138 – Mountain BizWorks Post Helene Resources and Opportunities

, ,

MIIA x MBW: Informational Interview on Disaster Recovery Efforts

The Episode focused on the significant impacts of Hurricane Helene in Asheville and Western North Carolina, highlighting community resilience amidst widespread destruction. With over 100 bridges destroyed and major road closures, businesses, especially in the hospitality sector, were heavily affected. Key discussions revolved around resources for small businesses, with Mountain Biz Works (MBW) leading initiatives like the WNC Strong Helene Business Recovery Fund, which has already received 425 applications totaling $28 million in funding requests, aiming for up to $50 million in recovery loans and grants.

The meeting also covered available financing options, including SBA disaster loans and locally administered grants, with an emphasis on providing grants to minimize the financial burden on businesses. Future recovery efforts are projected to span one to three years, with a need for better coordination in donation programs and standardized information sources.

Show Notes

Impact of Hurricane Helene (01:44 – 08:03)

  • Severe impact on Asheville and Western North Carolina
  • Community coming together to support each other
  • Timing coincides with fall tourist season, affecting hospitality businesses
  • Over 100 bridges destroyed, major road closures (I-40 west, I-26 north)
  • Water supply disruption, impacting the beverage industry

Resources for Small Businesses (08:03 – 21:13)

  • Mountain Biz Works focusing on three recovery pillars: Information dissemination, Emergency bridge loans, Emergency grants
  • WNC Strong Helene Business Recovery Fund launched
  • Up to $100,000 in funding with favorable terms
  • Streamlined online application process
  • Decisions aimed for 7-10 day timeline
  • $11 million committed, aiming for $50 million total
  • 425 applications received, totaling $28 million in requests

Funding and Recovery Strategies (21:13 – 33:08)

  • SBA disaster loans available for physical damage and economic injury
  • WNC Strong Helene fund is locally administered, not SBA-backed
  • Aiming to raise $20 million for grants program
  • $50 million target for recovery loans
  • Different financial mechanisms for grants (tax write-off) and loans (investment)
  • Main concern: Providing grant support to avoid over-burdening businesses with loans

Future Outlook and Ongoing Efforts (33:52 – 37:27)

  • Recovery efforts expected to last 1-3 years
  • Progress on water system restoration
  • Need for coordinated donation programs for serious contributors
  • Importance of standardized information sources
  • Potential for recurring audio updates on recovery efforts
/by

107 w/ Wrong Way River Lodge and Cabins

,
Episode 107 with Shelton Steele and Joe Balcken of Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins
 
In this episode, we talk with Shelton and Joe, the founders of Wrong Way Riverside Lodge and cabins. We get into everything from the brown liquor brainstorm that started it all and what technologies our mission critical to running a hospitality operation like theirs.
 
They do everything the “Wrong Way” emphasizing sustainability and community as foremost tenants of their business.
 
In this episode, we get into:
  • Urban Cabin Campgrounds
  • Voluntourism
  • Scappalachia
  • Green Building and Green Operating
  • Designing a sense of place, and
  • The long-term visions for the business
Give this episode a listen and then go visit their awesome lodge on Amboy Rd.
/by

Making Wine In Asheville with Biltmore Wines

,

In this episode of Making It In Asheville, we have the opportunity to talk grapes with three important members of the Biltmore Winery. We chat with the Winemaker and Vice President of Biltmore Winery, Sharon Fenchack; Sr. Director Wine Production Operations, Jeff Plack; and Vineyard Supervisor, Philip Oglesby.

Here’s What You’ll Learn in this Episode

Philip Oglesby shares:

  • How Appalachian soil isn’t the easiest to work with but offers great potential if you put in the work
  • What grapes they have on the Biltmore Wines vineyard and why
  • How the Appalachian mountains are the oldest mountain range in the world 
  • The timeline from planting a grapevine to getting a full harvest

Jeff Plack gives an inside look at:

  • How the wine “crush dock” looks a bit like Willy Wonka’s factory
  • How Sharon works with lab technique to create perfect blends
  • How many barrels they have (hint: it’s over 13 thousand!)
  • The wine they’re currently aging in barrels from oak harvested on the estate 
  • What fast-and-furious style wine packaging looks like at 15k bottles a day 
  • What their 125 anniversary means
  • How you haven’t experienced the full Biltmore experience until you’ve done the wine tasting (it’s free!)

Sharon discusses:

  • What the production timeline looks like from sourcing grapes to bottling.
  • How a diverse supply chain makes the process of winemaking more fun
  • The start of Biltmore wines 35 years ago
  • How the 10,000 person wine club has created a unique experience during COVID-19
  • How Biltmore has fused George Vanderbilt’s vision and legacy to what the winery is today

Make your reservation for The Biltmore to get the full experience!

Music by Commonwealth Choir

/by

041 – Kaye Bentley of Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours on Career Change, Following Through, and Asheville History

“The idea just wouldn’t leave me alone.”

– Kaye Bentley, Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours

In this episode, we interview the founder and owner of Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours, Kaye Bentley.

A former postal service worker, Kaye founded Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours in July of 2018. The idea came to her just a year before she retired from the postal service. “I knew that eventually, I would retire from the postal service, but I just thought I would volunteer for some organizations and possibly travel,” she says.

Of course, as we now know, things didn’t exactly go the way she thought they would.

One day while at work, Kaye asked a colleague if she wanted to go out to some rooftop bars around town. As she was planning the bar route, she thought to herself, “If there was a tour for that, I would totally take it.” But there wasn’t anything like it out there.

On a whim, she called GoDaddy that day and bought the domain for Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours thinking that eventually “somebody will want to use this.”

She didn’t think that that “somebody” would be her. As time went on, Kaye continued thinking about the idea. “I kept taking notes and audio voice memos on my phone saying someone could do it like this and do it like that. And then I realized after about two or three months that that ‘someone’ was me. The idea just wouldn’t leave me alone.”

For the rest of the story, you’ll have to tune in to the podcast!

Here’s What You’ll Learn in this Episode

  • How Kaye started and developed Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours
  • The steps she took to get her idea off the ground, from developing the branding and website to building relationships with rooftop bars around town and getting her first customers
  • Kaye’s marketing strategies
  • Challenges of growing the business — especially for Kaye who didn’t come from a business background
  • Why moving to a co-working space has changed Kaye’s work-life balance
  • A glimpse of Kaye’s postal service career
  • What’s coming up for Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours

Show Notes

Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours is a unique way to experience Asheville from above. They offer exciting guided tours in the heart of downtown Asheville, taking featuring award-winning rooftop bars, spectacular views, history, and a driver! Connect with them via their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Business resources mentioned during this episode:

Asheville History resources mentioned during this episode:

Miscellaneous:

Kaye’s Favorite Things to Do & Places in Asheville:

Music by Commonwealth Choir

 

 

Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.

We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, like, review, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

/3 Comments/by

023 – Asheville Wellness Tours on Finding a Niche Business Opportunity in A Saturated Market

,

“It’s really beautiful to allow people to step outside of their day-to-day hustle to take time to slow down, recognize beauty all around them and connect with their bodies and breath.” – Sue Ann Fisher

In this podcast episode, we sit down and chat with the two lovely ladies behind Asheville Wellness Tours: Sue Ann Fisher and Nicole Will.

Several years ago, the former owner of Asheville Wellness Tours approached Nicole to see if she wanted to take over the experience. Having a background in Outdoor Wildnerness Therapy and love for wellness, Nicole jumped at the opportunity.

But she knew she couldn’t do alone. That’s where yogi, Sue Ann Fisher, came into play. Together, the two of them have developed an incredible wellness tour experience here in Asheville. They collaborate with many wellness professionals throughout Asheville, incorporating yoga, outdoors, essential oils, massage, and more into their offerings.

Here’s What You’ll Learn:

  • How Asheville Wellness Tours got its start and how the company’s offerings have evolved since then
  • Why we loved the Yoga Hike and how it’s different from a traditional yoga class
  • Nicole tells us more about Wildnerness Therapy and how it works
  • We talk briefly on the history of wellness in Asheville
  • Sue Ann and Nicole also share with us some of their favorite wellness spots in town
  • Key business decisions Sue Ann and Nicole made while building their business, including profit strategy, partnership outreach, and marketing efforts, plus the lessons learned from them
  • Sue Ann and Nicole share some details on their own wellness practices
  • Sue Ann and Nicole give us the inside scoop on some of their favorite places to hang out at in Asheville

Show Notes

Asheville Wellness Tours curates experiences, custom itineraries, and adventures with a wellness twist. Think: Yoga Hikes, Group Tarot Card Readings, Mobile Massages, and Downtown Walking Tours (with yoga in between stops). Connect with them on their website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Some of the business resources mentioned during this episode include the Asheville CVB (Convention and Visitor Bureau) and Mountain Biz Works classes. Sue Ann and Nicole also mentioned that they are currently working on re-doing their website with a local company called Yonderday.

Sue Ann’s daily wellness routine includes an hour-long sitting meditation, Vijana Yoga and Pranayama Breathing.

Nicole’s wellness practice includes eating chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven, drinking Malbec red wine, along with attending a silent meditation retreat and the Grove Park Inn Spa at least twice a year. She also enjoys walking along the Mountain to Sea trail near her home.

Sue Ann and Nicoles’ Favorite Place to Go in Asheville

“Think about this: a plain donut from Hole. Fresh. Hot. Cut in half with a Lil’ Sister taco stuffed in between.”

-Sue Ann

Music by Commonwealth Choir

Curious to learn more about what we do?

Making It in Asheville is a podcast where we go behind the scenes with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in Asheville. We learn about what they’re making and how they’re making it in Asheville.

Making It in Asheville is powered by Making It Creative, our boutique marketing and business consulting agency. We help passionate small business owners build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.

We appreciate your support!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, like, review, and/or share. Each review means than you might think as they help this episode get discovered on podcast players.

To recommend an interviewee, visit MakingItInAsheville.com/podcast

/by