones.com
Jessica began her career in Commercial Real Estate in 2015 and has since gained extensive experience in all facets of the industry. Jessica’s brokerage services go beyond the transaction, and she prioritizes effective communication to ensure that her client’s needs and expectations are met, with a high standard of care.
“Being a business owner is challenging, but it can also be very rewarding. Measure your success by how the work makes you feel, regardless of status or financial gain.”
828-222-3685 | Carla-Co.com
Tonya Bartley has been helping patients improve their quality of life through better hearing as an audiologist for 27 years. She became the owner of Biggert’s Hearing in 2022. As a wife and mother of three her friendy, caring demeanor sets the stage for the same quality of care and family atmosphere that Biggert’s has been known for since 2000.
“As a woman in business and a mother, it is important to support each other as we strive to create businesses that allow us to serve our clients and enhance our families lives.”
828-692-0353 | BiggertsHearing.com
feel the gravity that comes with that, but it’s as much an honor as it is challenging. It’s really fun work, and I feel honored and humbled every day in my position.”
Dover Insulation
since 1915, and her father began Dover Insulation in Marion in 1965. She said that when he passed at the young age of 59, there was no clear plan for what to do with the business. She was the one who was able to take on a leadership role, and despite having a lot to learn, she eventually bought out her sisters and has been running the company since 2004.
insulation in facilities such as factories and schools. According to Dover, mechanical insulation is “among the original green industries.” Dover Insulation’s work saves energy, reduces facilities’ carbon footprint, prevents mold, and provides protection to personnel, among other benefits.
After her father passed away in 2004, former editor Laura Dover and her two sisters decided to keep their father’s business, Dover Insulation, in operation. Dover’s grandfather had been an insulator
“I worked in the company when I was younger, but didn’t have a lot of experience,” Dover said. “I had to learn a lot very quickly. Soon after I bought the company, there was an economic downturn. We got through that, and the business is still going strong. It has been incredibly difficult, but also incredibly rewarding.”
Dover Insulation’s work includes insulating piping and ductwork and installing mechanical, industrial, and commercial
“It is a very male-oriented business, but I don’t focus on that,” Dover said. “Everyone treats me with respect. It helps to have had a family member that was so wellestablished and well- respected. I have had the privilege to work with many of my dad’s friends, my dad’s employees, and now some of their children. These connections and relationships have been the key to our success, and I could not have made it without them.”
Dover feels that when staying true to her company’s mission of doing good
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Founder and CEO of I Need A VA, Bettini Business Academy and The Main Event, Brittany Bettini has made a significant impact in the business world. She coaches business owners in rapid growth strategies, leadership, and team building, and is a fierce advocate for battered women, sharing her story to help shelters and programs raise money.
“Support among women is essential. Women are the trailblazers in the business world. Having a network of like-minded women who cheer you on, offer advice, and keep you motivated is a game-changer.”
828-827-4388 | BrittanyBettini.com
Jane Brody is a commercial real estate consultant with over a decade of experience. Licensed in NY and NC, she’s worked with prestigious clients like Ben & Jerry’s, American Red Cross, US Fund for UNICEF, Coca-Cola, and The Special Olympics. She holds academic achievements from Pratt Institute and Columbia University and is passionate about fostering client relationships and supporting underserved communities.
“The most important thing I’ve learned as a woman in business is transparency, integrity, and constant communication for a client-focused approach.”
646-456-8376 | NAIBeverly-Hanks.com
Formerly a freelance copywriter, Randee Brown is the Editor of WNC Business. She communicates with business leaders across the region to craft stories of their businesses, industries, and successes. Brown also edits other Hulsey Media publications including Hendersonville Magazine and Aging Resources of WNC. In addition to working in media, Brown is also co-owner of Collab Coworking in Weaverville.
“I’m constantly in awe of all the amazing work happening in the region. It’s incredibly inspiring to connect with these people and learn about each person’s journey.”
828-513-3888 | HulseyMedia.com
work and emphasizing customer service, gender becomes irrelevant.
In March of 2023, Dover became the President of the National Insulation Association — the first female contractor to take that position. The NIA consists of hundreds of companies nationwide, and her company has been active in the association since 1996. Dover feels small contractors need to be represented and that the ability for these businesses to come together is important, especially for companies located in more rural areas.
“The importance of sharing information and support became increasingly obvious during COVID,” Dover said. “Simply having others who were running similar businesses with whom to talk was a life saver.”
In her role as NIA President, Dover travels all over the country and to Canada to attend
conventions and to give presentations. She talks about the issues facing the industry and small contractors and the resources available to NIA members, and she said it’s been very satisfying.
Dover also has a goal of being a role model for other women in this industry. She has had female mentors, although none who are in her exact role and situation. She hopes to be a mentor to other women who are already in the industry, as well as those looking for a career in the construction trades. She is thrilled that several women have already reached out to her for advice and assistance.
“People are watching,” Dover said. “I’m hopeful that other women contractors will be interested in taking on leadership roles in our national associations. I think it’s really important.”
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Katie has more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry and is the problem solver, communications specialist and key organizer at CWS. Her technical skills are integral to the running of the business. She is responsible for all aspects of client services and relationship management while working in tandem with our wealth advisor to ensure an outstanding client experience.
“I understand the pressure of the to do list! It makes me feel great when I can help someone check something off their list”
828-229-8770 | CanoWealthStrategies.com
Katie Cornwell works in Business Development for Hulsey Media and is also the Associate Publisher of The Real Estate Book of Asheville/ Hendersonville & NC Blue Ridge. She has enjoyed working with the Hulsey Media team for ten years. Katie has a B.A. in Business Administration from Converse College, and a M.S. degree in Management/Leadership from Montreat College.
“Western North Carolina has a strong local business community. I enjoy working with and learning from local entrepreneurs. Working for Hulsey Media provides me with the opportunity to succeed”
828-513-3888 | HulseyMedia.com
Championing women in the construction industry, Grove Manor Flooring owner Sarah Cosgrove values community and diversity, and ensures her team earns a Living Wage, earns PTO, and has medical benefits. She serves on boards and committees including the Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Gov’t Affairs, Hands On! Children’s Museum, and The Mountain Community School.
“I love what I do and am blessed to partner with great builders around the region to help tap into our creative roots. It’s a gift to have the work, and I’m grateful to be in it.”
828-595-5566 | GroveManorFlooring.com
the idea to market boxes for runners and bike riders participating in races and started making them as her hobby. As the demand increased and putting them together became more of a job than a hobby, Jorgensen was approached to take over the business.
The timing was right for Jorgensen, and she was able to take a break from her corporate career to take advantage of more opportunities to continue racing professionally while playing with the idea of working on RunnerBox as a successful side hustle. Lowe joined in, and the two started RiderBox together, becoming equity partners in the company.
RunnerBox and RiderBox are bi-monthly subscription boxes for athletes that includea variety of products for endurance like high-caloric nutrition bars and chews that provide long-lasting energy, as well
as specific accessories like anti-chafe balm and chain grease.
Racing took the two of them on the road often, and just as they decided to sponsor their own team and got everything ready for a big race, it was all called off due to the start of the pandemic in 2020.
“It was actually a blessing in disguise,” Jorgensen said. “Because we weren’t traveling, we went all in on our business. With so many people turning to running and cycling during that time, our business doubled that year.”
“We’d been part of Venture Asheville since 2016 but became fully committed in 2020,” Lowe said. “We began meeting other startups and helping each other. It’s a very collaborative town, and we were accepted with open arms.”
Being women-owned affects how their
business is run, according to Jorgensen. It’s very much more collaborative, especially in Asheville. “Women entrepreneurs are typically more open minded in receiving help and hearing the ideas of others. I really believe that if a woman here has a seat at the table, she will grab your hand and pull you up to the table,” she said.
“We have featured two different energy bars produced by other female racers that we used to work with,” Lowe said. “There’s been some marketing around that, and it’s really cool to be able to do business with other female professional athletes.”
When UNCA reached out regarding an opportunity to partner with a class, Jorgensen said she and Lowe felt this was an exciting opportunity to further dive into the community. Associate Professor of Business Susan Clark designed a course for students to work with a rapidly-scaling business, and Clark said RunnerBox and RiderBox was just the right fit. She said this class is a wraparound immersive experience, acting as an onramp for students to move right into the ecosystem.
“The chosen business must be in the right stage for this program,” Clark said. “Students need to be able to work on tangible deliverables, which gives them opportunities to work on actual sales channels. They learn how to perform a lot of skills, and this also helped Laura and Courtney to the next level.”
“This was a very cool opportunity for us to work on our soft skills,” Jorgensen said. “We were able to practice management, onboarding, motivation, and leadership skills to help the next generation of business.”
Fully committed to participation in this program, they immediately saw how beneficial the opportunity was for their business. “It really opened our eyes and kicked us into gear because of the partnerships with the students,” Lowe said. “We’d love to bring a couple of these students into our staff in the future.”
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MEd/HR
With a grateful heart, after 15 years of healthcare leadership in HR and Organizational Development, Mary Beth felt called to focus exclusively on professional transformation. Within just two years of owning her coaching business, Mary Beth now offers leadership and business best practices such as executive coaching, leadership branding, team development, project management and strategy alignment at a national level.
“Discovering and living out our purpose is always our North Star. The seasons of life that are setbacks are often setups for what you are called to do.”
828-551-4122 | ThisLeaderLife.com
Katie Eastridge is the Marketing Consultant for the Asheville Ale Trail and Discovery Maps of Hendersonville and Asheville. In addition to her work with Hulsey Media she is an owner operator of GreenFlash Watersports with her husband. She enjoys connecting with other local business owners, guiding her kayak brewery tour, wake surfing, playing fiddle and hanging out with her teenagers.
“As an entrepreneur, I am always learning from other small business owners. I have met so many amazing people and we end up sharing advice with each other about challenges and routes to success.”
828-513-3888 | HulseyMedia.com
Alissa Fuller is the Marketing Manager for Hulsey Media and has been with the company for 3 years. Previously working in the operations and marketing role, Alissa moved solely into focusing on marketing and publishing as the company grew in 2022. Outside of Hulsey Media, she also has a small business providing merchandising services for concerts and music festivals.
“My advice to women in business is to follow your intuitive interests, trust your own process, and always take the opportunity to grow.”
828-513-3888 | HulseyMedia.com
husband suggested she attend Blue Ridge Community College instead of law school, and while that was not what she wanted to do, she decided to do what he suggested with the intention of transitioning into a law school later.
created a program for Lenoir-Rhyne Equity and Diversity Institute that teaches businesses how to create inclusive cultures, writing the coursework and teaching some of the classes.
A former school teacher with dreams of becoming a lawyer, Aisha Adams achieved different business successes in an unexpected way.
When Adams expressed her desire to attend law school after several years of teaching, her father told her husband, “she has all the degrees she needs.” Her
Adams visited Blue Ridge Community College to talk about her goals, and during the initial conversation, she shared a blog she had been writing about a variety of business and marketing skills. Impressed by what they saw, BRCC staff suggested she start a business to teach these skills to other business owners, so she launched Aisha Adams Media Group to do just that. Adams later decided to launch another avenue for her DEI work — Equity Over Everything, a company that performs equity audits, leadership training, and promotes community engagement for businesses. Through this business, she
“It grew like wildfire,” Adams said, “But every time I hit a high level of growth in any avenue of my business, I got sick.” Around the time Adams won the WomenUP Women Entrepreneur Best in Business Award, three blood clots were found. She was also very sick when she won Fastest Growing Company Under $10 million from the University of Alabama Birmingham Alumni.
“I was working myself til I was sick,” Adams said. “I had great mentors and a great team, and I was able to come out of those times stronger, but learning to
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Strategic, high-impact results for clients in philanthropy & nonprofits, regional & economic development, healthcare and higher education.
Locally owned in-home care registry serving WNC strives to match every client with quality caregivers to achieve maximum compatibility. Owner, Lisa Laney, MSW, has multiple decades of experience in Home Health Care, Palliative Care, Hospice, Dementia, Skilled Nursing Facilities, as well as Professional Care Management. She is uniquely qualified to support individuals and their families who need one on one care.
“Do things right the first time. The effort may seem steep on the front end, but the payoff allows you to sail forward with success.”
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Mary Michael has over 30 years of business experience, in both commercial and non-profit sectors. Mary works with a worldwide network of leaders that strategically guide and support business owners to reach their full potential for their business and their life!
“The only way you can assure you will fail is not to try. Just go for it, by participating, by giving it your all, your chances of succeeding go up exponentially. Don’t be satisfied just being on the sidelines, get out there. What have you got to lose?”
828-676-4070 | NCBusiness.Coach
Katherine Morosani collaborates with family stewards and women who are ready to master their finances. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, Katherine strategizes with business owners to transition their businesses on their terms and timelines.
“It’s important for women to support each other in business because only women understand the challenges of being a woman in business. Celebrate other women’s successes and use their successes as inspiration.”
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EdwardJones.com/Katherine-Morosani
balance all that was my big ‘aha’. Balancing womanhood, motherhood, and wifehood with the social urgency of all the things I needed to do was tough.”
This ‘aha’ began Adams’ wellness journey. She lost 75 pounds and relaunched a blog with how that has changed her life, and was surprised at the outpouring of women saying they related to her story.
“Women are seeing the beauty of life and wellness,” Adams said. “I want to help people learn how to balance work and life, and show people the importance of feminine leaders to show up whole and well.”
Adjusting her relationship with herself and focusing on what is important to her, Adams also seeks assistance from personal support networks to help ensure her wellness as well as her success. She
visits a chiropractor and a hair stylist, accepts help from her husband and her assistant, and creates time in her daily schedule to work out.
“I need to do all of that to be ready to do all of my work,” Adams said. “Relationships with my clients and partners also support the work that I do. We work together and treat each other well. It’s really a community effort, and it helps to push the whole community forward.”
Understanding that women are often discounted and underfunded in many ways, Adams said one of her goals is to help people create new inner dialogues to foster change. Though change may take time, having someone reach their own ‘aha’ moment can be helpful.
“For me, this is about all of us swimming together,” Adams said. “Creating a
network and a community of strong women can help us all to do better. Strong women can get some negative pushback for being aggressive, assertive, and financially-minded, but we all have to stick to our guns.”
Pam Pate knows the importance of bringing compassion and kindness to the workplace in addition to getting the job done. In her 21 years with Ardenwoods, she’s rarely experienced a dull moment — always eager to meet new residents and hear about their lives. Pam’s leadership is part of what makes Ardenwoods a tight-knit, fun and thriving community for residents and staff alike.
“I have learned over my career to trust my “gut” and to follow my instincts. Don’t get bogged down by perfection, but aim high for yourself and your organization.”
828-684-0041 | ArdenwoodsRetire.com
Mother, friend, businesswoman, leader, Monica’s experience in nonprofit, and owning and growing other businesses led to the creation of Realty ONE Group Pivot. She wanted a company that was also Family, so ROGP is an extension of that - investing in the success of real estate clients and agents. Monica participates on several boards and supports local nonprofits.
“I have had the privilege of meeting so many amazing people who have supported, encouraged, and helped me when I have made mistakes, and celebrated my wins. A rising tide raises all ships, and being connected and supportive of one another makes us all a success.”
828-676-7264 | FindHomesInAsheville.com
When not enjoying the outdoors or supporting Dachshund rescue, Heather gets energy from leading a team dedicated to helping clients succeed and assisting clients with strategic total rewards design. A wellversed leader with 25 years of experience across HR functions within various industries, she has a distinguished passion for HR technology and data, process improvement, total rewards, and well-being.
“When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. That’s where your power is!
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herself was a learning curve, according to Gwendolyn Dare Hageman, Owner of Darë Vegan Cheese.
Asheville was a good place to develop recipes for vegan cheese. The niche and community support was there, and the perception of vegan products had begun to change when Hageman began creating her recipes. The open, inviting environment supported the creation of a unique food business, and she launched her brand Darë Vegan Cheese at a farmers market in 2019.
Hageman said starting her business was scary at first. She was nervous if anyone would like her products, but found so many loving the vegan cheeses and encouraging her to grow her business.
“That’s a very ‘woman’ thing to do,” Hageman said. “My belief in myself has gotten stronger, but I needed that external
validation at first. Women business owners question themselves a lot more in this society built by men. We have to try harder and get out of our brain a bit more, and that doesn’t come as naturally to women.”
Her business focused on slow, grassroots growth.Others told her there were easier ways to grow her business; however Hageman said those ways would require capital from male investors, which she wanted to avoid. Starting with money she saved while working as a server, she put her business earnings back into her company to grow organically.
The COVID-19 pandemic occurred during the first year of her business, and after losing her job as a server, Hageman had to put her head down and see what could be done. There were still farmers markets, and wanting to support local and not
lose the hard work of the first six months in business, she began pivoting to offer services like delivering cheesecakes to people’s homes.
“ COVID actually helped the business grow in a controlled way,” Hageman said. “Working out of the kitchen at Chestnut, I got a website and grew wholesale accounts. There was a lot to learn as a business owner, but by the end of 2020, I needed to hire more help than the best friend that was helping me at the time.”
Hageman joined the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Elevate program in 2021, immediately connecting with their only female mentor. She said most advice comes from men, but was grateful to find the woman that would become more than her mentor. “She was more of a friend than a mentor,” Hageman said. “She gave
Previously having a career in the medical field, Jennifer returned to school to pursue a long-awaited goal. She recently graduated from Western Carolina University with a Bachelors in Marketing. Jennifer gained experience in Social Media Marketing and B2B Sales in the Brewery Industry during her studies. She is now the Marketing Consultant at Hulsey Media for the WNC Business publication.
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After graduating from Flagler College with a degree in Graphic Design, Lyndsey worked in many industries before landing in North Carolina in 2016 when she opened LS Creative. Lyndsey loves using her skills to help businesses & nonprofits grow through expert branding and print design. When she isn’t at the computer, Lyndsey is co-owner of Hendersonville Toy Company and Collab Coworking.
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support as well as sales advice, and was really my first cheerleader.”
This mentor helped Darë Vegan Cheese apply for and win an NC IDEA grant, the first time Hageman accepted outside funding for her business. At the time, she still thought “Wow, these people believe in me,” which was really heartwarming for her.
The grant allowed Hageman to acquire some basic things to further her business as well as get the word out across the city and the state. Growing out of Chestnut’s basement kitchen, she found a location in Weaverville that had hosted two other women-owned businesses before hers.
“The energy of that space is so beautiful,” Hageman said. “It’s inspiring to take over a space from other women who have created beautiful, sustainable businesses.”
Like the women business owners before her, it was important for Hageman to nurture and take care of the people that work for her. She received pushback from male mentors that told her to hire more people for $10 an hour.
“That exploitative business mindset will never overtake me,” Hageman said. “I have a love and passion for what I’m doing, and the business is succeeding because the people that work for me have that same passion. They have a positive mindset and a sense of ownership. I’m not asking to get rich, but rather to help enrich everyone’s lives. People need a wage to live off of and a job to enjoy, and I truly believe that this concept can change the world.
“I was at a point of men not taking me seriously,” Hageman said. “But I get to pick
our level of growth. It’s either exponential or sustainable, and I won’t chip away at my values. It’s incredibly empowering for others to see the potential and then tell them it’s not theirs. My values are more important than their advice.”
Making others happy by creating good food is everything Hageman ever dreamed of. Always “driven and stubborn,” slowing down to stop and think about what brings her joy in business and in life is her advice to other women in business.
“Everyone was telling me what to do but I didn’t think any of those suggestions were it,” Hageman said. “I think this is important to all women — stop the idealization of others’ opinions and define what aligns with your own downline and your own dreams, and stick to that.”
Michelle Tracy has a B.S. in Marketing Management and over 18 years of success in marketing and support. This success helps her in her role with Hulsey Media as the Operations Manager. She works with the Hulsey Media team to help move the company to the next stage in growth through dedication and determination.
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When Grace Hay retired to Hendersonville in 1982 after a career with the Washington Post, she did what many newcomers do: seek local knowledge about their new hometown. Grace quickly realized that the information she needed wasn’t readily available and an idea was born. Grace applied her experience in the publishing industry to create Hendersonville Magazine, which quickly became the trusted resource about all things Hendersonville.
Grace soon brought in media executive Joanie Fischer to take the lead on growing Hendersonville Magazine. Committed to Hay’s vision of sharing local knowledge with residents and visitors alike, Joanie purchased the publication in 1987 and expanded the business on the principles of quality, accuracy, and the commitment to helping other local businesses grow.
In 2014, Fisher Publications became Hulsey Media, Western North Carolina’s leading magazine publisher. Today’s team continues the mission of being the leading source of local knowledge throughout the region.
Grace Hay and Joanie Fisher set the standard of excellence for Hendersonville Magazine and Hulsey Media’s other publications. More importantly, because of the legacy they created over 40 years ago, they paved the way for future generations of women to grow and succeed.
An increase in the number of WNC’s retirees generates jobs, business opportunities, and unpaid contributions within the region.
According to The Longevity Economy®
Outlook by AARP, older residents play a critical role in the state’s economic growth. In 2018, the population of individuals 50 years of age and older represented 36% of the population but contributed 40%, or $225 billion, of the state’s GDP. Those numbers are projected to increase to $739 billion and 44% of the state’s GDP by 2050.
The 50+ population’s activities supported 2.7 million jobs, generating $152 billion in wages and salaries in 2018. These activities contributed $16 billion in state and local taxes, predicted to quadruple to $61 billion by 2050.
This population accounts for 56% of
consumer spending across the state. The majority of this spending is on healthcare, as this population collectively spent $60 billion on healthcare in 2018, projected to increase to $231 billion by 2050. The healthcare spending category is followed by housing and utilities, leisure and hospitality, then motor vehicles and parts. Other significant spending categories include groceries, financial services and insurance, clothing, and technology.
Unpaid contributions by this population are also significant. Volunteering and caregiving for children and adults provides a value of $22 billion to the state, with the average individual spending 52 hours
volunteering and 460 hours caregiving during 2018.
Western North Carolina contains five of the top 10 best counties in which to retire, based on a SmartAsset study determined by the number of doctors’ offices, recreation centers, and retirement centers per thousand residents in each location. Top counties include Buncombe, Henderson, Macon, Madison, and Polk. USA.com ranked NC towns with the highest retiree income, and WNC towns represented 15 of the 100 top-ranked towns in the state. Household income of retirees in those 15 WNC towns averages $35,756 annually.
The NC Coalition on Aging comprises 100 organizations including the NC Justice Center, trade associations, healthcare facility associations, and home and hospice associations. The member organizations are also active in public policy work that aligns with ensuring the retirement-aged population enjoys a good quality of life as they age. They see the needs of advocating for older adults, and help provide funds to keep the Coalition’s work moving forward.
“We welcome the opportunities to work with businesses and private industries that would like to help contribute,” Executive Director Heather Burkhardt said. “We need to let others see the importance and value of this segment of the population, as they are often overlooked.”
NC is an Age-Friendly State, one of only 10 in the country (plus the US Virgin Islands). This AARP designation recognizes preparedness for a growing senior population based on a World Health Organization framework of toolkits and community plans.
Currently ranking as the state with the ninth highest population of individuals ages 65 and older, the growing aging population brings opportunities to North Carolina, according to Burkhardt. The NC Office of State Budget and Management reports that there were 1.8 million individuals over the age of 65 in the state in 2020, projected to increase by 52% up to 2.7 million retirement-aged individuals by 2040.
“This growing population brings disposable income investing in leisure activities and travel,” Burkhardt said. “This population is also high in charitable giving and volunteerism. They are a valuable asset to our communities.”
Aging services employ a lot of people.
Retirement communities with caregivers, program coordinators, and culinary artists supporting residents are a significant portion of this, as are nursing homes, transportation services, and home healthcare services.
There has been heightened attention to caregiving options in recent years, according to Burkhardt. The pandemic highlighted those that “didn’t think they were old” who began to rely on family members for assistance with some of their needs. With a $7.3 billion total value of unpaid care in 2021, there is more of a focus on what happens to the family economy and what that does to caregiver savings and employers providing paid medical and family leave.
There is an immediate need to address the direct care workforce shortage, and the NC Coalition on Aging is doing advocacy work to help increase Medicaid rates in the state, as Medicaid is a major payer of long-term service and support.
“We need to fund the systems,” Burkhardt said. “Direct care workers in the state make an average of $11.23 per hour, and we need people who are committed to relationships as well as earning a certain level of training. We are slipping back; without appropriate reimbursement rates, agencies aren’t able to hire the best employees with the capabilities and attitudes needed for these positions.”
The Essential Jobs, Essential Care™️ initiative is a national think tank encouraging direct care workers and people in need of care to join forces to address these issues. Leadership has developed a direct care road map and convened stakeholders to advocate and champion bonuses for workers. The work also includes recruiting and retaining workers and improving and streamlining training, making it easier for people to enter this workforce. continued on next page
2.7 Million NC Jobs in 2018
56% of NC Consumer Spending
$22 Billion in Unpaid Contributions in NC
52 Annual Volunteering Hours in NC
Per retiree
460 Annual Caregiving Hours in NC
Per retiree
$35,756
The overall state population of individuals over the age of 65 was 1.8 million in 2020, projected to increase by 52% to 2.7 million retirement-aged individuals by 2040.
Activities of the 50+ population contributed $16 billion in state and local taxes in 2018, predicted to quadruple to $61 billion by 2050.
NC
Polk #2
Henderson #6
Macon #7
Transylvania #10
Rutherford #14
Haywood #15
Cherokee #16
Caldwell #22
Ashe #24
Yancey #25
Mitchell #26
Clay #27
Buncombe #28
Jackson #29
Madison #31
Fifty years ago, the Older Americans Act inspired the creation of the Land of Sky Area Agency on Aging, according to AAA Director LeeAnne Tucker. Agencies and organizations similar to this exist all over the country to ensure older Americans receive the resources and support they need, and the Land of Sky AAA helps retirees make connections to organizations in other areas if needed. The primary function of the AAA is to act as a referral source for older adults and their caregivers. They connect individuals with resources, offer printed resource guides, and work with nonprofits and businesses to make sure everyone’s needs are met, though Tucker said resources are limited.
“COVID funds from the federal government are going away,” Tucker said. “There’s currently not enough funding to serve every older adult, and we are trying to form plans to fill the gaps by looking at the local and state levels to form groups to help get more funding. We’re also looking at entities other than the federal government like Dogwood Health Trust
Through the Older Americans Act, 20 services are funded through a Home and Community Care block grant. Services range from in-home aid to meal delivery to transportation — anything to help support older adults aging in place. Tucker said the needs of this population have shifted, and social isolation has become more of a challenge. They are working to get iPads in the hands of older adults, offering more congregate meals at senior centers, and looking at different ways seniors can access these services all while working within federal guidelines for funding.
“People are living longer and the baby boomer generation is getting older and wanting more services,” Tucker said. “Younger older adults don’t want to go to senior centers or congregate meals; they want to go to cafés or other locations that have a multi-generational clientele. They also want health programming on topics like disease prevention and selfmanagement. There is a mindset shift happening, and we have to shift with that in what we can offer.”
Buncombe County is working toward
creating an Active Aging Center — a facility that will act as a one-stop shop for all older adult and caregiver needs. There will be people on staff from various agencies including Veterans Affairs and Meals on Wheels, as well as a café, coffee shop, adult day programming, a gym, and even childcare programming.
“The plans are in the infancy stage,” Tucker said. “Finding a site is a challenge, and it would need to be centralized and along public transportation routes. It’s a great idea because aging can be confusing, and this type of Active Aging Center would help retirees find all the resources they need in one place.”
Many retirees are involved in a variety of volunteer efforts, serving on nonprofit boards and subcommittees in various roles. Tucker said retirees move here from other areas around the country bringing their expertise, ideas and thought patterns, and they are helping to solve community problems and creating nuggets of change in area challenges that apply to all populations, not just retirees.
“These folks are jumping right in to help,” Tucker said. “They still want flexibility and appreciate the virtual aspect of some opportunities, and organizations are shifting to make that work. It’s interesting to see those wanting to learn something new, as well as those wanting to use their career expertise on different committees for the good of the community.”
Over the last 50 years, the population of retirees has grown. Tucker said now the population of individuals 60 years old and older in Transylvania County is 40%, and is 35%, 32%, and 28% in Henderson, Madison, and Buncombe respectively.
With a variety of service providers already focused on serving this community, the overarching challenge continues to be the workforce. The AAA assists with workforce efforts for services supporting aging adults by helping with job fairs focusing on this industry and encouraging providers looking for workers to blast their
opportunities far and wide to attract more applicants.
“This population will continue to grow, and the programs and services supporting this population also need to grow,” Tucker said. “The community needs to look at ways to support older adults and their caregivers and figure out a plan of what can be done locally beyond funding from the federal government. It is time to go back to the community/neighbor model of helping each other out. We really help each other out in this region. It’s really the heart of
as the NC Center for Creative Retirement. The program was established by former University of North Carolina at Asheville Chancellor Dave Brown, who noticed a significant influx of retirees moving to Western North Carolina and believed that this program could attract more people to the region.
In 2013, the program changed its name to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute after receiving endowments from the Osher Foundation. Philanthropist Bernard Osher, who grew up with active and
The Director of UNCA’s OLLI, Catherine Frank, PhD said there were more than 2,400 participants pre-pandemic, and in the summer of 2023 there were about 1,850. Operating fully online for an entire year opened up a “world of possibilities” that are still developing, including allowing some people to continue taking courses as they travel. She also said this program works as an economic development tool in many ways.
“Ninety-five percent of OLLI members have relocated here from other areas, and
out, attending craft fairs and music and theater shows, all of which help to drive the economy all year long.”
Frank also highlighted how retirees moving to the area contribute to age diversity, creating a sense of inclusivity for older adults. “I moved here from Chapel Hill where it felt like you were old if you were over 25,” Frank said. “It feels good to see older adults active and engaged in various aspects of the community.”
OLLI offers a variety of classes and courses including topics like liberal arts, yoga and tai chi, history, and literature. There are also a variety of programs that help older adults become active in their communities as well as create meaningful friendships including College for Seniors, Leadership Asheville Seniors, and Fab Fridays.
Leadership Asheville Seniors was designed to create an interest in giving back from mid-career professionals who want to learn about the community and figure out how to contribute. Going into the 37th year of this program, Frank said there is not a nonprofit in town that hasn’t seen a volunteer from this group.
“They serve on city and county boards, on boards of various organizations, and
participate in a variety of other ways,” Frank said. “Our members participate in RiverLink, Energy Savers Network, Guardian ad Litem, Habitat for Humanity, Asheville City Schools, and Manna Food Bank just to name a few. This is not only giving people a sense of purpose in their second half of life; they are really the unsung heroes and contributors in our communities.”
Unique to Asheville, this OLLI has offered and is working toward reinstating its Life Transitions programming. Held annually through 2020, an article in Parade magazine on the NC Center For Creative Retirement and these programs received more than 5,000 letters from interested individuals across the country. They created a Creative Retirement Exploration Weekend which attracts about 150 people to Asheville annually and discusses issues in retirement including relocation to WNC and other locations.
Exploring Continuing Care Retirement Communities is another program offered by OLLI. This five-week program helps retirees navigate the wide range of retirement community options in the region and determine the best decision for that step when it becomes desired or necessary.
The Gift of Time program helps to normalize conversations about end-of-life considerations. This successful program helps to give people a sense of control and understanding of how to get advance plans in order as well as how to initiate conversations with family members about this phase of life.
“These programs are in place to reduce the fears surrounding retirement and aging,” Frank said. “These people are not withdrawing; they are learning how to use their time and their talents on their own terms. We are aware that many of our members are included in a privileged group of people who are mindful about how they spend their time, and we are working to think of ways to make these programs possible for everyone in this age category.
Several factors contribute to Western North Carolina’s popularity as a retirement destination, according to Senior Real Estate Specialist Jill Hart. Relatively mild weather conditions offer the best of the four seasons. There are plenty of activities for younger and active retirees including outdoor recreation and a thriving arts scene. A variety of healthcare offerings for the older aging population is also attractive.
There are many younger retirees moving to the area and bringing their money, according to Hart. Most are still relatively independent, and when considering the purchase of homes in Buncombe, Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania Counties, independent retirees with large budgets are driving housing prices up. This exacerbates the issue of affordable housing for those in the workforce, including those providing the services these same retirees may need in the future.
“It’s good for the economy that they are spending their money here,” Hart said, “but it’s pricing out the people that these same seniors will need for support later in life.”
During COVID, Hart noticed people panicking to move away from cities. Some people relocated to the places where they planned to retire while they were still working because they could work remotely. Working-age retirees contribute to the local economy as they are spending their money here, but they are not contributing to the local workforce.
“The work we need here is in the service industry, and those positions are typically not the highest-paid,” Hart said. “Certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, and people in foodservice are in high demand in general, and especially in senior communities. Businesses have
to pay workers more, but then the cost of care goes up and seniors can’t always afford that.”
Despite increasing costs, many seniors are interested in downsizing from larger homes and yards and are considering moving to independent living communities. Popular communities in the region have long waiting lists for new residents, and Hart works to educate retirees to start considering this type of relocation two to five years in advance.
In addition to the popularity of retirement communities, demand for homes and condos closer to town has increased among retirees, according to Hart. Many want the sense of community that closer neighbors provide. She also hears clients say they like to be close to healthcare
long-term concerns like driving windy roads at night.
“When people are thinking about retirement, they need to think about that as a whole package,” Hart said. “Finances, health, socialization, and housing all come into play. People have to look at what is offered with different types of housing communities and determine the best fit
communities. Hart sees modifications including walk-in or roll-in showers and chair lifts; however, these modifications should also be planned ahead of time due to supply chain issues and the extended workloads of good contractors.
Hart has noticed a trend among those moving into assisted living of wanting to sell their homes without performing updates. Newer retirees moving to the area also don’t want to undertake renovations, and there’s not enough younger people willing to do the updates with enough capital to purchase these homes.
“Retirees moving from other areas are ready to move in,” Hart said. “Good contractors are booked for months because they are dealing with the labor shortage. There’s also been a decline in trades, as much of that workforce is retiring and not being replaced as quickly
by younger people in trades. People interested in trades with a business mindset can kill it by creating this type of business. All the ones that are doing a good job have way more business than they can handle.”
While North Carolina has an increasing retiree population, there are only 64 Continuing Care Retirement Communities in the state, according to Carolina Village Executive Director Kevin Parries. NC is unique in the Southeast US in that CCRCs are governed by a general statute overseen by the NC Department of Insurance containing rules and laws that provide oversight and regulations
for these facilities. Parries said this provides comfort and security for residents as well as making the state’s communities more attractive to retirees considering relocation. While all of these communities provide similar offerings, the programming, amenities, and culture can be unique to each community.
Celebrating its 50th year in 2024, Carolina Village started in 1974 with the vision of just one Hendersonville resident who wanted to help care for older adults in the area. They took the idea to their doctor who also happened to be active in the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, which wanted to attract retirees to the county. County leaders came together to flesh out the vision that became the first secular CCRC in WNC.
The property’s 95 acres just a few miles outside of the City of Hendersonville supported 561 residents in the summer of 2023 with the help of about 350 staff
“It takes a village to run the Village,” Parries said. “We have people helping from the front gate to the back gate in every aspect including security, housekeeping, dining services, certified nursing assistants, service workers, and more.”
Maintaining a workforce to support all the programming and care offered to its residents is a growing challenge.
“We work hard to show appreciation to our staff, but the problem is the workforce itself has changed,” Parries said. “We are not competing with other retirement communities, we are competing with everyone in town. There is some longevity in our staff; some have been here more than 20 years and some key direct caregivers have been here for 30 or even 40 years. The thing is that we know they’ll be retiring soon themselves.”
While Parries said there was concern about retirement community interest during COVID as congregate living was heavily impacted, the marketing
department is now booked for tours about a month in advance, and there is a waiting list of retirees interested in moving into the community.
CCRC residents vary widely. Parries said the majority of people move into Carolina Village for long-term peace of mind, some staying for more than 20 years. Residents’ ages range from 62 to 106, and there are currently six members of their ‘Centenarian Club’ over 100 years old. The leadership team at Carolina Village does its best to fulfill lots of different wishes and desires on offerings from the wide range of residents, according to Parries.
Director of Strategic Communications
Wendy Smith said every resident has a different idea of what retirement should look like. She often sees residents who enjoy reading outside by the pond alone, and she also sees residents who enjoy
participating in many of the community’s programs and activities. While no one wants to need the healthcare component, it provides peace of mind for residents and their families to know it is available if and when it becomes needed.
Residents are attracted to these communities because of all of the services and programs provided, according to Parries. Offering so many services –everything from lawn care to assisted living to wellness programs and other activities – has led many residents to say they wish they had moved there years earlier than they did.
Retirement communities like these can help retirees stay vibrant, according to Parries. Residents can do things like enjoy meals with friends without the cooking, cleaning, and entertaining tasks they would have otherwise. Residents are also
able to stay involved in the community and do activities like volunteer work because they don’t have additional responsibilities. “Our residents have poured — and are still pouring — their time and talents into local happenings, causes, and organizations,” Smith said. “It’s really special to get to witness it first hand. Who doesn’t want to live in safety and security and be able to give of themselves as they see fit? That goal’s not unique to any one demographic. So in that way, retirement living is not so different than just local living.”
Home care services are a small piece of the retirement industry that is going to
continued on next page
get larger, according to Always Best Care Senior Services President and Owner Jim Smeaton.
Studies have shown that 75% of individuals 65 years of age and older are going to need some level of assistance at some point, and AARP’s 2021 Home and Community Preferences survey found that over threequarters (77%) of adults ages 50 and older want to remain in their homes as they age. Smeaton said there is a clash here, meaning an increasing number of retirees will likely need to bring some level of assistance or care into their home as they age.
In addition to the increasing choice to age in place, assisted living communities can be financially restrictive to some individuals. Assisted living communities in Buncombe and Henderson Counties can
range from $5,500 to $6,000 per month, according to Smeaton. Skilled nursing facilities can cost even more, ranging from $8,000 to $9,000 per month. There can be misconceptions about Medicare coverage in relation to these types of care. Medicare does not cover these costs, meaning these costs are paid out-of-pocket for many seniors.
With Western North Carolina drawing a large number of retirees, the area has a larger senior population than other areas. Many seniors relocating here from other areas do not have family or adult children nearby to help as help becomes needed, meaning the need for senior service businesses is increasing.
There are several levels of home care services seniors may need:
• Companionship services consist of things that seniors need minor help with or tasks they simply don’t like doing, including help with tasks such as planning outings and trips, preparing grocery lists, managing calendars, as well as providing opportunities for conversations and reminiscing.
• Home helper services include tasks like providing medication reminders, changing linens, preparing meals, and helping care for pets.
• Personal care services include help with tasks of daily living such as bathing, dressing, grooming and mobility.
• Skilled care services assist seniors with feeding, incontinence care, postsurgery and wound care, and fall risk identification and reduction.
continued on next page
Many home care services also offer respite care, giving regular caregivers a break from some tasks so they may take care for themselves.
There are also companies that provide help with administrative tasks like organizing tax records, paying bills, going through mail, and other paperwork that may be required as part of staying in one’s home. “Lots of clients get very little personal assistance and more help with household chores,” Smeaton said. “Assistance is really a broad term. As we get older, it just gets more difficult to get things done.”
Smeaton said the percentage of older retirees needing some type of assistance at home is growing, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. The level of care needed at home is also progressing. Both new and existing clients are needing more
services, and some want to stay home even when dependent upon lifts and hospital beds, which means that providing care becomes more challenging as well as more costly for the clients.
Since the pandemic, hiring a staff of caregivers continues to be a challenge. There is a high turnover rate of approximately 50% in any care facility or business according to Smeaton, and many staff, like certified nursing assistants, must have certain certifications which adds to the challenge.
“I’m hiring about four caregivers per week,” Smeaton said. “If you gave me 10 new caregivers today, I can have them all working full time in about a week. They just need to have the desire and the heart to provide care, and that’s not for everyone.”
Staffing issues for home care companies and retirement communities create ripples back to healthcare systems. When local hospitals need to discharge patients that will require followup care, the patients must have care lined up. If no home care is available, they may have to go to a facility despite it not being their first choice. Also, facilities must maintain certain staff-toresident ratios, and if local facilities are also facing staffing shortages, this creates a real problem for the aging population. “Hiring was not a problem five years ago, but it’s key right now for all aging care businesses,” Smeaton said. “We have a full-time recruiter because just waiting for the phone to ring isn’t good enough. We are looking at what we can do to be different as an employer, and to find the right types of people for this kind of work.”
Smith said. “We receive about 10 intake forms per week, but there are some people coming off of these services as well. We are starting to see our waiting list go down, which is a great thing.”
Understanding the significance of what the Meals On Wheels program brings to its clients, Program Coordinator Hayley Smith said her job makes it easy to go home from work feeling really good about the work she is doing.
After attending college with an interest in nonprofit law, Smith joined Meals On Wheels in September of 2022 with some knowledge of the program from a volunteering family member. She began with a part-time position in September of 2022 and moved to a full-time position in January of 2023, taking on additional tasks including performing intake evaluations for nutrition service clients.
Smith’s duties primarily include communication with and scheduling logistics for delivery drivers as well as communication with MOW clients to make sure they are at home during delivery times. She also connects with other support services in the office to help get clients to resources for a variety of other things in the community.
“We now have about 300 active clients for Meals On Wheels, and we’re adding about 20 people a month for those services,”
Smith also jumps in to help pack meals for clients. Coming from Pardee or AdventHealth, meals and snacks are packed and organized in the morning with the help of about 20 volunteers per day then distributed throughout the county. She said there are about 35 different routes with about eight clients each, some clients receiving hot meals daily and others receiving five frozen meals once per week.
“The program had switched to all frozen meals during COVID,” Smith said, “and some of our clients really like that flexibility of not having to be home at certain times every day. For others, it is about more than a hot meal; it’s about socialization, and our drivers are also companions to many of these seniors. They take time to really get to know them and are building relationships with them.”
Building relationships with her clients has been impactful for Smith as well. She said she is glad to get to know so many people, and her desire to be helpful is growing because of that.
“I’m very passionate about working to make sure they are all okay,” Smith said. “I was very shy before, and this is also helping me to become more of a people person. The Council’s slogan is No One Ages Alone, and I really try to stand by that to make sure they’re not struggling.”
Some events really allow Smith to soak in the happiness that her job brings.On Christmas, in partnership with Bounty of Bethlehem and the Salvation Army,
volunteers began cooking food at 4:00 AM to make sure meals were ready for clients. They received calls and thank you letters from many of them, and that made Smith realize how much she enjoys working with this population.
The biggest challenge, according to Smith, is the realization that she can’t immediately help everyone with everything. She said it takes time for clients to join some of these programs.
“The need is so great, and before I worked here, I had no idea,” Smith said. “With such a large aging population the need is only growing. There is only so much we can do, and something has to change on a bigger level.”
The staff within the Council on Aging and its nutrition programs, including MOW, Congregate Dining, and Liquid Nutrition, help each other and their clients, according to Smith. Volunteers and staff members help each other and work hard to make sure everyone is taken care of. She said though it gets busy and tough sometimes, they all do the best they can to get resources to as many clients as they can.
“This job has really opened my eyes to the aging population and the importance of advocating for them,” Smith said. “They supported us and our generation, and they are the foundation of where we are now. There are a million other things I could be doing, but I would rather be here doing this.” —
Haylee Smith is the Program Director for Meals on Wheels in Henderson County. Learn more at COAHC.org/Meals-On-Wheels.
Since 1991, the Blue Ridge Center for Lifelong Learning has offered a variety of classes and lectures for students ages 55 and older, according to Board of Directors President Mary Johnston. While Blue Ridge Community College offers a variety of continuing education courses like cake decorating, dancing, writing, languages, and flower arranging, the BRCLL offers a different type of programming. Office Program Specialist Gretchen Koehler said the Center consists of all lecture-based programming offered Monday through Thursday. While some are standalone classes, some courses consist of classes for two to three consecutive weeks.
“Many classes are focused on history,” Johnston said. “There are lots of interesting topics within that subject, like local and Appalachian history, what Western North Carolina is all about, and how we became who we are.”
Koehler said subjects also evolve from the instructors’ interests in particular areas. Topics have included the French Renaissance, renewable energy and storage, and the developing Ecusta Trail in Henderson County. Students will find a bit of politics and pop culture mixed in; art and nature programs are popular, as are classes that encourage outdoor activity.
“The hidden gem of this program is the quality of speakers,” Koehler said. “Many have been ambassadors to other positions and live up to the quality
of university standards. One of the regular history instructors dresses up for her presentations — she presented information on Caribbean history dressed up as a pirate.”
Attendance has varied within BRCLL’s programming since COVID, according to Koehler. Formerly under a membership model, there were 800 individual members before the pandemic. Now, those interested can sign up online with a single-price registration fee per class, and there are 450 active participants. With a newsletter program introduced August 1, the program sees new people signing up for classes every week.
Enrollment in most classes is between seven and 15 students, down from an average of about 25 per class. Occasionally a larger class, up to 50 people, will be drawn by a particular topic, but Koehler said many people feel differently about registering in advance than in years past.
“We are deciphering a new normal where people are reluctant to register more than a couple weeks out,” Koehler said. “There are a lot more who drop in at the last minute.”
“Everyone’s routine has changed,” Johnston said. “We’ve determined that people just like flexibility more.”
Speakers often approach Johnston and Koehler regarding ideas for topics with a desire to teach a class. A program committee approves each topic, some of which are offered by Blue Ridge Community College professors who love to teach about the subjects they enjoy.
Adventure field trips used to be offered, but after a four-year hiatus, costs have inflated, making them cost-prohibitive, according to Koehler. Johnston said they have since tried to begin industry tours, which offer groups an opportunity to gather at a local business to get an insider look at different places around town.
“Prior to COVID, these tours would be packed and we would have had to turn
people away,” Johnston said. “Now that demand feels deflated and people seem more reluctant, but we will try again and see what happens.”
BRCLL spreads the word about its offerings by participating in the Swing Into Spring - Explore Active Aging event at the Blue Ridge Mall. Team members also visit retirement communities to share information about the program, offer free programming through the library at BRCC, and add educational tidbits in their newsletter.
Johnston and Koehler said they understand the retirement community is continuing to grow, and they know they are offering a good product. Both hope they can continue to build the program to meet that community’s needs.
“Students become part of this program to be a part of the community,” Johnston said. “Retirees are able to make new friends and stay in touch while they learn about things outside of their own area of expertise. It brings joy to life to keep learning new things.”
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Blue Ridge Center for Lifelong Learning is an organization within the Blue Ridge Community College that caters to the interests of older adults in the area of Henderson County, NC. Learn more at BRCLL.com.
“Students become part of this program to be a part of the community.”
- Mary Johnston
Independent retailers in WNC embrace local makers, support tourism, and create tens of thousands of jobs across the region.
Based on a 2018 study by the National Retail Federation, 27% of all NC’s jobs are supported by the retail industry, representing 1 million direct retail jobs and 1.6 million total jobs supported across 128,600 retail establishments. Retail jobs bring $29.5 billion in direct labor income and $64.4 billion in total labor income, which creates a $41.8 billion direct impact and $105.7 billion total impact on the state’s GDP.
In Western North Carolina, the overall concentration of jobs in the retail industry across an 18-county area was
approximately 32% greater than the national average in 2022, according to Riverbird Research.
The 2017-2022 jobs growth rate of 4% was on par with that of the state, supporting the employment of 45,844 individuals across 3,690 payrolled business locations earning an average annual wage of $33,874, excluding supplements.
Of 18 WNC Counties, Buncombe was the most abundant in retail jobs with 17,273, followed by Henderson County with 5,594 jobs in 2022.
Established in 1902, the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association originally helped people know who was creditworthy in the days of trading crops for goods. Today, the NCRMA works to support retailers in a variety of aspects as well as represents the retail industry before the state’s general assembly and at the federal level.
NCRMA President and General Counsel Andy Ellen said the Association’s 2500
members representing 25,000 store locations across the state span all aspects of retail trade. Members benefit from training programs, legislative representation, scholarship opportunities, assistance with compliance issues, and more.
“We are the ninth largest state in the country, and we are experiencing so much growth,” Ellen said. “Retail follows rooftops. With so many people moving here from other states and the proliferation of retailers who have started their business post-COVID, the combination is driving our retail economy.”
North Carolina was recently ranked as the ‘number one state to do business’ by CNBC. Ellen said this draws a plethora of businesses and entrepreneurs to the state. With retail comprising one out of every four jobs in the state, NCRMA is also helping to build the workforce to support the industry.
“Many people get their first job in the retail industry,” Ellen said. “These parttime jobs during high school or college teach kids so much about the business world. It gives them great base skills to move off of. With the RISE Up program with the National Retail Federation and through the community college system, we are working to expose more kids to these jobs.”
As part of its member benefits, NCRMA offers employees of its member companies the opportunity to apply to win a $2,500 scholarship. Twelve scholarships are awarded annually to high school seniors and college students, and since 2005, more than $2 million has been awarded to help students fund their education.
Ellen said there are many retail-related jobs that people don’t necessarily see. Jobs including distribution, information technology, and marketing are available in relation to retail businesses, and any of these pathways can provide great career opportunities to people entering the workforce.
NCRMA also supports a large media campaign to help bring shoppers back to Main Street brick-and-mortar retailers, and Ellen said he’s seen a tremendous uplift in foot traffic.
Supporting small independent businesses is especially important in small towns, according to Ellen. These are the businesses that tend to be sponsors of local Little League teams, high school marching bands, or arts groups. They are also the businesses likely participating in assistance after disasters and otherwise participating in their local community, and he said NCRMA hopes to support those that are in support of their community.
The vast majority of businesses in Downtown Waynesville are independent and locally-owned, according to Beth Gilmore, Downtown Waynesville’s Executive Director, and that is what gives the town its identifying character.
“It makes the town feel like somewhere different and special,” Gilmore said.
Waynesville is a member of the NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center, which is a Main Street America™️ Coordinating Program. Main Street America ™️ is a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, that share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.
Gilmore said these programs created a model for the town to follow — the Main Street Four-Point Approach® to downtown revitalization: Organization, Promotion, Design and Economic Vitality. The town uses this approach to implement a plan that achieves measurable results.
“We’ve been working on that foundation and figuring out where we want to be, then continued on next page
44,153 Jobs in 2017
45,844 Jobs in 2022
4% Job Growth
1,691
2017-2022 Change in Jobs
$33,874
2022 Average Annual Wage Excluding supplements
3,690 Payrolled Business Locations in 2022
The overall concentration of jobs in the 18-county region was approximately 32% greater compared to the national average in 2022.
2017-2022 employment growth rate of 4% was on par with the state.
working backward to figure out how to do that,” Gilmore said. “We want to achieve that vision and help put our community on the map.”
Waynesville has been a part of the Main Street program for more than 30 years, and Gilmore said the town is in the shape it is today because they have been following these practices. A recent shift from the Downtown Waynesville Association being run as a nonprofit to being governmentrun as part of the Town of Waynesville was a massive change.
The town board is developing a new brand and campaign — Appalachian True. Gilmore said it is part of a five-year visioning process outlining ‘who’ the town wants to become. There are three prongs to the campaign:
• Develop the business district into a place for outdoor enthusiasts to rest and recharge between adventures.
• Highlight the true artisans that make the town’s vibe unique and different, and help drive that message of the rich
Appalachian culture of the community.
• Market the town to the local community by highlighting and expanding the variety of offerings in the business and Main Street districts, including everyday goods and services local residents need.
The town board is working to develop marketing campaigns that showcase Waynesville’s independent offerings in retail. An Economic Vitality subcommittee is working to identify new opportunities for other independent retailers and develop resources that help businesses set up shop. There is also a collaboration with the Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center to provide resources and find more opportunities for growth, expansion, and community-building.
“These resources and tools equip retailers and merchants to stay vibrant and navigate changes and trends in the market,” Gilmore said. “We want to make sure we are addressing our goals from both angles — economic development and marketing.”
These plans are reviewed annually by the board, and they are working to improve tracking measures. Gilmore said the town has looked to the Tourism Development Authority for data, but their data is focused more on overnight stays than on what happens inside independent shops.
“We know the majority of shoppers are primarily tourists,” Gilmore said. “Building a local following to our independent retailers and downtown spaces has been identified as a priority, and we are trying to reach out to our local community to drive up those numbers so there’s more of a balance.”
Mast General Store has a rich retail history in Western North Carolina dating back to the late 1850s.
Originally opened in Valle Crucis by Henry Taylor, his general store was created to offer locals a place to trade for goods made outside of the valley. W.W. Mast bought into the store in 1897, and the Mast family took over ownership in 1913. In 1977, Mast General Store President Lisa Cooper’s parents, John and Faye Cooper, purchased the store.
In 1980, they purchased and operated the building next to the original store. The downtown Boone location was purchased in 1988, then an annex that hosted a friend’s candy barrel business was purchased in the mid-1990s.
Seeing Mast Store grow to become a destination for Appalachian State University’s students and their parents, other towns like Waynesville, Asheville, and Hendersonville began reaching out to the Cooper family asking to bring a location to their town. Proposals continued to come in from other downtown organizations, and if the town was determined to be a good fit, work was done to find and remodel a building to host the new Mast Store.
The company now has 11 locations ranging from Roanoke, VA to Greenville, SC but most are in WNC. At the beginning of 2020, Mast Store employed 580 staff across all locations. That number decreased to about 420 when the stores began reopening after COVID, and has bounced back up to about 500 now, but Cooper said she could easily hire another 25 employees at this time.
Mast Store’s employees are a big part of the success of the business, according to Cooper. The company is family- and employee-owned, and she feels proud to have that on each employee’s name tag. “We have the best team we’ve ever had,” Cooper said. “Everyone has their eye on the ball, and that’s the reward at the end of the day. We pride ourselves on the internal growth of the people in our
company; some have worked with us for 38 years. It feels wonderful to be a home for so many long-term employees.”
Cooper attributes a large part of the business’s success to the nostalgia of it all. Online reviews contain sentiments of the creaky wooden floors, the smell of popcorn, and finding cold drinks and Moon Pies. She feels it’s all a way of connecting people to the past.
“It’s experiential retail,” Cooper said. “We like to offer an experience for people coming into the store, and we like to have a store where people actually talk to you. People enjoy that local connection and it creates a great overall experience for them. I take a lot of pride in being a company that touches so many. My parents set the bar high, and it’s an honor to carry it forward.”
Third-generation Tops For Shoes Owner Alexander Carr has seen a resurgence of what is offered among Downtown Asheville’s businesses over the years. Originally incorporated by his grandfather in 1963, the original retail business offered all kinds of apparel before realizing shoes were really where the money was being made. Carr’s father significantly expanded the business in the 1980s, and was also a big part of reshaping the run-down look of Asheville’s downtown by serving on boards and commissions, improving the appeal of the city as a tourist destination.
“Tourism is huge here,” Carr said. “It’s the main driver of the service industry and we
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continue to benefit from that. We have always gotten a lot of walk-in traffic from visitors, and people tend to spend more money and be less frugal when they’re on vacation.”
Tops For Shoes is a “sit and fit” operation that focuses on customer service and a personal touch. Carr has heard many of his vendors say his store is pretty unique in these times of the internet and fast shopping, but he feels people are becoming jaded by those things.
“We’re old school and that’s the way we like it,” Carr said. “We are bringing back face-to-face interactions with our customers, really taking the time to get to know people and find out what they really want and need. People miss that.”
With 23,000 square feet of floor and stock space, Carr and his staff of 38 fulltime employees work hard to find new products to fill the store. He said his is a very inventory-heavy business, and though it’s challenging for an independent business to be able to maintain so much merchandise and have the foot traffic
to make it work, Tops stocks tens of thousands of pairs of shoes in the store at a time.
The retail space is so large that Carr said some people come in one entrance and never make it out of just one department because they don’t realize the store keeps on going. The space comprises multiple buildings that have been mixed together, creating a neat and quirky space that people find interesting.
Carr said he stocks a lot of hard-to-find sizes and widths, and they maintain a huge selection of those. People often travel a long way to his store because they know they will be able to find shoes that fit. He and his buyers stay in tune with trends in fashion and shoe technology to keep up with the latest and greatest in the marketplace.
“There’s a lot of bells and whistles that go into shoes,” Carr said. “A lot of research and technology goes into things like shock absorption and arch support, and our team knows our shoes inside and out. They can tell you where they’re made, which shoes are for what foot problem, and how they are going to fit. We are experts in the language of shoes.”
While locals with hard-to-fit feet visit because of the wide selection of inventory, the business remains largely dependent on tourist traffic. A recent major challenge Carr is experiencing is getting locals to return downtown. He said many locals feel like downtown is a tourist zone, and the homeless population influences people’s decision to come downtown as well.
“The media tends to blow things out of proportion, but it’s definitely a problem, and that could hurt my business,” Carr said. “It already hurts local traffic, and I think it will also hurt tourist traffic as more people see that. That’s my biggest fear, but hopefully that will get better.”
Promotions letting locals know about sales is one way Carr helps to drive traffic to his store. He said another big benefit for his business is the five new hotels slated
to open in the next year.
“That’s a lot of rooms and that’s a lot more foot traffic,” Carr said. “We try to keep our name out there with television ads during big sales and through different publications in hotels, but we’ve relied on word of mouth for years and that’s honestly the best advertising. Our location — smack in the middle of downtown Asheville — is the best place for foot traffic, and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else with the kind of store that we have.”
Third-generation Asheville residents Heather and Matt Wright always desired to be “all in” for their community.They launched Provisions Mercantile, a local retail store stocking elevated gift items, in West Asheville in 2019.
Heather Wright’s grandmother operated a general store out of her basement in the 1960s less than two miles from Provisions Mercantile’s Haywood Road location. She was very close to that grandmother, and though the stores are not similar in products, they are similar in their goal of gathering the community.
“Who she was and what she was doing for the community is the cool tie that binds us,” Heather Wright said. “I loved hearing stories of my dad and his older siblings leaving school to come home and work in the store that was a place of bringing in the community by offering necessary items. It’s definitely part of our inspiration.” The focus of the Wrights’ business is on building relationships. They love to have tourists come in and shop, but the focus is on being an extension of the local community. Their store stocks items from 35 local vendors, making up 40% of their inventory. Matt Wright said the store also stocks several regional vendors he was drawn to during his extensive travels throughout the Southeast.
“People feel a connection with where they live,” Matt Wright said. “These local,
quality products make good, creative gifts for anyone.”
Starting with a pop-up shop in Biltmore Village in 2019 to see how it would go, the Wrights began renovations on the Haywood Road store with a goal to open on March 15, 2020 — the same day that they received the federal message to close their store. They ended up opening in late May, and though they were not able to provide the relational experience they thought they would right away, they weathered and navigated through the storm and people kept coming.
The couple decided to expand their business by opening a second location in Biltmore Village in July of 2021, and they knew that they wanted to be smart and aggressive in both.
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“Being born and raised here, we knew South Asheville doesn’t come to West Asheville, and the shops cater to the quadrants a bit differently,” Matt Wright said. “The Biltmore shop is more about food, beer, and wine. It invites you to ‘sit a spell’ and provides an opportunity for people to break bread together. West Asheville has lots of amazing products and is curated incredibly well. It feels like walking into the past with a modern vibe.”
As a host to so many local product vendors, Provisions Mercantile works like an incubator for other local small businesses, and Heather Wright said she loves the attention that is getting paid to that.
“It makes a big impact on a few local families,” Heather Wright said. “We know what it’s like to get a business off the ground and running, and it feels great to offer them some real estate on a shelf or in the front of our store. It brings them recognition as well as sales in the store, driving more traffic to their brand. This gives the opportunity for expansion, both for Provisions and for other people to do the same.”
Proper staffing has helped with the success of Provisions Mercantile, according to Matt Wright. He said lots of employers hire people just like them, and instead, the Wrights hire by differences in strengths. Some of their six employees are detail oriented and love to be behind the scenes while some are extroverted and love to have conversations.
“Our staff is an extension of our family and the store is an extension of our house,” Heather Wright said. “Not all of them have a sales background, but you can teach sales. Teaching someone values is more challenging.”
Opening in 2017 as a retailer of outdoor recreation supplies and clothing, Saluda
Outfitters Co-owner Amber Griffin quickly realized the community desired more from the retail store.
Originally opened to serve the bustling outdoor industry in the region, Amber and her husband Ryan Griffin also wanted to revitalize the old log cabin that is the focal point of the town to give a good impression when visitors came to town. The couple quickly realized that there was an opportunity to be more than just an outdoor retailer.
“I learned people wanted an experience more than an item,” Griffin said. “They can get their items anywhere.”
Starting by adding live music on Saturdays with snacks and canned drinks, customers asked for more. They began soliciting local businesses to make sandwiches to sell, added three taps of draft beer, then tried to solicit food trucks to park at the venue. When Griffin realized food truck owners thought Saluda was too far from their home base, she bought her own. When local regulations began allowing the sale of mixed drinks, Griffin added that during COVID.
Saluda Outfitters has now grown to be more than a retail store. Their 16 taps of local beer, mixed drinks, and on-site restaurant combine as Green River Eddy’s Tap Room & Grill. The restaurant and music venue along with their retail store created an anchor for Main Street in downtown Saluda.
While Griffin believes the store would be successful as a retailer alone, she said it would not be nearly as impactful.
“Customers kept asking, and we kept providing,” Griffin said. “People eat and drink every day, but they don’t buy a shirt every day. The parts feed off of each other, though. A lot of our branded items like glasses, stickers, or clothing that say Saluda Outfitters or Green River Eddy’s Tap Room & Grill sell well because people get to take home a piece of Saluda and their experience here.”
Especially after COVID, Griffin said it’s an important goal for her to offer the community a comfortable dog- and familyfriendly environment that brings people together again and again, and she has heard her regulars say this is where they feel comfortable.
Asheville is a great place and people want to represent it, according to MTN Merch Owner Mariko Walker.
Walker grew up in Asheville, and in 2016 opened an embroidery kiosk in the Asheville Mall. She saw a huge need for businesses to embroider their logos on different merchandise items including T-shirts, and she said this was a great way to get to know different business owners and members of the community.
“I was excited to be able to connect to more people,” Walker said. “Growing up here, I know how the community is and how everyone helps everyone succeed and support each other. It felt like a big family, and it feels like that with all the small businesses here in Asheville.”
Eventually adding more inventory than the kiosk could hold, Walker opened a larger store in the Asheville Outlets, and eventually two MTN Merch locations — one in Biltmore Village and the other downtown on Lexington Avenue. Asheville-branded T-shirts are the most popular item, and Walker said they are all made locally.
“Our prints are drawn by local artists or by employees right here in the store,” Walker said. “A lot of places have shirts that say ‘Asheville’ but are made in Colorado or somewhere else. All of ours are made here — the art, the printing — everything. That gives people jobs here, and we are privileged to be able to do that.”
Over the years, local vendors have come
to Walker asking to sell their items in her MTN Merch stores. She said there are now more than 50 vendors with items in her store, and that helps draw people in because shoppers don’t have to wonder where the items come from.
“At MTN Merch, it’s all Asheville,” Walker said.
Owners of independent retailers have felt business has dropped over the last year according to Walker; however, she said that’s not exactly the case.
“When we look at the numbers, they are really about the same as last year,” Walker said “There was such an increase in 2021 and 2022, and things are now leveling out but it feels like a drop. We were so busy during those times that it feels different in comparison. It was such a huge uptick and now the leveling out feels like a decrease, but it’s not as bad as we think.”
Considering her choice of owning a retail business a lifestyle more than a job, Caroline Gunther, Owner of Wag! A Unique Pet Boutique said she cares about the relationships between people and their pets.
Gunther feels that this genuine enjoyment of watching people with their pets is reflected in the customer service and helps to build relationships, which contributes to the success of the Downtown Hendersonville store.
“Sometimes I can lose sight of that when dealing with inventory,” Gunther said. “But I genuinely enjoy supporting the relationship people have with their pets.”
Repeat customers sometimes visit Wag! weekly, three times a week, or even daily, according to Gunther. They may not make a purchase every time, but she has seen people stop in just to enjoy a conversation.
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control,
“People have come in right after they’ve put their dog to sleep or their cat just got diagnosed with cancer,” Gunther said. “They feel they can talk through these things with our staff, and people need support and they need these conversations. Sometimes they come in just to hang out and chat. Our staff is really friendly and talkative.”
To boost excitement for her customers, Gunther began a loyalty program a few years ago. She said while some pet food brands already had a frequent buyer program, she added to those existing programs to help her customers earn points and get money off of future purchases.
“People love getting a free item or seeing that $10 Off coupon,” Gunther said. “It encourages them to come back for more.”
In recent years, both PetSmart and PetCo have opened locations in Hendersonville. Though Wag! is younger than some of her competition, Gunther considers it a validation of her choice of opening a pet store in the area. She also doesn’t necessarily consider them a threat, but rather believes online retailers are the biggest threat to every brick-and-mortar retail location, including ‘big box stores.’
Not only is it more difficult to find the appropriate fit for items like harnesses online, Gunther said some people don’t understand what it means to spend dollars locally. Shopping locally means so much more than shopping online no matter the size of the store. She said it means that someone living in the county has a job, and they are going to spend money here and some of that money is going to come back to the county.
“People who work in those stores live here; they have houses and they are investing their time and life into the community, and there are people that understand that,” Gunther said. “Those that support local are important, and we want to continue offering a good experience to make sure that those people feel well taken care of.”
While fun and excitement are high priorities in her position, McEwen said there are some challenging moments. Summer camp and Christmas seasons create a “tsunami of freight,” especially in their Brevard store. Having so many cases of freight arriving daily to unbox, price, and put up for sale while keeping aisles clear and maintaining their high level of customer service can be a challenge, but it is important to her to make sure everyone that comes in has a good experience.
Formerly a toy store owner herself, Jeannie McEwen helped John and Susie Taylor open the Greenville, SC location of O.P. Taylor’s Toy Store in 2002.
McEwen and her daughter were having coffee across the street from the Greenville location when McEwen suggested her daughter introduce herself to the Taylors and ask if the owners needed any help. Her daughter not only started working the next day, she suggested her mom come on to help manage the store. After speaking with the Taylors, McEwen was brought on board to help open the store as its manager.
“I had previously been a national sales rep at AmericasMart in Atlanta where John was a wholesale customer,” McEwen said. “I knew the routine of wholesale selling, knew what to ask and what deals to make, and John knew it was valuable that I understood both sides of the business.”
Over the years, McEwen has worn many hats while working closely with other employees to look after the welfare of each store. Working as manager and district manager at various times, her goal has always been to contribute to the success of O.P. Taylor’s stores.
Upon arrival at a store, McEwen ensures it is clean, tidy, and ready for customers. She changes the display windows at the first of the month, receives merchandise and unboxes and prices the items, and enters them into the store’s inventory system. Between those tasks, McEwen said the first priority is always waiting on customers that come into the store. She said every job has its standard duties, but here she gets to interact with families at some of their happiest moments.
“Families come in at Christmas time and on birthdays, or when kids have been saving their money and finally get to come in and dump it on the counter to see what they can buy,” McEwen said. “We get excited right along with them. Our job is to make sure they feel excited to be there. We’re really custodians of childhood magic.”
McEwen said the Taylors still have magic in their eyes when choosing toys. She talks with them about what toys their grandchildren are into, what toys are being played with in school, and what trends are popular at different times, then orders are focused heavily on those types of items.
“Campers come to Brevard from all over the country, and for many families, a stop at O.P. Taylor’s is a family tradition,” McEwen said. “We want to keep the magic alive for each member of these families to pass on, and it’s our responsibility to make it a good experience for everyone.”
As a grandmother of 13, McEwen said working at the toy store is far more enjoyable for her than retirement. She gets the benefit of having meaningful, relevant conversations with her grandkids about toys and what they’re into, and unpacking freight and moving around in the store keeps her physically fit.
“I don’t thrive in front of the TV,” McEwen said. “Working here keeps me young because I’d much rather be up and out seeing people than sitting back; I’m just not that type. It’s far more enjoyable to be at the store and part of the activities. I don’t see the point of retiring because I’m already doing what I want to do, so why would I stop?” —
Jeannie McEwen is the District Manager/ Business Developer at O.P. Taylor’s Toy Store. Learn more about O.P. Taylor’s at OPTaylors.com.
A Shifting Retail Landscape Leads to Boosting Local Businesses
After feeling burned out from working real estate, Stephanie Tryon went to work with her best friend and owner of ETC Consignment Shoppe in 1999. Loving her involvement with the store, Tryon purchased half of the business in 2001. In 2013, she became the full owner of the Asheville ETC location.
Formerly located on Patton Avenue in Asheville, the original building came under new ownership and ETC had to close in 2021. Not ready to be done with her store, Tryon relocated ETC to The Little Mall in Weaverville — a location that is more easily accessible for her customers with less traffic and better parking.
In the early stages of ETC, the business consisted exclusively of consignment items, accepting a wide variety including children’s clothing, men and women’s clothing, formalwear, and housewares. As sales shifted through the years, Tryon phased out children’s and men’s clothing and formalwear.
“After COVID everything changed,” Tryon said. “People didn’t need business attire working from home. Suits used to be my biggest seller, now we don’t even take them anymore. People going to work in offices now are more casual also.”
The biggest change for Tryon’s retail business was bringing in local vendors
in 2019. It started with a few artists, and once COVID started, there were many that didn’t have a market or a place to sell their products. Online platforms have fees that may make joining harder for very small businesses, and some markets have set-up fees as well, so ETC Consignment Shoppe provided an outlet for those makers.
Some of ETC’s first vendors included Cornerstone Tea, The Quill and Honey, and The Knotted Moss. Now, Tryon stocks products from around 70 to 75 local vendors.
“I didn’t realize how many I had until I wrote it all down,” Tryon said. “A few have changed over the years, but most of the ones that came to my store have stayed.”
The addition of local vendors has been the biggest change for the business, and according to Tryon, in some ways it probably saved the business. People come in who are not looking for clothes, but looking for gifts and locally-made items.
“The timing was right,” Tryon said. “We didn’t see many vendors selling local just a few years ago, and now you see that everywhere and others are jumping on that bandwagon. Since the pandemic especially, people making things like jewelry on the side were forced to start their own business, and they’ve stuck with that instead of going back to the office.”
ETC Consignment Shoppe’s best sellers include locally-made food products like Poppy Popcorn, Biscuit Head mixes and jams, and teas. Other popular items include handmade soaps and handmade jewelry.
Tryon said while her clientele has changed somewhat, many of her long-time customers return looking for different items.
“They are buying products instead of or in addition to clothes,” Tryon said. “We get a lot more tourists looking for local products, and we do a lot of things for AirBnb owners and real estate agents.
They put local products in their rentals and make welcome baskets for their clients, so offering these local products boosts their businesses too.”
ETC also hosts a pop-up market on Saturdays during the warmer months. Local vendors are invited to set up and sell their products directly to customers. There are usually three to five vendors and up to 10 at a time, selling products from plants, vegetables, fried pies, handmade jewelry, and more. Tryon does not charge a set-up fee; she said it creates more store traffic and really is just something fun to do on Saturdays.
Consignment is still a large part of her business. Tryon said she and her staff of seven pay attention to styles to make sure the clothing they accept is within the last two years of style. Everything that comes in must be cleaned, pressed, and ready to go on the sales floor. Items stay for up to 60 days, and if sold, the consigner receives 40% of what the item sells for. After that 60-day window, the consigner can either pick up the items, or they are donated to WNC Ministries.
“It becomes too much inventory if we hold onto items longer than that,” Tryon said. “It also keeps the inventory fresh and keeps things interesting for customers. We never know what kinds of things will come into the store, and that’s the most exciting part. It could be houseware items that have been packed away in an attic, or it could be items that are still brand new with the tags still on. We’ve seen a lot of interesting things come in and out of the store over the years.”
“ We didn’t see many vendors selling local just a few years ago, and now you see that everywhere and others are jumping on that bandwagon.”
- Stephanie Tryon
Often working in conjunction with each other, WNC’s government and nonprofit organizations support local businesses and the entire community.
According to Riverbird Research, the overall concentration of jobs in the government industry across an 18-county area of WNC was approximately 17% greater than the national average in 2022. The 2017-2022 jobs growth rate of -2% was on par with that of the state, supporting the employment of 55,861 individuals across 899 payrolled business locations earning an average annual wage of $54,193, excluding supplements.
Of 18 WNC counties, Buncombe was the most abundant in government industry jobs with 15,352, followed by Swain County with 6,661 jobs in 2022.
According to Riverbird Research, the overall concentration of jobs in the nonprofit industry across an 18-county area of WNC was approximately 23% greater than the national average in 2022. The 2017-2022 jobs growth rate of 16% was greater that the state’s growth rate of 14%, supporting the employment of 3,667 individuals across 433 payrolled business locations earning an average annual wage of $40,679, excluding supplements.
Of 18 WNC Counties, Buncombe was the most abundant in nonprofit industry jobs with 1,811, followed by Henderson County with 487 jobs in 2022.
The federal government requires that 23% of their spending be funneled through small businesses. Small businesses are defined by the US Small Business Administration classification system and consist of a varying number of employees across different industries. Government contracting opportunities are set aside for certain types of small businesses to help them build their capacity and grow.
In 2021, a federal memorandum set a goal to increase new business entrance into the federal contracting space aiming to simplify the ability for small businesses to work with the government. This gives small business representatives access to high-level decision makers, helping them to stay at the table for contract opportunities and acquisition approaches. Broken down into socio-economic categories, 5% of contract spending must be allocated toward woman-owned small businesses, 12% to small disadvantaged businesses, 3% to HUBZone business, and 3% to service disabled veteran-owned small businesses. A certain number of federal contracts are set aside for bids from these types of businesses.
A business must be certified in one of the above categories in order to apply for these contract opportunities. Women-owned and veteran-owned businesses must be at least 51% owned by a woman/women or a veteran, respectively, and a woman or a veteran must hold the highest officer position within the company.
HUBZone businesses must have a principal location at which the greatest number of employees perform the majority of the work, and 35% of employees must be HUBZone residents.
A small disadvantaged business must comprise individuals who have been subject to racial prejudice or bias, or individuals who have limited access to capital and credit opportunities through a diminished ability to compete in a free market.
The federal government has created an 8(a) Business Development program through the SBA — a nine-year certification program providing access to business development support and help building capacity and growth through contracts. Benefits of this program include directly-awarded sole source threshold, competitive 8(a) contracting opportunities, mentor/ protege opportunities, joint venturing
opportunities, training, procurement assistance, and business development support.
Within the 8(a) Business Development program, there is an opportunity to build a network of federal contacts and share capabilities and performances. Contracts may be directly awarded to businesses, joint ventures may be possible, and there is the opportunity to self-identify a mentor which can be a big business.
The government expects partnered businesses to deliver once an opportunity has been provided. Deadlines must be met, quality products and services must be provided, and contracts must be handled responsibly. Responsible contractors must have adequate resources to perform contract duties, be able to comply with schedules, have a satisfactory performance record, have necessary experience, skills, and facilities, and be otherwise qualified to match contract terms.
When registering with the government, businesses must choose relevant North American Industry Classification System codes that match the offerings of their business. Multiple codes may be chosen, but businesses must choose one primary code that best correlates with the products and services offered. Evaluating unique selling propositions, utilizing market research tools, and crafting a business capability statement can help businesses select the best code in preparation for government contracts.
Further information regarding business registration, certification, and working with government contracts can be found at SAM.gov. Local organizations such as the Western Women’s Business Center and the Small Business and Technology Development Center can provide guidance for businesses interested in government contracting opportunities.
Source: WWBC/SBTDC Government Contracting Webinar
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57,162 Jobs in 2017
55,861 Jobs in 2022
-2% Job Growth
-1,301
2017-2022 Change in Jobs
$54,193
2022 Average Annual Wage Excluding supplements
The overall concentration of jobs in the 18-county region was approximately 17% greater compared to the national average in 2022.
2017-2022 job loss of 2% was on par with the state.
Though the City of Asheville’s Economic Development Coalition is housed under the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, the City is highly involved in the recruitment of industry to the area.
The City of Asheville’s Economic Development Specialist Rachel Taylor said the EDC provides much of the marketing for business recruitment, providing details about the economy, workforce, and potential work sites, working directly with companies until the interested company is ready to move forward. At that time, the new company will engage with the City and Buncombe County, who are often both involved with economic development projects.
The City, County, and the State of NC are all able to provide incentives to businesses moving into the area. There are different incentive tiers based on levels of company investment. These governments work to gain a well-rounded picture of the company’s plans and what they can offer to the area and work together to develop incentive offers based on that determination.
“North Carolina used to have more restrictions around business incentives than other states, but after a big industry loss, the State changed its mind,” Taylor said. “There are pros and cons to incentives, and we want to make sure those are balanced with an appropriate impact on taxes, and the companies entering the region fit with the overall AVL 5X5 plan we have in place.”
Riverbird Research, a market research team established by the Chamber, provides a potential economic impact analysis of incoming companies. The analysis includes potential impacts to property taxes and property values, as well as the effects of job creation and wages paid to members of the community. Once
determined appropriate, incentives in the form of economic development grants are offered to incoming businesses. Not all potential projects are supported by the City or County governments. Local governments are focused on predetermined sectors for growth and also consider sustainable development as well as social and environmental goals.
“We want to have projects that are successful and everyone can be excited about,” Taylor said. “We don’t tend to consider projects that are not a good fit.”
Taylor said an example of a good fit across all aspects was New Belgium Brewing Company coming to Asheville. There were opportunities for investments and buy-ins from multiple sectors, and the company wanted to invest in community growth by improving sections of the River Arts District and developing greenways because they were interested in a location that both their employees and the community could enjoy.
Local small businesses are also supported through a variety of community development block grants. Funds go toward activities at organizations like Mountain BizWorks, the Western Women’s Business Center, and a loan program with the Mountain Community Capital Fund. These types of funds can help small businesses or historically underrepresented business owners.
“We want to make sure everyone is getting their needs met,” Taylor said. “We work intentionally around business retention and engagement, maintaining a strategic plan of what that looks like for all businesses as well as the community.”
As the City of Hendersonville’s mayor, Barbara Volk has three primary duties — preside at meetings, sign official documents, and declare states of emergency, but the reach actually goes much further than that.
The mayor works with state representatives and will contact them if City leadership has strong feelings about what is happening at a state level. Conversely, the State has an impact on some functions of the City through various local bills affecting municipalities.
The City also works with Henderson County to provide school resource officers to schools within city limits, work with land development and erosion control, conduct construction inspections, and more. Other municipalities within the county also work with the City of Hendersonville through a quarterly meeting called Local Government Committee for Cooperative Action. During these meetings, the municipalities discuss issues and concerns as well as share ideas and updates with each other. The City is also an active member of the Land of Sky
Regional Council and has contact with other municipalities within the four-county area covered by Land of Sky.
While the mayor acts as the spokesperson for the City, the City Council and the mayor work together as one body for the City. The mayor has no veto power and no influence on Council decisions. Each Council member reaches out to the community for input on various community issues, which Volk said she takes very seriously. Once decisions are made, the Council turns information over to the City’s staff to implement actions.
With more than 200 employees, City of Hendersonville staff work within a variety of departments. There are internal staff including those in administration and human resources. The public safety department includes police and
firefighters, the public works department includes street cleaning and trash pickup staff, the legal department includes the city manager, city attorneys, and a public relations group, and the development department includes planning, zoning, and downtown development staff. During the past four years, the City has hosted Council Conversations meetings in which each City Council member goes out to a different part of town to host a casual discussion in which the public is invited to share their feelings and concerns, as well as their hopes for the future of the City.
“Each conversation has a slightly different topic,” Volk said. “Each of the Council members has a different sphere, creating a good variety of people as far as areas of the city that people live in, what groups they belong to, and where they are active. This
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Though the primary objective of nonprofit organizations is public benefit rather than earning a profit, the economic impact of nonprofit organizations is significant.
A 2022 report by the NC Center for Nonprofits stated the nonprofit industry put $56 billion back into the state’s economy, provided 361,918 jobs (10% of all NC private sector employment), and paid $19 billion in wages.
helps us to stay abreast of the concerns throughout the community.”
Primary community concerns include traffic, growth, and housing costs. In August, the City of Hendersonville began implementing a new Comprehensive Plan which will address these concerns by looking at what the community wants the City to look like 20 years from now, deciding how and where to grow, and figuring out how to deal with that growth. The County also has their own Comprehensive Plan, and the City must work with the County to ensure the plans are complementary.
The Downtown and 7th Avenue districts are primary areas of focus for the City because they are economic engines for Hendersonville. The City spends a lot of time helping businesses and keeping the areas vibrant by providing enhanced services including plantings, hanging baskets, street cleaning, extra police services, and implementing sidewalk improvements. These services are paid for by the taxes in place for those districts, which are set by the City. While the City is not directly responsible for business recruitment, it is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and works with Henderson County Partnership for
Economic Development to discuss what can be implemented to make it easier for businesses coming to the area to operate. There is work done with the Partnership to provide incentives to industry, usually centering around infrastructure including water, sewer, and road construction or maintenance.
There is also a large number of nonprofits in Hendersonville, according to Volk. There are issues the City cannot address, and many nonprofits exist to fill in these gaps with support from the City. Giving to nonprofits is part of the City’s annual budget, though by state law grants can only be given to causes that perform work the City would be allowed to do but doesn’t have the resources to provide, such as substance abuse counseling or helping to serve the homeless population.
“The City tries to focus on core services that others can’t provide, such as taking care of the streets and performing fire inspections,” Volk said. “We also work hard to support those that can provide these other services better than we could.
Henderson County is a very supportive, giving community, and we are blessed with folks here looking out for their neighbors. This is why people like living here — they know we have folks who care.”
Of the 146,070 Nonprofit Corporations in the state, more than 40,000 are charitable nonprofits encompassing a variety of community organizations including schools, food banks, senior centers, and many more. Nearly 35% of those focus on human services, and though hospitals and private colleges and universities represent only 1.5% of nonprofits, they account for more than half of the industry’s $56 billion in spending.
Nonprofit revenues come from private fees for services, grants and contracts, and individual and corporate contributions. Volunteers play a large role in their operations, though since losing 40% of volunteer staff in 2020, organizations have been slow in replacing them.
The number of paid staff in the nonprofit industry has also decreased. Despite the increase in service needs since COVID-19, 72% of nonprofits have a 10% vacancy rate in staff positions.
Charitable donations have also decreased. Since federal law tax changes took effect in 2018, the number of charitable donation deductions by taxpayers has decreased by 30% since 2017.
In 22 counties of WNC, there are 1,708 nonprofits reporting a total of $5,153,047,861 in expenditures, employing 32,126 individuals who earn annual wages totaling $1,314,033,536, based on 2020 data.
Source: NC Center for Nonprofits
Nonprofit organizations depend on charitable giving in order to support their community, according to Giving USA 2023: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2022, a publication of Giving USA Foundation, 2023, researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Without charitable giving, organizations may become unable to meet their needs and fulfill their missions.
After increasing to more than half a trillion dollars nationwide in 2021, 2022’s total giving to US charities declined 10.5% to $499.33 billion. Giving USA noted uncertain economic conditions, flat growth in disposable personal income,
a 40-year high inflation rate of 8%, and steep S&P 500 growth toward the end of the year as some of the reasons giving declined.
• Giving by individuals totaled an estimated $319.04 billion, declining 6.4% in 2022 (a decline of 13.4%, adjusted for inflation).
• Giving by foundations grew 2.5%, to an estimated $105.21 billion in 2022 (a decline of 5.0%, adjusted for inflation).
• Giving by bequest totaled an estimated $45.60 billion in 2022, growing by 2.3% over 2021 (a decline of 5.3%, when adjusted for inflation).
cash and in-kind contributions made through corporate giving programs, as well as grants and gifts made by corporate foundations. Read more details online at GivingUSA.org.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals, Western North Carolina Chapter covers a wide area of the region, from Hickory to the far western corner of the state, according to Chapter President Tiffany Drummond Armstrong.
With a mission to support fundraisers and nonprofit leaders, AFP WNC members include development staff, directors, and executive directors, most of whom are
• Giving by corporations is estimated to have increased by 3.4% in 2022, totaling $29.48 billion (a decline of 4.2%, adjusted for inflation). Corporate giving includes continued on next page
for nonprofits,” Armstrong said. “There’s lots of inspiration, incredible people, and generous souls, and I love being around that energy. People often speak to the learning and support of this network and the success they’ve experienced over time. Someone once said to me they truly credit AFP for their success, and joining was one of the smartest moves they’ve ever made.”
involved in their local nonprofits, according to Armstrong. Membership consists of about 135 members representing 100 to 120 organizations, and about 15 members serve on the board.
Membership benefits include monthly programming as well as two major annual events. Program speakers are often volunteers offering expertise on subjects relevant to the field such as best practices, diversifying revenue streams, fundraising ideas, ethics, and ways to integrate AI into fundraising.
One of AFP WNC’s major annual programs is the Philanthropy Institute, focused on learning and providing opportunities for networking and building connections between nonprofit executive directors, development staff, and volunteers. A keynote speaker is present, and a series of workshops is offered on a range of relevant topics. Chapters often look to AFP Global to anticipate conversations and trends, and this information is also used to determine monthly workshops throughout the year.
The other major annual program is National Philanthropy Day each
November. This event provides an opportunity to recognize philanthropy in the community, which typically fills gaps within available government services. Local philanthropists often focus on issues including food scarcity, homelessness, and medical care as well as arts and education, and this event recognizes all the people that help make it possible
“This event allows us to recognize and thank all the people in the community who participate in giving,” Armstrong said. “We want to make sure the people who want to give can make the right connections, and with between 200 and 250 at each event, it is more than the opportunity for organizations to recognize the people in their sphere.”
AFP WNC also offers mentoring for those new to the field, according to Armstrong. Networking and social events are also planned in addition to other programs, and participants are encouraged to get to know each other and rely on the group, as they often communicate in organicallyformed small groups for support.
“We’ve been around for more than 20 years and are a huge part of professional support
The Community Foundation of WNC has been a community of givers since 1978. Working with individuals, families, and corporations, CFWNC built a permanent pool of charitable capital with which to make grants to nonprofit and public agencies across 18 WNC counties and the Qualla Boundary.
According to CFWNC Communications Director Lindsay Hearn, a community foundation has three functions: making grants, serving as a vehicle for philanthropy, and providing leadership for the region in which it serves.
CFWNC awarded its first grants in 1980, which totaled $28,000. Last year, it facilitated $34 million in philanthropy with grants to 1,489 nonprofits in the region and beyond.
Some grants are awarded proactively through focus areas or initiatives. Other grants are awarded through a competitive process in which organizations submit an application and/or a Letter of Intent, and staff or advisory committees make grant recommendations to the Board that approves allocation of funds. Chosen applicants are then required to provide an end-of-grant report verifying use of grant funds and their results.
Donor-advised funds are a vehicle to accomplish specific philanthropic interests and priorities. Donors recommend grants from their funds, subject to the approval
of the Foundation’s board of directors. Flexible endowment funds are another option and may be a good fit depending on the donor’s goals. A fund can be established by an initial gift of at least $10,000, and is fully tax-deductible in the year of the donation.
In addition to contributing funds and making grants, CFWNC manages assets for more than 130 nonprofits across the region by offering administration and investment management expertise. Hearn said these partnerships enable nonprofits to access institutional-caliber strategies in a cost effective manner. Nonprofits can also access a full range of offerings such as charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts to complement their development efforts. This relationship offers organizations access to layers of supervision, investment diversity,
benchmarks, and standards that their independent portfolio may not command on its own.
“Community foundations exist to provide permanent charitable resources for the regions they serve,” Hearn said. “Generous people want to give, and nonprofits need support. Numbers and grants are one measure, and they represent potential, but CFWNC’s greatest strength is its partnerships and willingness to build collective will to support issues facing the region as they change over time.”
WNC Nonprofit Pathways was formed as a funder’s collaborative in 2006 as a division of the Community Foundation
of WNC with support from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation and Mission Hospital.
According to WNC Nonprofit Pathways Senior Consultant Jeannette Butterworth, community foundations exist to help build wealth as well as help fund holders be philanthropists. Not a funder itself, Pathways exists as a path-builder as funders seeing the same needs of nonprofits collaborate to meet those needs.
There is a historical lack of resources in the area according to Butterworth. Rural regions of Appalachia didn’t originally have their own resources for social services, food distribution, and other health and wellness needs, and community foundations help set the stage to create support.
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a working farm to serve the children living on campus at Eliada.
Eliada offers the largest continuum of care from birth to age 25. Between 400 and 600 people are served annually by Eliada’s programming, and about 150 people are employed by the organization, according to Campuzano.
The organization and its facilities continue to expand, as there will be a new building with additional classrooms opening soon, more teachers were hired in the summer of 2023, and they have recently opened another assessment facility to help children enter the programs they need. Seventy-one additional childcare slots were added to meet the greatest need in the community — childcare for infants and one- to two-year olds.
“We think about it as a bridge,” Butterworth said. “There’s a strong firewall between the Community Foundation and nonprofits, and Pathways is a safe space to discuss issues. Our position goes both ways — Pathways provides resources to nonprofits from funders as well as provides information to funders from nonprofits.” Pathways also evaluates nonprofit needs other than capital by determining processes and helping connect organizations to resources. Through assessments, onsite training, and financial and sustainability coaching, Pathways’ Wheel of Capacity Building helps organizations define their unique selling points and keep them front and center, leading to the ability for the organization to become stronger.
“Nonprofits may approach Pathways with a need for board training, and Pathways will figure out what the board needs to be engaged,” Butterworth said. “We help determine what to do with that knowledge, and will help them make plans to put what they learned into action.”
After training sessions are complete, Pathways ensures there is a clear plan of action and checks in with the organization to evaluate changes and keep them
moving toward their goals. Feedback from nonprofits gives Pathways a sense of the effectiveness of the training in identifying issues and improving processes.
“Asheville is a very progressive city, and the folks that live here are very missiondriven,” Butteroworth said. “Nonprofits really fill in the gaps for what area governments can’t or won’t be able to fund or take care of for these residents. Pathways has helped create those connections, and it’s part of our culture to connect and support wherever we can.”
Originally founded as a home for unwed mothers and their children in 1903, Eliada Homes has evolved to offer a myriad of programs to the community according to Eliada Home Director of Development Tara Campuzano.
Current offerings include programs for children with mental health trauma and youth aging out of foster care, a preschool program, foster care and adoption services, job training, equine therapy, and
A variety of partnerships help the organization provide these services to the community, according to Campuzano. Grants, event sponsorships, business sponsorships, and proceeds from community events all go to budget relief for Eliada. The largest community event, the annual Fall Festival and Corn Maze, attracts about 12,000 visitors annually. CEO Cindy Davis West said Medicaid offers funding for behavioral health support and healthcare, as do Dogwood Health Trust and Vaya Health. Other major supporters include Warren Wilson College, the City of Asheville, Publix, a variety of community groups, many churches, and a large number of individual volunteers.
Businesses also partner with Eliada for workforce opportunities in Eliada Students Training for Advancement — a program for young adults aged 18 to 25. Scholarships have been offered for participants in areas such as engineering and healthcare from area businesses including Pratt & Whitney, according to Campuzano.
The ESTA program served 55 youth in the past year. Of those, 73% had unstable housing, 25% were early parenting or pregnant, and 29% were in foster care. Of those youth, 67% increased life skills, 58% became employed, and 60% achieved stable housing. The ESTA program is also a part of the Healthy Opportunities Program within the state with Dogwood Trust. They served 126 families in our communities with food boxes to address food insecurity.
Area businesses participate in charity drives hosted by Eliada to help provide children with specific supplies, and the businesses have real joy in handing the supplies to Eliada, according to Campuzano.
Eliada also participates in networking groups with the Asheville Area and the Henderson County Chambers of Commerce. Campuzano said Eliada works with other nonprofits and builds relationships with those that connect with their mission, and nonprofits help each other match donor passion to dollars to help support each other.
“I love seeing the level of connections and relationships in Western North Carolina,” Campuzano said. “No one is working against each other. We have a strong community to help build everyone up.”
WNC Bridge Foundation supports a variety of community initiatives and provides impact grants to local nonprofits. Five community initiatives are supported by the proceeds of WNC Bridge’s Estate Sales and Thrift Store, according to Director of Retail Operations Skip Wade. In 2022, WNC Bridge’s Estate Sales and Thrift Store received 12,548 hours of volunteer time, produced $205,609 in proceeds, and helped 1,746 individuals receive support from initiatives including:
• Children’s Services Fund - 34
• WNC Greatest Needs - 29
• Rathbun House - 1,174 continued on next page
Beginning as an annual rummage sale, the Thrift Store began operations 20 years ago at the Asheville Outlets and moved into the current Fairview Road building in 2016. The Estate Sale was added 14 years ago, and has increased the donor base and expanded the variety of items available for sale.
With a “huge donor base of givers,” Wade said donations and consignments have increased over time, although there is an ebb and flow of donations depending on the time of year. Some donors give annually, and some have been giving to the store for years.
Held twice a month for three days, the Estate Sale attracts repeat customers including some resellers and collectors, according to Wade. More locals than
tourists, customers come for a preview on the Wednesday before the sale is open Thursday through Saturday. Leftovers from estate sales go on to the next sale, and are then donated to the thrift store as the two entities work hand in hand.
“There’s always a line to get into the sale,” Wade said. “Resellers are finding items for their booths at local retailers like the Antique Tobacco Barn, Marquee, and Screen Door. There are repeat customers at every sale, and the customer base is pretty consistent. I always know at least 90% of people shopping here.”
Brunk Auctions becomes involved for higher-value estate items like high-end artwork. Assessors approximate the value and auctioneers determine salability. Wade said while some estate sale items are very common, they come across some very interesting things from time to time.
“Recently there was a large clay pot that was chipped and cracked and had been repainted,” Wade said. “An auctioneer identified it as a Dave Drake pot — he was a one-armed slave who made pottery — and that item sold for $5,000.”
Sellers for the Estate Sales are found by advertising as well as word of mouth, and include those needing to clean out houses or sort through family items. Many are retired and downsizing, and many come back for multiple sales. The proceeds from Estate Sales are divided between WNC Bridge Foundation and the seller.
With a retail staff including six fulltime and 13 part-time employees, the majority of the work is volunteer-driven. Volunteers go to houses and pack items to be inventoried, and provide the estate with presale estimates after values have been assessed.
While this partnership of the Estate Sale, Thrift Store, and WNC Bridge Foundation works well, the additional retail portion may not work for other types of nonprofit organizations. Wade said there is a large initial investment with employees, box trucks for moving items, and rent for the retail space, which may be cost-prohibitive to many organizations.
“We are fortunate to have started when we did,” Wade said. “It would be very hard to recreate at this point in time.”
Thrift stores are prominent in several other nonprofits including Habitat for Humanity, Four Seasons, Rutherfordton Hospice, and some churches, but the Estate Sale is pretty unique for a nonprofit, according to Wade. Asheville has the right mix of affluent people willing to donate quality items as well as interested buyers.
“We’re lucky to have a really good mix that works really well for the Foundation,” Wade said. “We’ve been doing it for many years, so that says something. All of these pieces have stories. It also feels really good to positively impact the community with what we are doing. It’s really a feel-good place to work.”
and travel and tourism, meet with the County Manager for projects, work with the finance director on compliance, and review zoning changes and amendments. It’s something different every day.”
that can help the town to achieve major projects while responsibly managing its debt.
Initially contracted by the Town of Burnsville in 2014 as an attorney, Heather Hockaday became a full time administrator in February of 2020. As Burnsville moved from a mayor/council to a council/manager form of government, she became the Town Manager.
As regulations become more complex, it becomes more difficult for people in parttime community advocate roles to keep up with changes, according to Hockaday. Working through legal frameworks can be challenging, and it can be easier to put issues in the hands of a management team that brings decisions to a governing board.
With the overall responsibility of running the Town of Burnsville as an organization, Hockaday is the person to whom various department heads report. She oversees and delegates responsibilities and duties of departmental projects, attends monthly and special meetings, and reports information to the board.
“I spend a lot of time with public works directors, engineers, and grant writers,” Hockaday said. “We discuss plans on anything from big focuses on updating infrastructure like water and sewer systems to reviewing and preparing service contracts for vendors. I also draft a lot of policies and amendments, sit on the boards for economic development
Hockaday said she enjoys infrastructure projects the most. With many people having no idea how water comes and goes through their tap, she finds it very eye-opening to be a part of Burnsville’s efforts to maintain the town’s systems that were initially installed in 1925.
“It’s exciting to see broken things get fixed and know for years to come the system will work better for the citizens,” Hockaday said. “I grew up here and know many of the town’s business owners. We have a fabulous board and a great mayor, and everyone is working together to achieve the goals that will take the town and the county into the future.”
The challenge with installation of infrastructure is always money, according to Hockaday. These projects cost millions of dollars, which is increasingly challenging when dealing with a very small customer base.
“There’s only so much burden you can put on your end users,” Hockaday said. “A lot of people don’t understand property tax, and ad valorem taxes don’t transfer to water and sewer. Resources are finite, and for small towns, the biggest obstacle is to find the money needed for annual maintenance of systems.”
The Town of Burnsville also works with public and private funders to obtain financing for these important projects. Hockaday said municipalities have the ability to partner with entities such as local chambers of commerce, the state, or organizations like Dogwood Health Trust
Hockaday said the majority of the public has one perception of who does what in local governments, but government work comprises many different fields. While she has worked in legal, administrative, and managerial positions for Burnsville, there are also opportunities in construction, community relations, outreach, recreation, emergency management, and, of course, public works.
“There are many positions in local governments coming open across the state,” Hockaday said. “We’re losing seasoned workers to retirement and to the private sector, and this is a fabulous career choice with competitive wages and benefits that not many people look into. It’s also a great opportunity to really make a difference in someone’s community.” While her current position as Manager is the top in the town’s employment, she does sit at the pleasure of the board, and is happy to stay and move through changes in board directions or policies as concerns evolve over time.
“I’m very familiar with the local government here, and it’s a good fit for me,” Hockaday said. “My parents are here, my family is here, and my husband and I have our law office here where he practices. I’m very happy with my job and my community, and this is where I hope to stay and finish my career.” —
Heather Hockaday is the Town Manager for the Town of Burnsville. Learn more about the Town of Burnsville at TownOfBurnsville.org.
A New Café Helps Sustain a Local Nonprofit’s Offerings
Opened in the summer of 2023, The Buzz is Henderson County’s first sober bar and café, founded by Julie Huneycutt, Director of Hope Coalition.
Hope Coalition’s mission is dedicated to preventing substance use among youth and focusing on long-term recovery for anyone impacted by alcohol and drug addiction. The organization works with healthcare organizations, public schools, law enforcement, and other community nonprofits and agencies to create actionoriented plans and programs focused on change in the community.
Working in the nonprofit sector for more than 20 years, Huneycutt and the Hope Coalition team considered many ideas to help sustain the nonprofit by providing additional funding for programs. They found a great space, and decided to move forward with the idea of a sober bar and café.
Proceeds earned by The Buzz go back into the community through services offered by Hope Coalition. Huneycutt calls it “drinks with a purpose,” as people purchasing drinks or food are directly giving back to the community.
“We exist to help others heal,” Huneycutt said. “There’s a huge passion behind what we do because we are making a difference. We are not making money to profit from the business, instead we are making the community richer and healthier.”
The Buzz opens at 7:30 AM to offer a variety of specialty coffees, teas, and pastries.
In the afternoon, service transitions to offering sodas, kombuchas, and mocktails — cocktails created using non-alcoholic spirits, adaptogens, and botanicals.
Mocktails are offered as an alternative to the increasingly popular breweries, cideries, and wineries in the area. Anyone is welcomed at The Buzz, and Huneycutt said customers include people in recovery as well as those on health journeys, taking a break from alcohol, or who simply want to go out for a drink while better maintaining clarity of conversation.
Huneycutt is also interested in hiring staff that are in recovery. She said they understand the larger mission of showing that it’s possible to have great conversations and great fun without alcohol, and they are very passionate and understand the reasoning behind these offerings. Some of her current staff of six work in other areas of Hope Coalition as well, which she appreciates because this aids in creating a culture that spans the organization while making broader use of their skills.
With a sober-curious movement moving across the country, Huneycutt said she’s had dozens, if not hundreds, of people say the opening of The Buzz is very timely. While families and youth are welcomed, the atmosphere is oriented to adults as the former apple packing house does look like a bar.
Working in substance abuse prevention, Huneycutt said she understands alcohol is an entry point to addiction for many youth. She said The Buzz is not a place for teens to go and take pictures to post on social media or show to friends because it could look like they are drinking alcohol.
“Alcohol is the worst issue for driving under the influence, domestic violence, and more, but it’s considered okay because it’s legal,” Huneycutt said. “We need to have frank conversations around this, and we want to provide a different venue and a safe alternative to drinking. It’s never a judgment zone here.”
Huneycutt is drawing attention to The Buzz within the community by hosting live music and food trucks and working toward hosting community events. Book clubs and leaders of area programs and groups have already begun meeting there, and the City of Hendersonville has inquired about hosting a Council Conversation meeting at The Buzz.
“Support from the community has been truly overwhelming,” Huneycutt said. “Donors from the community are celebrated on the wall with memorial tiles commemorating loved ones lost to addiction. They are engraved and really beautiful, and their names deserve to be there. We don’t ever want to forget the ones we’ve lost.”
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Julie“I call it ‘drinks with a purpose,’ as people purchasing drinks or food are directly giving back to the community.”
- Julie Huneycutt
Understanding health insurance options can be a daunting task, especially with ever-rising costs forcing you to carefully balance value against price. You’re juggling day-to-day operations while trying to ensure your team gets the healthcare they deserve.
Going into your renewal with a wellthought-out plan is your best bet for longterm, sustainable healthcare solutions. But where do you begin?
Health insurance costs have been rising steadily for the past two decades. With a 7.7% increase in 2023 and a predicted 6% hike in 2024, your expenses are going nowhere but up. Driven by inflation, a shortage of healthcare workers, and high-cost specialty medications, these increases are a reality you can’t ignore. If you’re in North Carolina, you’re likely feeling this pinch even more, as our state
has higher-than-average health insurance rates.
Adding to this, out-of-pocket costs for your employees are also rising. The maximum OOP cost a plan can allow for 2024 plans has increased to $9,450 for individual employees and $18,900 for families. Without a strong renewal strategy, you may increase OOP costs to minimize premium increases leaving your employees to ask, “Why am I paying more for less.”
Bound by fiduciary responsibilities and a genuine desire for your employees’ well-being, you’re aiming to identify the best possible health plans. Given
these mounting challenges, developing a strategic approach to your renewal is crucial.
1. Start Early: Don’t put off your renewal. Start talking with your broker at least three months before your plan renews and explore your options.
2. Benchmark Benefits: Gauge how your current benefits are perceived by your team and how competitive they are in attracting top talent. Employee surveys can offer valuable insights here.
3. Be Ready with a Current Census: Keeping an up-to-date employee
census not only speeds up the quoting process but also aids in timely decision-making. Look back at actual hours worked so you have a clear understanding of who is full-time and benefits eligible.
You might think that traditional fullyinsured plans are your only option, but that’s a common misconception. In reality, a wider array of options exists than most realize. Your benefits brokers should guide you through these options, taking into account factors like your company’s size, turnover, industry, and preference to manage or offload financial risk. Below, we delve into health plan options available to businesses of all sizes.
• ICHRA: Growing in popularity, Individual Coverage HRAs enable businesses to set a budget and give employees the flexibility to enroll in the individual plan of their choice. A business’s location drives how far ICHRA dollars go. In WNC, individual health insurance rates are about the same as group rates, making ICHRA a solid option.
• Membership-Based Healthcare: Direct Primary Care models provide employees with direct, unhindered access to healthcare providers at transparent and reasonable prices. Forwardthinking businesses are coupling DPC with Healthshare memberships to address major medical expenses, presenting a comprehensive and costeffective alternative to conventional insurance plans.
The below options are vailable to companies with 20+ employees.
• Level-funded Plans: A middle ground between fully-insured and self-funded options, these plans provide fixed premiums and potential returns on unused funds.
• Self-funded Plans: Best suited for businesses with fifty or more employees, the companies take on more financial risk but have opportunities for long-term savings by actively managing claims and only paying the administrative costs and the claims incurred. A flexible plan design and transparent partners are key to controlling costs.
The major carriers you grew up with bring a sense of security, but independent carriers can offer more flexibility for cost management. When considering selffunding, look to the independent plan administrators and Pharmacy Benefit Managers who are aggressively working to control costs for businesses. Your broker’s portfolio should include a mix of carriers to ensure the best plan options are available for businesses’ unique needs.
It’s easy to assume that your employees will react negatively to changes in their health plans, but often, their response is actually minimal. In reality, some team members may already be employing alternative healthcare payment strategies.
High deductibles and copays have led employees to explore various cost-saving avenues, such as utilizing prescription coupons like GoodRX, negotiating medical procedure costs, or enrolling in local, membership-based Direct Primary Care. A shift in your health plans can be well received when leadership helps communicate the reason for the change, especially when there is a win in it for employees.
Your broker should do more than quote rates. They should be an active partner in plan administration and employee communication. Go for a broker who genuinely cares about the well-being of your business and employees.
The healthcare landscape may be everchanging, but you’re not helpless. Early planning and a strategic mindset can help you navigate this complex terrain. So start now, and make sure you and your decision-makers are prepared to make informed choices.
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Cindy Kimmel, owner and Benefits Advisor at Kimmel Benefits+, brings 15 years of expertise in corporate HR and employee benefits. She specializes in helping clients reimagine their approach to benefits, aiming to maximize value for employees while controlling costs. Learn more at KimmelBenefitsPlus.com.
Bound by fiduciary responsibilities and a genuine desire for your employees’ well-being, you’re aiming to identify the best possible health plans.
If you own a small business or are self-employed, you’ve always got plenty to do, but you can’t forget about the days when you’ll be less busy — that is, when you’re retired. How can you prepare for that time of your life?
One key step is establishing a retirement plan for your business or yourself. Thanks to the 2022 SECURE 2.0 Act, you can now receive tax credits for opening and administering a 401(k), SEP-IRA, or SIMPLE IRA. These aren’t the only plans available for small businesses or sole proprietors, but they are among the most popular. Let’s look at each of them:
A 401(k) offers several key benefits. First, any earnings growth is tax deferred, and your contributions can be tax deductible. (Taxes are due upon withdrawal, and withdrawals prior to age 59½ may be subject to a 10% penalty.)
If you choose a Roth 401(k), your contributions aren’t deductible, but your earnings and withdrawals will be tax free, provided you meet certain conditions. And a 401(k) offers a variety of investment options. If you have workers, you’ll need to consider whether to offer matching contributions, which are tax deductible to you, up to the limit of 25% of compensation paid to eligible employees. But even if you’re self-employed, with no
employees other than your spouse, you can establish what’s known as a “solo” or “owner-only” 401(k). In 2023, you can put in up to $22,500 as an employee, plus a catch-up contribution of $7,500 if you’re 50 or older, for a total of $30,000. Plus, you can contribute an additional 25% of earned income as an employer, up to an overall employee and employer maximum of $66,000 (or $73,500 if you’re 50 or older).
A SEP-IRA may be attractive to you if you’re self-employed or if you own a business but have few or no employees. That’s because you must contribute an equal percentage of your own compensation to every eligible employee. In 2023, you can contribute up to $66,000 or 25% of your income, whichever is less.
A SIMPLE IRA is easy to establish and administer. As with an SEP-IRA, earnings in a SIMPLE IRA can grow on a taxdeferred basis. If you have employees, they aren’t required to contribute to this plan — but you are. You must match up to 3% of employees’ contributions
As the calendar turns the page, we wish you
or provide 2% of their annual salaries, although you do have some flexibility. If your business goes through a rough patch, you can temporarily decrease SIMPLE IRA contributions to 1% for up to two years out of the previous five. Your contributions to your employees’ accounts are tax deductible, but in terms of building resources for your own retirement, a SIMPLE IRA may be less appealing because of its contribution limits, which are relatively low compared to a 401(k) or SEP IRA. In 2023, you can put in up to $15,500, or $19,000 if you’re 50 or older. You should consult with your tax advisor to determine which retirement plan is right for you. Your financial advisor can also help you explore your options, and the sooner you put a plan to work, the better.
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor, Katherine Morosani, ChFC®, CEPA® who can be reached at 828-793-4310 or Katherine.Morosani@ Edwardjones.com
Katherine C Morosani, ChFC®, Financial Advisor
Regardless of your stature, position, or tenure, it is imperative that you use your own unique voice. I often hear women say they are careful not to say anything despite having questions or wanting to express emotions. In staying silent, are we fulfilling some expectation that we have learned, embody, project, and/or armor ourselves with? Are we waiting for permission? Do we silently hope others will see our own worth? Why?
The truth is, sharing your distinctive perspective can make a difference, and that difference is needed. Being brave enough to put your ideas out in the open, while uncomfortable, is the only way to create change, speed up progress, and innovate.
If you recognize that you stay quiet when you have something to add, here are a few ideas to help set yourself free:
• Ask yourself, “Why am I staying silent?”
• If a thought occurs to you more than once, honor it enough to spend time questioning why it is there. If you can answer the why to yourself, it is time to give life to your thoughts by saying them aloud.
• Know that a collection of discussed and discarded thoughts often evolves into a great idea.
• Allow yourself to be comfortable with
the mindset and statement, “I do not know yet, but I will find out.”
• Know that you have a right and a reason to voice your thoughts. Your individuality is needed.
• Check your emotions at the door or keyboard. A well thought-out, levelheaded addition to any conversation creates the best atmosphere for response and conversation.
• Give yourself permission to take a few moments or a few days to think through your idea and the best way to present it. Then do it.
• Make a plan, and schedule the right people to share your thoughts with and the right time to do it.
• If you are uncomfortable with a larger audience, choose a few people and test your idea to receive feedback.
• Remember, face to face communication (even if virtual) is better than written. Written communication is better than not sharing your insight at all.
• Be concise and confident in your communications.
• Do not detract from your voice with passive minimizing statements such as “just my thought” or “I may be wrong, but…”
• Apologize for avoidable and unavoidable mistakes but abstain from making excuses.
• Do not expect the receiving party to solely fix a problem you present. Show your investment in the issue by coming prepared with your observations and your thoughts on possible solutions, even if they are not fully formed.
• Be prepared and willing to take on the responsibility of acting on your ideas.
• Know that the answer may be “no” or “not yet,” but expect to walk away with some insight.
• Get comfortable with following up other’s responses to your ideas with more questions.
• If new insight creates new ideas, bring them forward again.
By giving yourself permission (you are the only place you can receive it from) to voice your thoughts and ideas, you will unleash an incredible power to bring about change, progress, and innovation. Your voice is needed, and you owe it to yourself, and to the rest of us, to say it!
Ellen Stallings is the President at Riverwave Broadband. Learn more about how Riverwave can help your business at RideRiverWave.com or by emailing Ellen@RideRiverWave.com.
I constantly see women struggle with one action that impacts so many aspects of our lives – speaking up with their thoughts and ideas. Whether in a team meeting, speaking one-onone with management, or interpersonally with friends and family, the advice I offer can be summed up in one phrase, “Say it well, but say it!”
In any business, one of the easiest and most effective ways to impact these three areas is to implement user-friendly Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs. SOPs create a framework for how teams can operate at an optimal level. They are a set of instructions or steps that clearly define how routine operations in all areas of the business are performed – everything from finance to facility needs.
Everyday SOPs have an impact on your business. Businesses without them often struggle with issues such as unclear expectations, the inability to effectively train and retain staff, inconsistent service, and unnecessary expenses. Businesses with lengthy and complex SOPs have good intentions, but their processes end up being so overwhelming and complicated they are rarely used.
Clearly-defined SOPs provide businesses with a clear set of expectations and a guide for performance throughout the organization. Additionally, with strong SOPs, your business benefits from:
• Increased Efficiency: Staff performing tasks based on clear instruction and best practices.
• Captured Tribal Knowledge: Documenting information from veteran and top performers.
• Reduced Costs: Identifying activities that can be adjusted or eliminated.
• Enhanced Customer Experience:
Ensuring customers receive consistent and exemplary service.
So, with these benefits in mind, why do so many business owners not have SOPs? When working with business owners on developing SOP, most will tell me there just isn’t enough time. Day-to-day priorities often rob them of time required to think about SOPs, much less create them. Many business owners also lack knowledge and understanding of how to create an SOP and don’t know where to begin. They may not even realize the value SOPs can provide.
The truth is, SOPs don’t have to be an overwhelming project. They don’t have to be complicated or complex. Think of them as a table of contents for your business. Ask yourself WHAT needs to be done in the process versus HOW it needs to be done. To deal with anxiety, fear, or a general feeling of being overwhelmed, start small and test the waters. Here’s a quick way to make it happen:
• Identify one or two key areas of your business that would benefit from having SOPs and write down the most common key activities for the area(s). Examples may include Human Resources, Sales, Finance, Marketing, Business Development or Production/ Service.
• Involve key team members. Capture how they perform their functions and the best way to do activities.
• Systematically go through the key activities within an area and put them in the order they need to be completed.
Once the SOP is completed for an area, have team members review it for accuracy and possible additional input.
When your SOP is completed, the next step will be training on the SOP and revisiting processes for accuracy on an on-going basis. SOPs will evolve as your business needs, customer needs, and/or the environment changes.
So, when is the best time to develop SOPs? There is not going to be a ‘best’ time if you’re waiting for one. Again, start small, don’t overwhelm yourself, and recruit team members to help.
If you’re not fired up yet, just ask yourself what it would mean for your business if you took the time to create a single tool that will improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability all at the same time.
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Mary Michael is a Business Coach with ActionCOACH, one of the leading Coaching Organizations in the world. She guides business owners to reach their full potential for both their business and their life. Learn more at BillGilliland. ActionCOACH.com.
In today’s fast-pacedworld, businesses are always looking for ways to improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
Once in a generation (if that), we have the opportunity to reimagine how we work. The emergence of remote work has done just that.
When we think of remote work, chances are we’re taken back to March 2020, when the workforce all around the world suddenly seemed to shift overnight.
In reflecting on the journey of the organization I’m honored to serve, MAHEC, I’m in awe of the adaptability each of our employees displayed as they cared incredibly for our patients, learners, community, and each other while adjusting to this new reality.
Fast-forward nearly three years and we’ve all been asking: What’s the future of remote work? What kind of work environment do we want to create to ensure success for organizations and their employees?
Research has shown us that hybrid models, or a mix of in-person and remote work, are effective and here to stay.
We know the benefits of both – time to work remotely affords the ability to focus and balance life, and time to work in-person offers opportunities to connect with each other. Most of us find that traditional models of work often require a great deal of sacrifice whether that sacrifice is time with our families, our chosen community, or the time needed to care for ourselves. However, hybrid working has unlocked new ways of integrating life and work.
As a single working mom of two schoolaged children during the pandemic, I am not sure how I would have survived without
the ability to be present with their needs and also create flexibility for where and when I accomplished my work.
As we embrace this new world, three key tips for organizations or businesses to consider include:
• Mix it up, clearly. Step back and identify the right mix of hybrid work, by both team and role, to ensure team members are set up to work most effectively and efficiently. That may take the form of scheduled at-work and virtual days, a percentage of work spent in a hybrid format, or flexibility that fluctuates based on the work itself. What’s most important is to be clear about expectations for your hybrid workers up front. As Brene Brown, one of my favorite authors and thought leaders guides us, “Clear is kind.”
• Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. At the heart of effective teams is healthy communication. In a traditional work environment, communication takes all sorts of forms including people walking down the hall to have a quick chat about an issue, popping their head into someone’s office to provide an update, or enjoying lunch together to build relationships. Remote work removes these opportunities to connect. Trust and togetherness remain vital ingredients! Implement dedicated one-on-ones, team meetings, and defined in-person social time to maintain the benefits of high-touch connection.
• Increase feedback loops. The physical distance inherent in remote work can lead to a sense of detachment that
can hinder productivity and creativity. Hybrid teams require deliberate and well-structured feedback loops to stay synchronized and focused on shared goals. Feedback loops give us an immediate, transparent line of sight into the overall health and happiness of our team, and typical verbal and nonverbal cues that colleagues use to signal intentions and opinions can be easily overlooked in a virtual environment. Consider instituting formal or informal check-ins, engagement pulse checks, virtual open office hours, or listening sessions. Most importantly, act and follow-up on the feedback. Acting means applying the feedback to your work, making changes, adjustments, or improvements as needed, thereby demonstrating that you have learned from the feedback.
How we work has fundamentally changed, and it has opened up a wealth of new opportunities for how we engage our professional and personal lives. Organizations have an increasing responsibility to look out for the whole employee — their professional and personal wellbeing — and focus on human-centric work.
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Anne McClintic, MS, is the Chief Talent Officer at MAHEC, founded nearly 50 years ago with a mission to recruit, train, and retain the workforce needed to create a healthy community.
There are many challenges to owning and running a business, regardless if you’re a man or woman. You should have a strong business plan and you also need support – both operationally and financially. Very few of us would dream of striking out on our own to sail across the ocean without a qualified team on board, right? Why do that with your business?
Beyond these obvious factors you should address in owning any business, there are a few factors women in particular may encounter when owning a business. In decades not too long ago, access to capital was one, as was the stereotype that only a woman could raise children and therefore not own or run a business. For many of us, that particular nuance remains an undercurrent through our society, placing an unattainable burden on women business owners to be both a super mom (if she has children) and an extraordinary business owner.
It became crystal clear that the elusive work-life balance when viewed through the traditional lens of business success is quite frankly, not as attainable as one might think – until I realized I needed to change my definition of success.
First, success for my business would be defined as making sure we earn enough so that my employees are well compensated and can live the life they value, wherever they are. Likewise, are my clients experiencing success as a
result of our work together? When those two metrics are in alignment, success is within reach.
I also changed my definition of what my business culture would look like for my team. I started valuing family over unrealistic growth expectations and arbitrary profit goals. Ironically, that shift resulted in enormous profits for our business and outrageously impactful outcomes for our clients.
Removing the stress of coming to work when you or your child are sick, or when you need to be present for a school play, resulted in happy, productive employees. Making sure flexibility was baked into schedules to work from home when needed, ensures we deliver our best work to our clients.
As a woman, I know that I bring a unique perspective to how I run my business. I may focus more on family and a balanced pace over rapid growth. If we’ve learned anything in the previous three years it’s that one size no longer fits all and that it pays to explore a completely different approach to life and business.
I am proud of the business that I’ve developed over the past 16 years and look forward to seeing my employees continue to flourish and one day take the business to an entirely different level. I’m proud
of a workplace culture that attracts top talent and keeps employees motivated and engaged. Additionally, I’m beyond inspired by the outcomes we’ve created for our clients.
They truly make a positive impact on the world around us.
I was asked not long ago if I had given any thought to my legacy. I instantly thought of being someone that my kids, especially my daughter, could be proud of. As a business owner who also happens to be a woman, I want to leave a legacy of compassionate and empathetic leadership that helps others and creates a positive impact in the world around us.
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Erica Allison is the Founder and CEO of Formation PR + Brand, a strategic communications agency specializing in public relations and branding. Learn more at
Creating a unique and memorable brand is not easy! Yes, you can go online and get a logo created for $35, but those systems use templates to create your brand –meaning your logo could end up looking just like your competitor’s. Working with a graphic design professional will ensure that your brand is unique and effectively communicates the value of your business to your target market.
Because your branding and other marketing elements are going to be used throughout your advertising campaigns for years to come, it makes sense to do it right the first time. Hiring a reputable designer ensures that you get a quality product, and you won’t need to waste money on redesigns and reprinting down the road.
It’s important that your branding and marketing are communicating the right message about your business. Whether you’re using a playful comic font or have a random picture of a clown in the background, you might be giving the wrong idea through your branding and marketing unless your company is a circus. Your branding, including your logo, is likely on the front of your building, your website, and any advertising you produce, so it is critical that it is communicating effectively and representing your business accurately. Potential customers are making snap judgements about whether
or not to do business with you based on the branding and marketing materials you put out there, so you need to ensure that you feel confident that the elements you are using represent your business in the best way possible.
Did you know that people remember only 10% of what they hear and only 20% of what they read, but 80% of what they see? That is because the human brain processes visual cues better than the written language. Furthermore, people need to hear a message at least seven times before they will take action and, in some instances, it can take upwards of 20 times before they remember it. This is why it is so important to ensure your branding and marketing materials are consistent across all channels.
Sure, it can be fun to play with different fonts, colors and images in a design, but combining too many different opposing elements may make the overall design seem disorganized and unsettling. Consistency and repetition throughout your marketing plan will help ensure your business is more memorable and recognizable in your field, which will increase your qualified leads and your overall revenue over time.
From your logo to business cards and print ads, less is more. Instead of creating designs that feature everything but the
kitchen sink, think about how you can create something clean, straightforward, and simplistic that will encourage your customers to follow your desired outcome. If a design involves too many words and not enough visuals or white space, it can affect readability and might make the overall design overwhelming and difficult to look at.
You’d be surprised at how much more you can say with a simple visual than lengthy sentences. Too much text will overwhelm your potential customer and have them skipping over or putting down whatever marketing channel they are interacting with before learning much about you. High-quality imagery that grabs attention, along with legible fonts in succinct wording will get your message across more easily.
It is also important that each interaction they have with your marketing has a clear call to action - direct them to call, visit your business in person, or take a look at your website. If you put all of the information and elements you have in every piece of marketing material you put together, then there is nothing to direct your potential customers on what to do.
Business owners have enough on their plate without trying to be graphic designers, too. Working with a professional can free up your time to let you focus on your business and do what you do best while making sure your branding and marketing stay consistent and effective.
Lyndsey Simpson is the owner of LS Creative, a graphic design studio focusing on branding and print design. LS Creative works with for profit businesses as well as nonprofit organizations. Learn more about the services offered at LSCreative.studio.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University in 2015, Jordan fully immersed himself in the Western North Carolina community. He built a strong foundation in sales and account management before joining Spherion Staffing & Recruiting in 2021.
As an expert in client relations and direct hire recruitment, Jordan provides long-term staffing solutions to clients and creates permanent careers for job seekers throughout our region.
To learn more how Spherion can help you, reach out to Jordan today!
828-348-0390
JordanDevere@Spherion.com
Kégan founded the “next generation” business brokerage and advisory firm, believing that the industry was in desperate need of change. He and his team use their years of professional business consulting experience to elevate the business purchasing and selling experience.
Kégan and his wife are full-time residents of WNC and prefer to spend most of their free time on adventures in the great outdoors with their two dogs.
Looking to purchase or sell a business?
Contact Kégan today to learn more about their services!
Jennifer has been a licensed funeral director for almost 30 years and understands the importance of being available when the phone rings.
Her experience using Vistanet while managing a local funeral home made her an instant fan of the technology and the company. Knowing that she helps businesses and their clients connect is truly rewarding.
828-348-5366
jduran@vistanet.co
Vice President of Commercial Services, Epsilon, Inc.
Working with Epsilon since 2012, Matt has a passion for helping organizations implement proactive IT support services and cybersecurity improvements to enhance their business goals and objectives. He received his CompTIA SEC+ in 2017 and actively maintains this certification. Matt has lived with his wife in Asheville since 2005, where they now raise their daughter. When he’s not working you can typically find him running or biking a trail in Pisgah National Forest.
828-655-7411
AtlanticCoastBusinessBrokers.com
828-398-5416
MFraser@Epsilon-Inc.com
Award Winning Presenter, Entrepreneur, and ActionCOACH Business Coach
Bill is currently one of the top ActionCOACH business coaches in the world, speaks on a wide range of business topics, and loves to teach business owners how to build “commercial, profitable businesses that work without them.”
Bill lives in Montreat with his wife of 38 years, Lynn. They have two grown sons. In his spare time, Bill enjoys golf, fly-fishing, reading books on business and theology, and doing anything outdoors with his sons.
Schedule a Free Business Coaching session with Bill Gilliland to get started.
Sr. Commercial Loan Officer, United Federal Credit Union
As the Senior Commercial Loan Officer, Nick has more than 12 years of financial industry experience. Prior to joining United, Nick was a VP of Business Banking at First Citizen Bank. He has a degree in accounting and corporate finance from Western Carolina University and is a graduate of the North Carolina School of Banking at UNC Chapel Hill.
Nick lives with his wife and two daughters and has served with the NC Young Bankers Association, the Brevard Chamber of Commerce, and Pisgah Forest Rotary.
828-348-1787
BillGilliland.ActionCoach.com
Award-winning Designer, Entrepreneur, Owner, Lone Bird Studio LLC., webguy.tech
Chris has wholeheartedly invested his energy and resources into Webguy.tech, a WordPress backup and security service. With a strong belief that it holds the answer to the plaguing issues faced by WordPress users, such as backups, updates, and security, Chris has become a local expert in the field. Webguy.tech offers convenience, peace of mind, and cost savings, allowing businesses to focus on their core operations while entrusting their website’s protection to this reliable service.
828-708-6548
NIosue@UnitedFCU.com
Cindy Kimmel is tackling the diminishing value of health insurance by bringing alternative health plans to local businesses. Her 15-year career in corporate employee benefits has given her valuable insights into the challenges of providing competitive benefits. With a focus on sustainable health plan solutions, Kimmel Benefits+ is committed to ensuring businesses can access affordable, highquality health plans. Holding a Master’s in HR and serving on the Western NC HR board, Cindy is a trusted advisor to her clients.
Contact us today to schedule an introductory consultation.
828-515-0855
Chris@webguy.tech
828-275-6230
Cindy@KimmelBenefitsPlus.com
A Risk Consultant with ALLCHOICE Insurance, Cheyenne Matthews is an Ambassador with the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, a Committee Member with the Fletcher Area Business Association, a Softball Coach with Henderson County Parks and Recreation, and an assistant coach for the Lady Bearcat’s Hendersonville High School Softball Team. Cheyenne works hard daily to serve her community and to do business the right way. To see what she and ALLCHOICE are doing for the community, give her a call today.
Drew founded Craft HR Solutions with the vision of helping mission-driven, small and mid-sized organizations grow. He saw leaders struggle to find the experience and expertise needed to make critical impacts through their people. The Craft HR team offers solutions ranging from HR Assessments, Fractional HR, and project-based engagements to enhance compensation, benefits, recruiting, leader training, employee engagement, DEI, and more. Set a time today to learn more about how Craft HR can help you achieve your goals.
Follow the QR code to visit our website.
828-237-2327
ALLCHOICEInsurance.com
828-222-0024
Info@CraftHRSolutions.com
As the region’s largest community college, A-B Tech educates and trains the workforce, provides customized training to industry partners, and serves individuals through a Small Business Center and Business Incubation Program designed to foster and support entrepreneurship, small businesses, and economic development. ASHEVILLE,
Building a band is the same as building a business, according to Kate Thomas, lead singer of The Dirty French Broads. Trying to flex administrative, leadership, and business muscles, Thomas realized she had been sacrificing the creative edge to achieve success in the business of the band.
Thomas moved to Asheville in 2017 for a job in wilderness therapy as a backpacking guide. While working in a residential program for boys in recovery, COVID hit and changed everything. She worked a
couple of part-time jobs in addition to performing solo music gigs to pay her bills.
In the summer of 2021, Thomas found a mandolin player on Facebook and they decided to play together at an Asheville venue’s open mike night. After playing more regularly as a duo, they decided to form a full band and put ads on Craigslist to find other instrumentalists. By the fall of 2022, The Dirty French Broads had released a five-song album and booked gigs at popular venues like The Grey Eagle.
“We now have five really hard-working, kind-hearted, passionate people who are in it for the long run,” Thomas said. “I also had the idea in my head that we weren’t doing it seriously unless it was a full-time job. We were taking gigs we didn’t want to play, and playing solo wasn’t fun anymore but I was doing that anyway. I learned very quickly that my original thought was pretty silly.”
The group also realized they struggled with the premise that people feel like they don’t need to pay musicians well, and decided
they either needed to hire a manager or pay Thomas to handle managerial tasks. She now earns a percentage of compensation from gigs in exchange for management and leadership.
“The band stuff is time consuming in different ways,” Thomas said. “Social media, marketing, management, and emails all require a lot of different skills. It is a business and I’m having to learn business skills because we have to be organized and professional. We also have to put on a good show that is engaging and visually exciting, and I also write the songs. It’s cool and I’m learning a lot, and the music industry is wild.”
Also challenged with the affordability of housing while working in the constant grind of the music industry, Thomas decided to take on a part-time position in the outdoor recreation industry at Navitat Canopy Adventures.
“It was an immediate relief,” Thomas said. “Having coworkers and other people to talk to, being outside in nature, and having a steady income allowed me to get my creative juices flowing again.”
Thomas said it feels good to have a break from being in charge. With the band, she has four people looking to her for guidance, and at Navitat, she feels physically and mentally engaged by working her muscles, meeting new people, and hearing interesting stories.
“Here I’m just a guide,” Thomas said. “No one calls when there’s an emergency; I
just get to have fun and go home. It takes my mind off stress, and I feel refreshed after a year of working on the computer at home. I realized I needed to be around people, plus the regular paycheck is nice because I don’t have to say yes to gigs I don’t want to take. It’s a very good season for me.”
With the ability to prioritize band culture over earnings, Thomas said she is better able to manage the mix of personalities and goals of each band member. While each of them has a ‘regular job’ to support their families, each also wants the best for the band and is happy to show up, rehearse, and play together.
“In the last couple of months, we’ve really gotten comfortable with each other and hit our stride,” Thomas said. “There are so many goals we could have, it’s easy to set our expectations really high. We’ve now learned we don’t have to rush anything. We can pick one or two things as goals for the year and reevaluate as needed, but we’re learning to direct our time, energy, and resources in a way that is more productive.”
After playing 120 shows last year, Thomas said she is learning she doesn’t have to pack her schedule, meaning it’s possible to maintain the focus on quality. The Dirty French Broads brought more than 300 people to an Asheville venue on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving in 2022. This year, they got a better sound system, played AVLFest, are playing their first
tour at the end of September, and are performing at well-paying venues around the region.
“Things are clicking and meshing and going a lot smoother,” Thomas said. “We are playing to a more engaging audience, and we’re finding that a lot of people that hear us really like us. It took a while to feel like we might actually have something special because we have such a critical eye for ourselves and the area is so musicallyrich, but now we are starting to believe it and we want to keep it going.”
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The Dirty French Broads is an actively-performing band born in Western North Carolina. Learn more about The Dirty French Broads and see the list of upcoming shows at TheDirtyFrenchBroads.com.
“Having coworkers and other people to talk to, being outside in nature, and having a steady income allowed me to get my creative juices flowing again.”Kate Thomas of The Dirty French Broads.
Tuesday, October 10
Financing Your Business
5:30 - 7:30 PM
Virtual
Blue Ridge Community College Small Business Center
Learn about the sources of capital and how to successfully apply for funding before it is needed.
Thursday, October 12
NC Women Business Owners Hall of Fame Gala
5:30 - 9:30 PM
9 Estell Lee Place, Wilmington
The North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame honors North Carolina’s most successful female entrepreneurs and advocates.
Thursday, October 19
YPA Professional Development: AI – The Boundless Opportunities
5:30 - 7:30 PM
36 Montford Avenue, Asheville
All Young Professionals are invited to this professional development session to hear an overview of AI with a healthy discussion about governance and ethical use.
Monday, October 30
Successful Sales on Amazon
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Virtual, NC Small Business Center
Learn the secrets of Amazon’s Search Algorithm, how to register and choose the account that fits your goals, and list an item on Amazon for free to maximize your profitability.
Wednesday, November 1
Smart Series: Understanding Leadership through the Lens of Fiction: A Comparative Analysis
12:00 - 1:00 PM
36 Montford Avenue, Asheville
The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Smart Series are presentations by members for members to share expertise and exchange ideas that enable business people to learn, grow and impact their business.
Friday, November 3
2023 WomanUP Celebration
8:30 - 10:30 AM
290 Macon Avenue, Asheville
The WomanUP Celebration is a chance to make valuable connections and learn from other women who have made significant strides in their careers while offering valuable support to others in the workplace and greater community.
Wednesday, November 15
National Philanthropy Day
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
31 Woodfin Street, Asheville
National Philanthropy Day is a luncheon celebration hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, WNC Chapter to honor local leaders, activists, and philanthropists that have made WNC a brighter community.
Wednesday, November 29
2023 Annual Agribusiness Summit
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
112 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville
Engage with fellow agribusinesses, entrepreneurs, and resource providers, learning new skills and experiencing the power of collaboration along the way.
Saturday, December 2
4th Annual Holiday Pop-Up Shop
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
3 South Tunnel Road, Suite A-08
The Western Women’s Business Center will be hosting its annual Holiday Pop-Up Shop which gives small business owners in Western North Carolina the opportunity to come together and sell their products during the Holiday season.
For more events, costs, registration links, and details visit WNCBusiness.com/Calendar.
workforce, and continuing education programs with online and in-person options.
L ear n m o re at ab t ec h .ed u/ welco m e .
