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Mountain BizWorks' Mission: To build economic opportunities through business development and capital.
In its 19th year of service in Western North Carolina, Mountain BizWorks meets the needs of its clients through in-depth business planning courses, ongoing technical support and advanced training, and small business loans up to $50,000. Since our founding in 1989, we have provided business planning training to more than 3,000 entrepreneurs, assisted in the creation of over 1,300 locally-owned businesses and have loan more than $3 Million. Mountain BizWorks' alumni businesses contribute more than $50 Million annually to local economy.
Mountain BizWorks began underwriting and brokering peer loans for up to $2,500 via the NC Rural Economic Development Center in 1991. In 2002, Mountain BizWorks noticed an overwhelming demand from its customers for larger and longer term loans and decided to seek funding specifically for expansion and formalization of the lending program. Mountain BizWorks applied to become a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), and created its affiliate Mountain BizCapital in 2002 to offer larger loans to supplement those from the Rural Center. By 2004, Mountain BizWorks was no longer utilizing the Rural Center's funds, and consolidated all lending activities into Mountain BizCapital. Mountain BizCapital now offers loans up to $50,000.
Mountain BizWorks is a national leader in the small business development field and has been recognized as such by the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), the national organization that represents more than 500 programs like Mountain BizWorks across the country. Mountain BizWorks' small business assistance and lending programs have been critical to Western North Carolina's growing small business population and are the backbone of success for many local businesses. As an integral player in the continuing growth of the region, Mountain BizWorks' comprehensive assistance services contribute to the long-term economic vitality and financial stability of the area's residents. Because of services offer long-term assistance to small business owners, our clients have the tools they need to reach success over an extended period of time.
Those who participate in Mountain BizWorks' programs know our organization as a trusted gathering place where entrepreneurs of varying incomes, geographies, and ethnicities will be given the same support. As a 501(c)3 federally recognized non-profit, we depend upon investors, individual and corporate donors, and grants to maintain our operating budget so that we can offer our effective services at below market prices to our clients assuring accessibility to all.
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