New Asheville Business - Rental Me This - local fun rentals

New Local Business: Rental Me This in Asheville is not your average rental store. So many great things to rent in this store for parties, fundraisers, outdoor activities and more. They are located right next to Cash Converters on Merrimon Ave.



AskAsheville - Asheville Twitter - Asheville Blog - Asheville Videos - Asheville Social Media

BUILDERadius Open House Celebrates 10-Years of Innovation and Growth - Asheville NC

Asheville, NC  --  In conjunction with the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville - Buncombe County (EDC), local technology company BUILDERadius, Inc. announces a community open house on Thursday, October 21 at 4 p.m. to celebrate its 10-year anniversary and recent expansion.  Over the past decade, Asheville-based BUILDERadius has grown from three employees to over 60, and is today one of the nation’s leading providers of software and data services to public and private sectors involved with building safety, development, and planning for local government, while providing property history data for insurance, environmental consulting, banking and lending, and real estate.

Founded in1999, BUILDERadius, Inc. launched BluePrince Software and quickly emerged as a leading provider of community development software for local governments with over 150 jurisdictions across the country. Founder Bill Ward explains, “Our BluePrince customers are municipal community development departments which are likely understaffed, underfunded and always under a deadline. We have tools that deliver real value to local builders and to community development departments of any size by dramatically increasing permitting, inspection, code enforcement and planning efficiencies for any jurisdiction.” 

BUILDERadius, Inc. continues to make strategic investments in human resources and product development that will ensure its success and competitive edge well beyond the next decade.  In 2008 the company launched BuildFax, a property history database that collects and organizes the building and permitting information from cities and counties throughout the country. The detailed national BuildFax database is used by a number of industries because it is the best and only source of a property or structure’s “life story.” In 2009, BUILDERadius received a $6 million investment in financing for the company from Environmental Data Resources, a company owned by DMG Information. The investment allowed the firm to double in size over the past year, with plans to add another 30 employees in the next two years.

The company is a proud leader in the Asheville business community, recruiting nearly 50 percent of its workforce from universities in Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.  The firm has also successfully recruited key talent to the area.  President of BluePrince Lorrie Barnwell adds, “Our workforce, like our history, is a part of the Asheville community.  Our employees want to pursue a career path in cutting edge technology in a town known for creativity, arts and quality of life.”

“It is the entrepreneurial spirit of individuals like Bill Ward that truly drives the success of our vibrant downtown,” shares Asheville Mayor, Terry Bellamy.   “We thank BUILDERadius for its longstanding commitment to our workforce, our community and economy.”  

“Success stories like BUILDERadius not only enhance our regional reputation for innovation, but build the confidence of the entrepreneur to launch world-class technology businesses here in Buncombe County.  We are proud to congratulate the management and staff of BUILDERadius on their milestone anniversary and ongoing expansion,” said EDC Chairman K. Ray Bailey.

The open house will be held on Thursday, October 21 at 4 p.m. at the BUILDERadius headquarters at 16 Biltmore Avenue, Suite 200. Please R.S.V.P. to mmorlok@builderadius.com.

For more information on employment opportunities at BUILDERadius, please visit www.builderadius.com.

The EDC for Asheville-Buncombe County is a public-private partnership committed to: creating and retaining high quality jobs, community leadership, and being a resource for better business decisions.  The EDC accomplishes this mission through its four core services: business retention and expansion, small business and entrepreneurship, research, and marketing and recruitment.  The EDC is funded by Buncombe County, the City of Asheville, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Advantage Asheville Campaign.

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce is a 2,000+ member organization representing 86,000 employees.  Chamber members collaborate with community organizations and coalitions to support the community and each other with the mission of increasing the region’s livability by advancing its economic vitality.  The Asheville Chamber works diligently to ensure that Asheville continues to prosper while also protecting the natural beauty of the area.  In 2006, the Chamber moved to a new location and is now home to the 4,000 square foot Visitor Center which welcomes 200,000 visitors per year.

AskAsheville - Asheville Twitter - Asheville Blog - Asheville Videos - Asheville Social Media

Some Asheville Reviews from Twitter Tweeps #avlreview

We have recently established a #hashtag called #avlreview to track some of the reviews people are giving Asheville North Carolina on Twitter. If you are in Asheville and have a review to share on Twitter, please use the #avlreview hashtag so we can all track it. This is one of the great things about social media and crowd sourcing. We can all team up together and share our own unique experiences, whether good or bad, with the world. Here is a recent list of local reviews:

1. RT @mattapotter: Just ate dinner at a place called Cats and Dawgs in downtown Asheville. It was absolutely delicious! I had.. #avlreview


2. RT @InsidePerimeter: @mamaerika : rock and roll? May I ask who you will be seeing? (btw- I think Asheville is awesome) #avlreview


3. RT @ofriday: RT @KarlieJ: The ladies who work at the Asheville J.Crew Clearance Center are always soooo stylish. #jobenvy #avlreview


4. RT @joshbillions: Asheville is beautiful. #avlreview


5. RT @t_b_player: A note: if you're ever in Asheville, drop by Dripolator coffee and drink some of their Peru. a-maze-ing.#avlreview


6. RT @KT4par: Had a great nights stay at the biltmore village inn b&b in asheville NC. Wonderful place.#avlreview


7. RT @alexporter82: I love Asheville. Great town. #avlreview


8. RT @JackieAtlas: @ruby you've got to go to the @twistedcrepe restaurant in Asheville. Very reasonable and food tastes awesome. #avlreview


9. RT @davecavecnn: Kudos to Asheville restaurants: @TupeloHoneyCafe (cheese grit cakes) and Early Girl Eatery (French toast). #avlreview


10. RT @lgailey: @larsolsson Yup, Asheville area is coool...#avlreview


11. RT @breakfreeinme: Downtown Asheville on a Friday night... One word... Awesome!! #avlreview


12. RT @narcissebreed: #Random I swear I miss Asheville,best days of my life but didn't kno it den#avlreview


13. RT @dreamofcolors: I haven't smelled this much weed in public since british columbia. I love asheville. #avlreview


14. RT @BlogAsheville: Now that I've worked in downtown Asheville, I can't imagine any other way.#avlreview


15. RT @wordshepherd: @ruby The hippies are imported now, but in my day they were home grown. #Asheville #avlreview


16. RT @tprobert4890: If I go to another hippy drum circle, it will be one too many. True life asheville, nc. #avlreview


17. RT @dreamofcolors @frickindannie no concert, just asheville hippies (100s of them!) Playing drums, dancing in the street. Awesome #avlreview


18. RT @DanielLeiser: @eside84 Asheville is like Breck bro. Don't wear nice stuff bc people WILL stare. #avlreview


19. RT @GSocialMedia: Great meeting with a friend of mine, Andrea @D3sky at the @TwistedCrepe in downtown Asheville. Delish food too! #avlreview


20. RT @Leeharmon: 12Bones. Asheville's greatest BQ.#avlreview


21. RT @colesearr: Asheville Parks and Rec does NOT slack. I will assume Leslie Knope is in charge here. #avlreview


22. RT @maybellinete: @SweetSoaps Asheville NC is gorgeous! going there and surrounding areas next week.#avlreview


23. RT @dmirfin: Apparently, my favorite BBQ place in#Asheville, @LuellasBBQ, is on Twitter. I never even thought to look. #avlreview


24. RT @pseudojoe: So Early Girl Eatery in Asheville, NC is three for three. Soup, entree & dessert for the win! Can I stay please?  #avlreview


25. RT @pseudojoe: 3G in Asheville. Sweet. #avlreview

AskAsheville - Asheville Twitter - Asheville Blog - Asheville Videos - Asheville Social Media

Asheville business maybe scammed by Uber Frenzy

Appearance's Salon and Spa in the North Asheville Woodfin NC area recently signed up with a new promotional company called "uber Frenzy" and is far from happy with the results. Jeanne Perry originally planned on getting more business at a discounted rate and then some of the profit made from these discounted sales. As of yet, she has had several people come to redeem coupons, but cannot get in touch with the company or collect on any of the payments. It seems the company is selling these discounts to her shop and keeping all of the money. She is honoring all of the coupons that come in as of now. The number she has is for uber Frenzy is Richard 865-684-9153. If you have any information about this company, please contact Appearance's Salon at 828-645-8585. Thank you.

AskAsheville - Asheville Twitter - Asheville Blog - Asheville Videos - Asheville Social Media

Asheville's Sugar Momma's Cookies Mmmmmm...

Jaime Hadnagy of Sugar Momma's Cookies - hot cookie delivery and wholesale.

It started out in 2005 as a hot cookie delivery business and cookie lounge. The past 4 years have been great. At the beginning of the new year, I decided to change the direction of Sugar Momma's and closed the retail store in order to focus more on wholesale.

Why did you choose WNC or Asheville North Carolina? I came to visit Asheville to see a friend of a friend, and just kept coming back. It really felt like home, now it is. I love the mountains, the unique and close knit community, and the speed of life here in WNC. I love Asheville!!!!

The best part of Sugar Momma's cookies is that we deliver hot delicious homemade cookies anywhere in Asheville.

The following is a list of my beloved wholesale customers. As of the first of the year, Sugar Momma's Cookies has changed gears and closed its retail store to focus mainly on wholesale. Asheville Coffee Roasters, Bella Kitchen, Blue Ridge to go, Clingman Cafe, Coffee Cup cafe, Dolce Vita, Double Decker Bus, Feel Good Foods, Hillside Games, The Holiday Inn Biltmore East, Izzy's Coffee Den, Malaprops, Mountain Perks, NC Stage Company, Two Spoons, Waking Life Espresso, Ultimate Ice Cream, Rosebud Video Store.

Has any other businesses in Asheville assisted you greatly in getting started? I have to give props to the SBTDC and Mountain Bizworks. Also Jim (now the owner of The Hookah Bar and Club 828) was of invaluable assistance in the very beginning.

We have a menu of 12 varieties of awesome cookies that cam be delivered hot anywhere in Asheville with 24 hours notice.

Sugar Momma's Cookies
Asheville's Hot Cookie Delivery
Business Address: 101 Fairview Rd. Suite L Asheville NC 28803
Business Website: http://www.sugarmommascookies.com/
Business Email: sugarjaime@gmail.com
Business Phone #: 828-251-7277

***Oh, AskAsheville is in love with Sugar Momma; and her cookies of course!

AskAsheville - Asheville Twitter - Asheville Blog - Asheville Videos - Asheville Social Media

Business Spotlight: Kid Bean in Asheville NC

Melissa Zenz is the owner of Kid Bean. It is just her working there now, but that will be changing later this year when she moves the business and hires a few employees. Melissa incorporated the business in 2001 and relocated from Pompano Beach, FL in March 2006

"We researched relocations options for over a year and chose Asheville for a combination of appealing factors, including: lower crime rate, incredible ethnic/political/artistic diversity, large and supportive homeschooling community, abundant access to fresh/local/organic foods, numerous alternative healthcare providers, veg-friendly restaurants & markets, more suitable climate (having lived in both OH and in South FL, we prefer seasonal changes but temperatures that don't go too extreme in either direction) ,and, of course, the amazing natural beauty that surrounds all of Asheville. We spend as much time as possible near waterfalls, in the woods, on mountains, and in/near the water.

In addition to those reasons mentioned above, I love street musicians performing downtown, the plethora of free/low-cost/family-friendly events, that the city is large enough to offer an array of cultural and artistic activities but small enough to still feel like a small town, that I can drive 60 minutes or less in any direction and be in a fairly secluded natural setting for hiking/canoeing/wading, that I see black bears in my front yard even though I live in the city limits, that vegan and gluten-free foods are readily available in many restaurants and markets and that even non-veg restaurants here know what "vegan" means, and that I can see mountains all around me!

I apply the same principles and standards for ethics and environmental sustainability in both my business, KidBean, and in my personal life. For all the reasons mentioned above, Asheville is the ideal place for me to operate my deep green business and to live my dark green lifestyle. KidBean.com serves as a highly-refined filter for green baby products to help parents get beyond the hype to find the safest, truly eco-friendly, and labor-friendly options. Many other stores sell "green" products but no one else asks as many questions as we do nor has as high of standards as we do. *Link to the Play Kitchen.

My attorney, Thomas Beckett, has been indispensable, providing assistance with our relocation from FL to NC, advice on contracts and other legal issues, and networking. Pam Lewis from Advantage West has been wonderfully supportive and has helped us make mutually beneficial connections with other businesses. I also love Asheville Green Drinks—I always learn something new and make meaningful connections.

Self-Help Credit Union was a lifesaver in the fall of 2008 when they granted us a loan just as the market was declining. Julie Duriga, CPA, and Michael Hudkins, CPA, have been exceptionally supportive and have provided amazing service so I can focus on running my business instead of doing my taxes. Bill and Beth Johnson at The UPS Store in East Asheville have also been vital, providing fax and copy services as well as shipping assistance when we need it.

The top 3 products we offer and/or sell are organic toddler pillows, organic cotton baby and children's clothing, and wooden toys."

KidBean.com is the 2010 winner of the SafBaby Ethical & Environmentally-Conscious Retailer Green Award, a CarbonFund certified CarbonFree Partner, and has been a member of Green America since 2004. You can connect with KidBean.com on Facebook (KidBean), Twitter (KidBean), and LinkedIn (Melissa Zenz).

KidBean.com
Earth-friendly, labor-friendly, vegan products for your family.
Website: http://www.kidbean.com/
Email: info@kidbean.com
Phone: 828-299-3608


AskAsheville - Asheville Twitter - Asheville Blog -
Asheville Videos - Asheville Social Media

Awesome Asheville Business Videos

First of all, we at AskAsheville have created a great YouTube video channel for you to enjoy. We are proud that these videos were created in the Asheville and WNC area, and taken as a non-profit resource for your enjoyment. Check out these Asheville Videos.

Skyland Distributing Company is a major beer and wine distributor in Asheville and the Western North Carolina area. They are a great team who works with many local AVL restaurants, grocery stores, bars, and nightclubs. They work "behind the scenes" for the most part, but their work in the community is regularly seen. Check out Skyland Distributing.

More Space Place in Asheville NC is a Murphy Bed and Custom Closet solution. Getting your home and belongings organized can put your life in order and make things so much easier. The people there are great to work with, unlike others they do not claim to "do it all" when it comes to construction and remodeling, but they specialize greatly in these areas of focus. Visit Asheville Custom Closets.

Mother and Son Bistro is an Asheville restaurant and bakery that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch, pasties, coffees, and wonderful desserts. You can call it a hidden gem on the Northside in the Woodfin area. They have a great menu and the staff works hard to provide nice service in a comfortable atmosphere. Visit Mother and Son.

Asheville Maid is a residential and commercial cleaning service in the Asheville North Carolina area. Katie is passionate about gaining clients in the AVL area, doing a great job of keeping their home or office in order, and making long term clients out of them. She can do standard or green cleaning, or use your personal cleaning supplies as well. See Asheville Cleaning.

Highland Brewing Company in Asheville is one of the landmark breweries in the area. They are great networkers, have a large variety of locally brewed beer, and a staff that is ready to show you what they have to offer. They just recently made a signature beer for the Grove Park Inn called the Great Gatsby Abbey Ale. Highland has a even more great plans on the horizon in the Asheville area. See Highland Brewing.

Pomodoros Cafe is an Italian and Greek restaurant in Asheville North Carolina on the East and South side of town. Their food is tremendous and the service is exceptional. Friends of ours have been "secret shoppers" there for many years and every experience was 90% or above. Tommy and his crew work hard to make your meal awesome. See them here at Pomodoros Cafe.

AskAsheville - Asheville Twitter - Asheville Blog -
Asheville Videos - Asheville Social Media

Social Media for your Asheville business

G Social Media has been working with clients in and around Asheville for a few years. Gary Charles helps businesses establish their online interaction and social media presence. It started years ago when a group of Internet enthusiasts were experimenting with SEO, email marketing, and website development. The end result: Connections were made, prospects were gained, and deals were sealed. This was awhile back.. before most companies even had a website. From then on, G Social Media worked as a ghost marketer for a few Asheville businesses that wanted to take the leap of faith online.

Today Gary Charles of G Social Media works with many businesses in Asheville North Carolina, several in other US States, and some on an International level. Making connections online and meeting people where they are in today's world is what "G" loves to do. Using social media platforms that Google supplies, working Facebook, and staying on Twitter are just a few of the things he teaches his clients. There are plenty of social media outlets and businesses need to know which ones are going to increase their reach. After that, implementation and maintenance is put into place according to their schedule.

Social Media for your business is not just something that you quickly add into your mix of online hobbies. Just because signing up for Twitter is "free," it does not mean you will ever be successful without direction. You can look at several businesses in the Asheville area and see that "doing it yourself" is simply not the way to go. One of the barriers that G Social Media sees is that traditional marketers falsely assure their existing clients into believing that they "have the social media covered." The other hinderance is that the traditional media sometimes keeps their clients/advertisers blind to the sm potential because they see social media as competitive & fear losing their ad dollars. Sometimes it is simply because they are not even sm aware themselves. The solution is this: Businesses actually need to embrace social media and then use their platforms to help their advertisers and/or clients. Don't ignore it or hide it from your network. Gary empowers and trains individuals, business owners and marketing departments to be a successful team using social media.

Just like most other things, social media can be easy and profitable once the proper training is in place. G Social Media's mission is to help businesses gain Fans, Friends, and Followers. The individual companies then work their magic and convert these contacts into sales.

You can find more social media information on: www.GSocialMedia.com

Super Profile Your Asheville Business for only $199

Ask Asheville has been working on building their website and promoting the area for some time now. We are now offering to profile your company for only $199. This includes an online video of your business, online article about you and your company, and links to all of your websites. If you do not have a website, no problem... this is a great start! You will also get a custom direct link to your video and article. We will put your information up online on all of our sites giving you and your business maximum exposure. Send us an email to AskAsheville@gmail.com to place the order and set up an appointment. We would then stop by your business for about an hour to do the video and the interview, and it will be live online within a few days! Let us help you really get online. This offer is valid now through the end of February 2009, based on a first come first serve basis. Thank you.