• Fall Makers Mixer  Virtual

    Join us on Friday September 10th, for an informal virtual gathering of artists and creatives from the Western North Carolina region and beyond. This is a relaxed networking event that will begin with a brief introduction and presentation to provide a glimpse of the upcoming 2021 Fall Craft Your Commerce workshop series Beyond the Studio:

    Growing Your Business  Virtual

    Do you want to grow your business but you’re not sure how? Is your business already growing but you want to better understand how to strategically scale and move forward to ensure success? Come listen to a panel of local Western North Carolina businesses talk about the growth they’re experiencing, what they did to ensure

    Financial Literacy and Lending Opportunities  Virtual

    Financials are always one of the biggest hurdles for a business owner. What reports are important to look at? What do they mean? How can you know if your business is fiscally sound?  These questions and more will be addressed by John Verreault, Senior Vice President of TD Bank and Mountain BizWorks’ Director of Lending,

    Contracts for Creatives  Virtual

    Contracts help us establish expectations when sharing our work and collaborating with others. A good contract can help you form lucrative partnerships, license your artwork, hire your first employee, negotiate a gig, or publish your book. But contracts can be so hard to understand. What is a “force majeure” clause? Why is “choice of law”

    Pricing for Profit  Virtual

    Have you always wanted to know what financials you should be looking at? Do you know if your prices are in line with the market? Are you charging enough for your creative products or services? Come to this workshop to learn about some best financial practices for creative product and service based businesses. Hear from

  • Insuring Creativity  Virtual

    So often the creative community doesn’t carry the proper insurance to cover your business in a time of need. 79% of creative based businesses do not carry the correct insurance necessary to protect their business. The lack of adequate business insurance represents a career-threatening financial vulnerability to creatives who are affected by emergencies beyond their

    Scaling and Shifting Your Craft Business  In-Person

    Center for Craft - Ideation Lab Asheville

    You can join this class in person following strict COVID protocols outlined below* or via Zoom. How do you determine your value in the marketplace and in your own company?  Brett Binford, co-founder and CEO of Portland based Mudshark Studios, will share the story of how he started his first business and overcame obstacles along

    Alpine for Creatives  Virtual

    Virtual Online — Zoom

    The Alpine for Creatives Course is designed to support founders of creative businesses that have been operating for at least one year.   ​​This 5-week course provides a peer-to-peer learning environment for you to assess your creative-based venture to date and address the opportunities and challenges emerging on the horizon. The course will guide participants

    Call for Entries: CYC 2021 Handmade for the Holidays Gift Guide 

    Online

      Craft Your Commerce Handmade for the Holidays Gift Guide  Call for Entries   PARTICIPANT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: October 22, 2021 Mountain BizWorks and Craft Your Commerce would like to invite any artist, maker, and/or creative product business to submit their information to be included in our Handmade for the Holidays Gift Guide. Participation is free

    Catalyst Cohort 3 – Application Due 

    TBA

    Catalyst Cohort is a 12-month long, peer advisory program facilitated by an experienced growth coach. It is designed to help entrepreneurs of existing, high growth potential businesses navigate business challenges, develop and achieve goals while providing accountability and support. Participants of the program will gain access to one-on-one mentoring, expert speakers, business development services, and

  • Sustainability Lunch & Learn with Gaia Herbs  Virtual

    Virtual Online — Zoom

    Curious about your carbon footprint? Unsure where to begin? Sustainability analyst, Holly Garrett, will share the basics of greenhouse gas accounting and her experiences tracking greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at Gaia Herbs. Holly will also share tips on how to boost your B Impact Assessment score and calculate your Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Bring

  • Spring 2022 Makers Mixer  In-Person

    Center for Craft - Assembly Hall Asheville

    Join us on Wednesday March 16th from 5 - 7 pm, for an informal virtual gathering of artists and creatives from the Western North Carolina region and beyond. This is a relaxed networking event that will include small bites and beverages and details on our 2022 Spring Craft Your Commerce workshop series Beyond the Studio:

    The Engine: How To Use Content Marketing To Reach Customers and Grow Your Business  Virtual

    Virtual Online — Zoom

    In this interactive workshop participants will be empowered with a framework to understand, use and maximize content marketing for their business. Participants will be provided with the foundational support needed for them to create content that resonates with customers and grows their brand. Participants will come out of the class with a framework to ideate

    The Power of Digital Marketing Panel  Virtual

    Virtual Online — Zoom

    ​​Digital marketing is a rich, complex topic and a continuously moving target for most brands and businesses. Under the umbrella of digital marketing are a wide variety of tools and platforms, as well as communications strategies and approaches. All of them offer opportunities for growth and success, as well as risk, so how do you

  • Instagram Deep Dive  Virtual

    Attracting customers today via Instagram is key to building a strong online presence, but Instagram's functionality and the algorithms change constantly. Liz Kantner, owner of STAY GOLD will provide a brief overview of Instagram and how to create consistent content on Instagram that will lead to sales. Liz will also illustrate what makes an engaging