The Mission Acceleration Business Accelerator Program for small business owners starts in August at Blue Ridge Community College, and the enrollment period is open now.
For the third consecutive year, Blue Ridge Community College and the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce have partnered to offer the Mission Acceleration Business Accelerator, a five-month, ten-session program for small business owners to innovate and take their businesses to the next level.
The program, led by Gary Heisey, is designed to assist for-profit, not-for-profit, and family-owned businesses. Training topics are taught by subject matter experts and include management, leadership, insurance, purchasing, branding, sales, customer service, distribution, and finance. According to Heisey, some businesses did better during the pandemic, but the majority had challenges. “To grow in the post-pandemic, businesses must have a written plan to guide their business. The Mission Acceleration program can facilitate creating a plan for each participating business,” said Heisey.
“Mimi” Lin Johnson, Founder & President of Mimi’s Mountain Mixes and 2019 Mission Acceleration graduate, shared, “The Mission Acceleration Program was excellent and well worth my investment and time. I met other business owners who were more than willing to share best practices and suggestions, and ideas regarding areas to avoid or, at the very least, to investigate more thoroughly before committing to practice or theory. I strongly recommend the Mission Acceleration Program to any existing business that wants to focus on improvement and growth”.
The registration fee for the program is $295. It begins on Aug. 25 and continues through Dec. 15. A full schedule of meeting dates and topics can be found on the College website at blueridge.edu/mission-acceleration. Prospective participants may also take a self-test on the website that asks various questions intended to help decide if the program is a good fit. Registration closes on Aug. 23.
For more information about the 2021 Business Accelerator program, visit our website at blueridge.edu/mission-acceleration or contact M.C. Gaylord at (828) 694-1779. To learn about other small business resources, visit www.blueridge.edu/sbc.