ATHENA of Henderson County presents a unique and informal networking opportunity designed to inspire and connect women. Connection feels more important now than ever so we are proud to offer this virtual networking opportunity. Discussion will be lead by Past ATHENA Award Recipient, Barbara Morgan. Join us to get inspired and achieve your goals! This networking will be hosted virtually via Zoom. There is no cost to attend but registration is required. Meeting access information will be sent via confirmation email.

The Power of Being Niche: Creating Growth While Narrowing Your Customer Base

Moderator: Sarah Benoit, Panelists: To be announced soon

Ever hear the saying “if you are marketing to everyone, you’re marketing to no one?” This is because most seasoned sales and marketing people know money is made when real relationships are strong. One of the ways you can build loyalty, repeat business, referrals, trust, and cash flow is to focus on a niche market. Niches don’t limit your business, they help you establish credibility in the marketplace. Over time you can expand to new niches that are the right fit for your products and services, and create long lasting growth. Want to learn more? Join us for this expert panel and learn from successful businesses that operate in a niche market. Come find out how to build your next growth strategy.

Buncombe County Schools is one of the largest employers in our community. In this meeting, we will be hearing from their Human Resources Department about how things have changed and how things are going.

We will start with some networking from 11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. before the program begins at noon; please arrive early.

Generally, Goodwill provides lunch at these meetings. But under the current circumstances, this meeting will be a virtual potluck!

Things to do to prepare for the event:

1. Support a local restaurant by getting take-out to bring to the event.
2. When you join, we encourage you to join with video so we can see your smiling face.
3. Bring any questions you may have for this amazing group of speakers.

Once you have registered, a link to the meeting will be sent to you.

Our Financial Series is made up of two distinct classes that, when taken in order, comprehensively cover the basic financial skills and tools that every entrepreneur needs to start and run a successful business.

Tickets for each class can be purchased individually, but if you know you want to attend both classes, we recommend purchasing a discounted Financial Series Pass.

Classes included in the Financial Series:

Financial Tools, March 12 + 19 – Financial Tools will introduce you to the tools to understand the basics of business finance so you can make informed decisions on how to organize and manage your business finances. Topics discussed are record keeping; bookkeeping; accounting; creating, understanding and using financial statements and reports. Individual Price: $50

QuickBooks Online, March 26 + April 2 – this class provides an overview of QuickBooks and the different subscription levels, and will teach you how to navigate the dashboard and explore the reporting feature to generate reports that can be customized to your needs. When you complete this class, you’ll know the best ways to get around, enter day-to-day transactions, get the information you need out of QuickBooks, and powerful report tools that’ll help your business make good decisions. Indvidual Price: $25

Financial Series Pass: $60

Partner Marketing Made Easy: Low Tech Ways to Sell Online

Presenter: Derrick Duplessy

This workshop will demonstrate how to sell products online person to person – without complicated technology. Professionals from Acceleration Partners (AP) will work directly with each attendee on how to implement these low tech sales strategies. AP works with companies like Warby Parker, Reebok, and adidas to implement these strategies. Presenter Derrick Duplessy is the founder of the Duplessy Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to teaching the sales process to women, immigrants, and minority business owners.

We meet at the parking area of the French Broad River. We leave for the hike no later than 9:10 a.m. and hike 2.5 miles on the MTS trail and back for a total 5 miles hike. We walk at a pretty swift pace (2.7 to 3 mph). Hike is designed for fitness and conversation. We don’t take a break until we reach the turn around point, then we stop for brief water break. We repeat this hike on Friday. Then move on with our regular rotation of hikes.

Hikers who are new to hiking will likely be more comfortable on another meet up hike designed for people who are just beginning hiking or trying to get into shape for hiking. You might consider “WNC Easy Hikers Group,” for instance.

We meet at the parking area of the French Broad River off of Brevard Road. Coming from Asheville, go through the light at the arboretum intersection and you will see the parking area almost immediately on your left. We leave no later than 9:10 a.m. I think this is called the Brent Creek River Park.