Join Our Email List!About Us - History
Founded in 1989 as Mountain Microenterprise Fund, Mountain BizWorks has worked with over 6,000 clients and assisted in the start-up and expansion of well over 1,300 businesses in Western North Carolina.
Here are some of our highlights from 2009:
o 1,268 individuals benefited from Mountain BizWorks’ comprehensive services.
o 336 entrepreneurs completed our Foundations business planning program.
o 65 entrepreneurs completed a Growth through Objectives (GO) coaching contract.
o 164 businesses started as a result of Mountain BizWorks’ programs.
o 494 businesses were sustained as a result of Mountain BizWorks’ programs.
o 310 jobs were created through Mountain BizWorks’ programs.
o 1,338 jobs were sustained through Mountain BizWorks’ programs.
o 64% of clients served were low-income.
o 24% of clients served were of racial or ethnic minorities.
o 62% of individuals served were women, as we celebrate our 7th year as a Women’s Business Center of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
o 49 small business loans totaling $792,800 were made to Mountain BizWorks clients.
Starting with a staff of two, we now have 15 full-time staff members plus multiple part-time and contract employees operating out of three offices (Asheville, Hendersonville, and Sylva).
Because Western North Carolina has a significant number of entrepreneurs, the needs and demands for small-business training, coaching and loan capital are approaching record levels, creating an ongoing need for growth and expansion of our programs and lending capabilities.
