Foundations for Outdoor Businesses and Waypoint Accelerator aim to support outdoor businesses from start to growth
ASHEVILLE, NC – JULY 21, 2022 –Mountain BizWorks is announcing a call for outdoor entrepreneurs to enroll in its Foundations for Outdoor Businesses and Waypoint Accelerator programs. These courses are designed to support entrepreneurs and businesses in the ideation and growth phases respectively. While the wildly popular and competitive Waypoint Accelerator’s application is open for its fourth cohort, Foundations for Outdoor businesses will welcome its first cohort on a first come, first-served basis with no prerequisites.
There is no surprise that outdoor entrepreneurs in Western North Carolina are in need of custom-tailored business resources. Boasting a greater density of outdoor focused companies than anywhere else on the east coast, Western North Carolina serves as the perfect launching point for any outdoor entrepreneur interested in capitalizing on the growth potential of the outdoor industry.
“It became very obvious that the demand for outdoor industry-specific business classes is overwhelming,” said Matt Godfrey, lead facilitator for Foundations for Outdoor Businesses and the Waypoint Accelerator. “By offering courses that are designed for beginning and growing businesses, we feel that we can adequately support our outdoor industry and continue to solidify WNC as the outdoor industry hub of the east coast.”
The Waypoint Accelerator is the first program of its kind east of the Rockies, and is facilitated through a partnership between Mountain BizWorks, the NC Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC), and the Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC. It is designed for businesses that have already launched, and are planning for their next phase of growth. This 12 session intensive program provides cohort members the unique ability to be embedded in a strong network of mentors and peers that can help refine their business model, provide critical feedback, and offer guidance toward their next waypoint for growth.
Conversely, Foundations for Outdoor Businesses provides entrepreneurs with the critical framework and support needed to successfully launch their new ventures. Cohort members will work alongside one another to build business plans, gain an understanding of finances and accounting, and set goals to get their businesses off of the ground. The course material has been adapted from Mountain BizWorks’ renowned Foundations for Business Planning course, which has supported over 10,000 entrepreneurs over the past two decades.
Interested outdoor companies can apply to Waypoint until October 6, with a live Info Session and Q&A set to take place on August 26 from 12 – 1pm. Registrations for Foundations for Outdoor Business will be open until the class starts on September 7.
Full program details and the online applications are available at mountainbizworks.org/outdoors.
