Asheville workshop helps small businesses solve real-world problems

About 30 people gathered in Asheville for the Biz Hero Solutions Lab on June 8, bringing together local entrepreneurs and nonprofit managers for a hands-on session built around real-world business problems. The workshop used group exercises and learning labs to push participants beyond networking and into practical problem-solving on issues that can affect growth, staffing, communication and resilience.

The format mattered in a city where small organizations are still working through post-Helene recovery, uneven consumer demand and persistent uncertainty around costs and access to capital. Rather than offering broad motivational advice, the session gave attendees a chance to compare notes, test ideas and hear from experts on concrete business challenges that can slow down independent operators and community-serving nonprofits alike.

That kind of peer learning fits Asheville’s economy, where many employers do not have the cushion of a larger corporate back office. For a restaurant owner, retail shop, arts nonprofit or neighborhood-based service group, a breakdown in staffing or cash flow can quickly become an operational problem. The lab’s focus on practical solutions suggested there is strong demand for structured guidance, not just encouragement, among people trying to keep small enterprises steady.

The workshop also landed in the middle of a broader recovery push. Asheville Recovers Together, a city and nonprofit-backed grant program, is offering grants from $5,000 to $75,000, with applications opening June 15, 2026. The City of Asheville has also approved $15.5 million in funding to local subrecipients through its Small Business Support Program as part of its disaster recovery strategy.

Mountain BizWorks said its Helene recovery effort has already delivered nearly $60 million in flexible, low-cost capital to 852 businesses across 29 western North Carolina counties, while retaining more than 7,000 jobs. Its 2025 Local Business Impact Survey found that 93% of small businesses had reopened after Helene, but many still faced trouble with flexible capital, commercial real estate, revenue recovery and infrastructure restoration. The same survey reported average losses of $322,000 and median losses of $95,000 among respondents.

That is why a workshop focused on working through real problems may prove as important as any single grant award. Asheville’s business community is not just reopening; it is trying to rebuild in a way that leaves owners, managers and nonprofits better equipped for the next shock.