Mountain BizWorks

?? Announcing the Asheville-Buncombe Rebuilding Together Grant Fund ?? Mountain BizWorks, in collaboration with the City of Asheville and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, is administering a new grant program to provide up to $25,000 in reimbursement for Buncombe County businesses affected by Hurricane Helene. These funds are designed to offer immediate, direct relief to for-profit businesses impacted by the storm—supporting essential recovery efforts, rehiring, and employee retention. Businesses located within Buncombe County and eligible expenses that insurance didn't cover may qualify. We’re grateful to these partners and others joining soon, as we work together to support resilient, thriving businesses in our community. Learn more about the grant, eligibility requirements, and how to apply at www.wncstrongtogether.org P.S. If you would like to support local businesses in their recovery? You can make a difference by donating to our efforts —every contribution helps rebuild our community. #BusinessResilience #AshevilleBusiness #SmallBusinessSupport #HurricaneRecovery #MountainBizWorks #BuncombeCounty

District Director Mike Arriola and your SBA North Carolina Team kick off the Season of Small Business today (including an early start to Nov. 30's Small Business Saturday)! Your SBA Team encourages folks to shop small especially in our hard-hit Western North Carolina cities and towns. Visit these cities and towns, book a stay, and bring your consumer dollars to merchants and independent restaurants to ensure we keep our WNC communities strong and vibrant. Many web sites are available for online shopping at local merchants as well. And don't forget to buy a fresh Christmas tree this season -- keeping our Christmas tree farmers resilient, too. See what some of our cities are doing this season: Asheville: https://lnkd.in/ebw_eHNK Bryson City: https://lnkd.in/gGGwSHjp Burnsville: https://lnkd.in/ghpjUSKb Lenoir: https://lnkd.in/gt75tqhe Comment below about what your North Carolina city or town are doing this Season of Small Business! And join Director Arriola Saturday Nov. 23 at the Asheville Holiday Jamboree -- https://lnkd.in/gj4mPDfH . Feel free to repost. #seasonofsmallbusiness #smallbusinesssaturday #disasterrecovery

?? Business Recovery Updates for WNC Small Businesses ?? Here’s where we stand with the WNC Strong: Helene Business Recovery Fund: ? 841 applications received ? 451 fully processed (54%) ? 353 loans funded, totaling $19M Let’s Keep the Momentum Going: Double-check your documentation! Missing items are the top delay in application processing. Send any missing files to [email protected] with the subject "Missing Documentation." Interested in grants? Deadlines are approaching! ??WNC Recovery Grant Initiative: Apply by Nov. 27 ??NEW Asheville-Buncombe Rebuilding Together Fund: Apply by Nov. 27 ?? Need help? Weekly webinars, Spanish sessions, and recovery specialists are here for you. Details at ?? wncstrongtogether.org Let’s rebuild stronger—together. ??

Grant funding is a vital pillar of a robust economic recovery. For small businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene, there are several active grant opportunities to explore. ?? Two local Buncombe County programs are offering recovery grants of up to $25,000 each for affected businesses (deadline: November 27th). Don’t miss your chance to secure these resources and fuel your business recovery. Visit https://lnkd.in/gS9hUePv for details and application links. ?? Anyone with the means to donate to our efforts —every contribution helps rebuild our community and serve as many WNC business as possible. ?? #GrantFunding #EconomicRecovery #SmallBusinessResilience #MountainBizWorks #WNC

Interested businesses > Check this opportunity out!

How can we come together to support the Western entrepreneurial ecosystem through these challenging times? ‘The Resiliency of Western NC’ breakout session on Day 2 of our #2024EcosystemSummit will explore the current entrepreneurial landscape of Western North Carolina and the resilience shaping the region after Hurricane Helene. Panelists will describe challenges the local ecosystem has faced, along with the remarkable ways they have united to rebuild and support one another. Learn what’s next for Western North Carolina and how the broader ecosystem can support its entrepreneurs at our #2024EcosystemSummit. Reserve your ticket at ncidea.org/summit #NCIDEA #2024EcosystemSummit #ecosysteming

Today, we awarded $3.5M to our partner Mountain BizWorks for its WNC Strong: Helene Business Recovery Fund. ?? Small businesses in 28 hurricane-impacted counties can apply for loans of up to $100K to tackle critical recovery needs. A subsequent phase will offer grants of up to $250,000 for larger, long-term projects. Mountain BizWorks anticipates the fund will support at least 500 businesses. Though the damage of this storm is enormous, we are so encouraged by - and proud to support - our partners who are making recovery a reality. https://bit.ly/3YYjhXx

? URGENT: Always Asheville Fund Grant Application Closes Nov 11 There are only 3 days left for small, independent travel and hospitality businesses in Asheville and Buncombe County to apply for the Always Asheville Fund—emergency grants of $5,000 - $10,000 to support post-Hurricane Helene recovery. Explore Asheville has committed $300,000 to this fund, aiming to help local businesses reopen quickly. If your business was impacted, this is your last chance to apply for vital support. Act now to keep Asheville’s resilient, creative spirit strong. For eligibility and application details, visit:? https://lnkd.in/eKVWRYC8

There’s something truly remarkable happening in Marshall, NC. These local businesses are proving the power of resilience, community, and keeping dreams alive even in the face of unimaginable challenges. ?? On Your Bike has shown us what it means to fight back—against all odds. From the first days of digging out, to reaching a “baseline” they never imagined they’d need, to now beginning the process of rebuilding, they remind us: rock bottom can be a solid foundation to start anew. It’s been a journey of clearing out, gathering support, and leaning on the incredible Marshall community every step of the way. With clean floors, power (and hope!) in place, they’re ready to rebuild with grit and grace. And with each mural, cup of coffee, and every act of kindness, they’re breathing life back into downtown Marshall. Thank you to everyone who has pitched in, donated, or simply shared a kind word—your support fuels their drive. This is how we rise, together. ?????? Let’s keep showing up for this Marshall business and remind all our local businesses how essential they are to our community’s heart. Whether by giving, sharing, or offering words of support, together we can help make their dreams a reality again. ?? Visit wncstrongtogether.org to stay up to date on the resources available to you!?

?? In less than one week! Join us and our friends at McDowell Technical Community College Small Business Center, Marion Business Association, and FEMA for a Recovery Resource Fair in the Town of Old Fort, NC, on Tuesday, Nov. 12. SBA-sponsored and other resource providers will be on hand to offer assistance to small business owners as they seek to recover and rebound from Hurricane Helene. Registration encouraged, at: https://lnkd.in/eMAiiYEw Feel free to repost.