Aligned and Connected

By Kimberly Hunter

Now that the kids are back in school and life has returned to routines garnered around school schedules, football practice and parent-teacher conferences, I thought I would vary from a business “story” this month and instead give you a Biz Buzz “sneak peak”. This month, I have taken a snapshot of an organization that focuses on bringing business owners together to learn and network with one another while increasing their economic influence.

The Black Business Alliance of the Mountain BizWorks office in Asheville provides business owners with resources, tools, and networking opportunities.

Founded in February
2007, the Black Business Alliance has been connecting business owners
to one another with the vision of developing a place where African
American business owners in Western North Carolina can be sustained and
connected to one another in a collective environment. Now in its 18th
month, the alliance boasts over 40 “connected” businesses.

According
to Elaine Robinson, Biz Developer for the Black Business Alliance,
“Mountain BizWorks understands what REAL support means to us by putting
resources behind their words to make us feel we are an important and
respected part of the MBW community of small business owners.”   

On
September 25, 2008 the Black Business Alliance will host its inaugural
Black Business Expo during the Minority Enterprise Development (MED)
Week. The expo will kick off its first-year at the historical YMI
Cultural Center in downtown Asheville.

Black
Business Alliance meetings are held the fourth Monday of every month at
the Mountain BizWorks office in Asheville. Meetings begin at noon and
include lunch, networking, a featured business of the month, and
speaker.
Meetings are $10 or free to current Mountain Biz Works members and
first time guests. To join the Alliance call Naomi at Mountain BizWorks
at (828) 253-2534 ext. 27, or contact Elaine Robinson at (828)
713-7949, by email at [email protected]