Women's Business Center - Women's Business Conference

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Mountain BizWorks is proud to present our sixth annual conference designed solely for female entrepreneurs. We are inspired daily by you and it is our honor to continue giving the business women of Western North Carolina the tools to face challenges and embrace opportunities.

When: Thursday, May 27 • 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Where: AB Tech’s Enka Campus

Cost: $55 Mountain BizWorks’ Alumni/Public, $40 Mountain BizWorks’ Members

Deadline: Early registration is encouraged as space is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Keynote: Know Yourself, Know Success!

Robin Cape has been an artist and a serial entrepreneur since she was a teenager. She has taught piano lessons, designed and woven hand loomed clothing, sewed and painted kites in her own shop on the beach in Florida, had a calligraphy, graphics art and sign painting company in Chapel Hill, sold antiques, made jewelry from salvaged materials, crocheted and knitted fun and wacky hats, and designed and sold hand made clothing in Asheville. She owned and operated Preservation Hall Architectural Salvage in Asheville and Weaverville from 1992-2001, a green business before green business was cool. While operating Preservation Hall, she was the owner/contractor on the renovation and reconstruction of a historic building in downtown Weaverville that she still owns and rents to three fantastic tenants.

From 2003-2009, Robin served our local community as an elected official, first on the Woodfin Water Board, where she was the first write-in candidate to win an election in WNC and then as an Asheville City Councilwoman. Robin was instrumental in putting the Woodfin Watershed into conservation with the state of NC, securing Beaucatcher Overlook Park and moving the city and region forward on green and sustainability issues. She was an active and engaged part of the community conversation on local economy, energy conservation, environmental stewardship, affordable housing and community development through her committee work and networking with others both regionally and nationally.

She is currently a sustainability consultant with her own company, RLCape Consulting. She has designed, and is currently working on, a program for the Asheville Hub called Reading Riding and Retrofit that focuses on the opportunity for enhanced resource and energy efficiencies and whole system design for the Buncombe County and Asheville City Schools. This program recently received funding from the federal government with a $500,000 Climate Showcase Grant from the EPA.

Robin has recently completed a long-term personal goal and is finishing up her undergraduate degree in literature at UNCA. She is a passionate musician and has entertained at festivals, theatres, and private events since 2001. Her most recent musical project has been playing bass and singing with the regional cowgirl band The Buckerettes.

Breakout Sessions: participate in 2 this year!

A...The Big Picture: Tips and Techniques to Take Charge of Your Image

Are your potential clients seeing you the way you want to be seen? We’ll help you figure out how to tell your story in a cohesive, compelling way. In this hands-on session, revisit your logo, mission statement, references and testimonials, elevator speech, marketing materials, and more - in easy, approachable, do-it-yourself ways.
Angelique Tassistro is a ceramic artist in Asheville’s River Arts District. She is launching Fly Coop Studios, which will include her pottery collection from Dog Door Studio, new photography, and recycled furniture. She loves to brainstorm about new and interesting ways for artists to market their work.
Rachel Zink recently launched giveArtfully.com, an online gift registry of handmade art and crafts, and earned her Master’s in Arts Administration. She is passionate about putting both to work, connecting people with artwork that has the power to move them. Angelique and Rachel met while working at an art gallery. In 2009, they launched a blog, MarketingTipsForCreativeTypes.com, offering tips and techniques for entrepreneurial artists.

B...More Ease, Please!
When you're the boss, it's essential that you take good care of your number one employee--you! Discussion of practical steps you can take to prevent and relieve stress will include a brief presentation on the Alexander Technique. Long-recognized by actors and musicians for improving performance, the Alexander Technique can help you stand, sit, and move with ease, as well as lessen presentation anxiety and develop more presence in all your activities.
Theta Michele Drivon began studying the Alexander Technique in 2000 as an exploration into feeling more at home in her own skin. In 2006, she and her husband Jack Fischer moved to Berkeley, California to begin a three-year teacher training course in the Alexander Technique. She is elated to be home again in Asheville, teaching practical tools for conscious alignment and enjoyment. Michele is also an artist. She has done an artist residency at Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts, completed the Professional Crafts Program at Haywood Community College, and worked at the Clay Space Cooperative in Asheville’s River District.

C...Incubator Inspiration
Come tour the A-B Tech Business Incubator and see the multiple opportunities available to potential and existing business owners. Meet fellow women business owners who faced the challenge of starting a business, and embraced the opportunities that exist in this facility. The incubator includes an 11,000 square foot commercial kitchen, a core lab for testing natural products, a student business incubator, and much more. Participants will also learn about the Small Business Center and the many resources available to our community.
Jill Sparks has been the Director of the A-B Tech Small Business Center since January 2008. She joined A-B Tech as Assistant Director in 2006. Jill has worked in the transportation and insurance industries, as Appalachian State University’s Director of Career Planning Services, and as Director of Development for the Walker College of Business. Jill has undergraduate degrees in marketing and history, as well as her MBA from Appalachian State University.

D...How Does Mountain BizWorks Work?
Information Sessions are the first place to start if you are interested in learning about and potentially signing up for classes and services with Mountain BizWorks. The mission of Mountain BizWorks is to build economic opportunities through business development and capital. In 2009, Mountain BizWorks was able to provide its services to 1074 entrepreneurs (65% were low-income, 61% were women, 26% were racial or ethnic minorities). Those individuals created 163 businesses and expanded 390 businesses. In turn, those businesses created 309 jobs and sustained 1147 jobs.
Daphne Carson joined Mountain BizWorks as Resource Specialist for the Western Region in 2008. Prior to that, she was Membership Director for the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce. Daphne has a passion for connecting people and creating a personal relationship with her clients. She enjoys networking events and encourages clients to promote themselves and each other throughout our communities.

E...Business Greenovation
Discuss ways to enable your business to integrate a bold environmental approach. Discover how eco-savvy business methods can minimize expenses and the benefits of green marketing strategies. Specific topics will include creating a carbon-reducing plan, incorporating energy-saving technologies, and eco-furnishings.
Daya Apunte, owner of Inviro Design & Consulting, is dedicated to designing green commercial and residential interiors. Daya studied interior architecture at the University of Florida, where she acquired skills in concept creation, programming, schematic design, design development, AutoCAD drafting for construction documents, and final rendering. In 2002, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree for Interior Design and a minor in Architecture. After college, Daya was an associate designer in Architecture and Planning for Eric Lloyd Wright & Associates in Malibu, California. In 2006, Daya established Inviro Design & Consulting. Inviro was recently featured in the 2009 March/April issue of WNC Magazine.

F...I’ve Decided to Start a Business...Now What Do I Do? Legal Issues That Can Affect You and Your Business
Topics covered will include the types of business organizations (Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Corporations, Limited Liability Company, Non-Profit Organizations) and the issues surrounding them; employment law matters, including "employee" versus "independent contractor" status, Family Medical Leave Act issues, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, job bias issues, Covenants Not to Compete, and other employment law issues; contract law issues, including what is required for a valid contract in North Carolina (how to keep them simple and enforceable), contract negotiations and renegotiations, changes in circumstances, breach of contract issues; workplace safety issues, including creating an ergonomic friendly environment, video display terminal issues, common area liability matters; and planning for the unexpected, including how to plan for emergencies, disability, death of an owner/member/manager, or dissolution of the business.
Heidi H. Stewart, Attorney/Mediator is a sole practitioner with a legal, mediation, and collaborative law practice in Asheville which focuses in the areas of Business, Family, and Elder Law. A trained mediator and facilitator, she has served as the Assistant Director of The Mediation Center, Inc. and the Director of The Family Visitation Center Group, Inc. She is also certified as Superior Court Mediator and Family Financial Settlement Mediator with the N.C. Dispute Resolution Commission. She is a volunteer mediator and arbitrator at The Better Business Bureau of Asheville and is currently serving as the President of the 28th Judicial District Bar. She attended Warren Wilson College, receiving a degree in History and Political Science and went on to gain a Juris Doctor Degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law.

G...Values Based Financial Planning
Values-based financial planning is an investment and planning concept that is not just about the numbers. It’s about helping you make smart, confident financial decisions based on what’s important to you. During the course we’ll use our five-step approach to help make the process easy, effective, and personal: 1) Identify your values, 2) Set your goals, 3) Benchmark your current financial reality, 4) Create a Financial Road Map, and 5) Educate yourself, or seek a trusted advisor to guide you in creating and implementing your plan to achieve your goals. You will go home with the beginnings of your own personal road map, and a better understanding of what you want to achieve and why it’s important to you.
Laura McCue is President of White Oak Financial Management, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. While she uses technical charting strategies seeking to reduce risk and improve performance, her focus remains on the continued progress towards her clients’ personal long-term goals. Laura is also a retirement income-planning specialist. She designs personal income planning strategies using an investment model that seeks to provide continuing, inflation-adjusted income throughout retirement. As an active member of her community, Laura has served on the boards of Asheville Greenworks, The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, and Carolina Day School. Laura has also held leadership positions in the Boy Scouts and Colonial Dames.

H...QuickBooks: What You Really Need to Know!
Are you planning to purchase QuickBooks? Did you purchase QuickBooks and now feel overwhelmed? Learn the "basics" of what you really need to know to use QuickBooks as an effective tool for your business.
Candy Williams is a certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor, and has 20 years of bookkeeping experience. She has owned a small business since 2000 though which she strives to meet clients on their level by going on site to teach or do work. Candy enjoys working with startup businesses and empowering them to create have solid financial foundations.

Conference Extras...