It’s time to start drafting up your trail map for 2018 so you find yourself on the path to business success. No matter where you are along your entrepreneurial quest Mountain BizWorks is here to orient you and prepare you for the journey with cohort based classes. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your financial tools, master the business skills for your craft or farm operation, or you’re interested in viewing the worker owner landscape, this year’s core courses and special workshops are sure to peak you’re interest.
Goal: Get my business off the ground
Recommended main trek:
The “Foundations” Business Planning Class helps aspiring entrepreneurs to create comprehensive business plans in order to start-up, expand, or enhance their businesses. In 18 hours over six weekly sessions, participants will gain a clear aerial perspective of their business operations, financials, research and development, and marketing strategies. They will leave the course with a comprehensive business plan, a clear vision for their business, and concrete tasks for future work.
Recommended side trails:
Get Growing
These two and half hour session will bring together existing and aspiring entrepreneurs to learn about the results of a new study of gaps in our local economy which are ripe for new or expanding businesses. Join us at the class in your neighborhood!
Legal Entity
Want to know more about business entity formation and legal structure for your small business? A staff attorney with Pisgah Legal Services’ Community Economic Development Project will provide a presentation on the basics of corporate law, liability, and pros and cons of types of business entities (e.g., LLCs and S Corps). Whether you are ready to start up, already doing business, or just beginning planning, this workshop should help you begin to decide on the legal structure that is right for you.
Goal: Mid trail check in: evaluating tools, systems, and direction.
Recommended Main Trek:
A course specifically designed for existing entrepreneurs that want to continue improving their business in a five week course offered within a peer-to-peer learning environment. The Alpine course gives you the opportunity to assess how things have been going, while also visioning for the future. This process will reconnect you to the “why” of your venture and help create in-roads to meeting both your short and long term goals.
Financial Tools for Small Business
An introduction to the basic financial management principles that all small business owners should know. Participants will walk away with the tools to understand the basics of business finance so they can make informed decisions on what they need to do to be on a solid footing for organizing and managing their business finances.
Quickbooks for Small Business
QuickBooks for Your Small Business is geared toward owners and employees of start-up or existing small businesses who manage their own bookkeeping. The class offers an overview of the QuickBooks line of products to help you determine which is best for your business, guides you through generating and understand financial reports, and provides an introduction to payroll and taxes.
Industry Specific Recommended Side Trails:
Farming: Pricing for Profit
This seminar focuses on learning and using basic business financial planning and analysis techniques that are vital in creating profitability for farming enterprises. The group will learn and apply techniques, such as determining cost structure, evaluating revenue streams, and creating break-even analyses, and discussing factors to take into consideration when pricing your products.
Craft: Craft your Commerce
A pilot series launching Mar 2018 Entrepreneur’s Work—shop is a series for makers by the Center for Craft featuring business workshops for and by makers. Come and learn how to craft your commerce.
Democratized ownership: Worker Ownership
Whether you’re interested in starting a cooperative business, transitioning your business into a worker-owned company, or using cooperatives as your business exit strategy, these labs are a great place to start, explore, and dig into worker ownership principles and how they can be integrated into your work place. Gain an understanding of the power that worker ownership has to transform communities, retain employees and build better businesses.
Goal: Go big and make it to the next peak.
Recommended Main Trek:
ScaleUp WNC is a cohort-based program of 15 peer CEOs that receive tailored services to measurably advance their business and achieve significant business development milestones. Program elements include: growth-oriented entrepreneurship education curriculum, business advisers and mentors, access to a network of a variety of capital sources, and fostering valuable business connections.
Potential Side Trail:
Worker Ownership
Whether you’re interested in starting a cooperative business, transitioning your business into a worker-owned company, or using cooperatives as your business exit strategy, these labs are a great place to start, explore, and dig into worker ownership principles and how they can be integrated into your work place. Gain an understanding of the power that worker ownership has to transform communities, retain employees and build better businesses.
Goal: Plan out the end of the journey.
Recommended Side Trails:
Worker Ownership
Do you need a little freedom from your business? Are you looking for the right exit strategy? Did you know you can sell your business to your employees? Whether you’re interested in starting a cooperative business, transitioning your business into a worker-owned company, or using cooperatives as your business exit strategy, these labs are a great place to start, explore, and dig into worker ownership principles and how they can be integrated into your work place. Gain an understanding of the power that worker ownership has to transform communities, retain employees and build better businesses.
Succession
Finding qualified buyers and/or new management can take longer in smaller communities. These workshops emphasize the importance of the how to’s of succession planning and legacy building. At the workshop information on several succession methods are discussed, from business sales to partnerships or employee ownership.