Welcome to AVL BIZ Weekly—your local cheat sheet for what’s happening in Asheville’s small business + creative scenes.
Each week: hand-picked events, marketing ideas that actually work, and a little local flavor to keep things fun.
My name's Jason and I'm writing this (connect with me here).
Hey friends,
Every owner leaves their business eventually. Yes, even you will eventually. Most never talk about how it will happen until they're already doing it. Doug Worrell sold High Country Furniture & Design. Jake Ballard bought it. On Nov 12 they're getting on a stage at Blank Space and telling the whole story, awkward parts included.
Next Tuesday morning, Blue Ridge Community College is running a free outlook summit that pulls 2027 planning data for Henderson and Transylvania counties. And on Thursday, NC DEQ is holding a flood-resiliency open house in Mills River on its French Broad plan.
Let's get into it.
📋 On Deck
Business: Mountain Raise pitches at Highland, plus a free 2027 outlook summit at Blue Ridge CC
Fun: Stout Bout at Hi-Wire's RAD Beer Garden and Paperhand's giant puppets at the Wortham
Music: Aaron Lee Tasjan at the Grey Eagle, Deer Tick at Eulogy, and The Record Company at the Orange Peel
🙋 Want your biz featured in front of a few really smart AVL business owners?
❓ Question of the Week
If you could buy any Asheville business tomorrow, and you could afford any price, which one are you picking? Hit reply. I'll share the best answers (anonymously, unless you want the credit).
⭐ Featured Event: Blank Space Presents Asheville Business Marketplace
What It Means to Buy and Sell a Business
Whether you're planning your exit, exploring an acquisition, or looking to invest locally, Asheville Business Marketplace is your starting point.
The series launches with "What It Means to Buy and Sell a Business" on Thursday, November 12, 5:30–7:30 PM at Blank Space in West Asheville. Seller Doug Worrell and buyer Jake Ballard share the real story behind the transition of High Country Furniture & Design, from first conversation to closing. Sarah Petersen of Tendwell HoldCo moderates, and there's time to network after.
Come meet the people shaping Asheville's next chapter of local business ownership.
Be part of the conversation → Buy Tickets – Introduction: What It Means to Buy and Sell a Business – Blank Space
🗓️ Business Events
🗓️ Mountain Raise 2026 — Thu, Nov 5 · 6–9 PM (Event Center at Highland Brewing, Asheville) — Five WNC food and beverage founders get five minutes each to tell the room exactly what help they need. $30.
🗓️ French Broad River Sub-Basin Strategy Open House — Thu, Nov 5 · 4–7 PM (Mills River Town Hall, 124 Town Center Dr) — NC DEQ walks through the region's flood-resiliency plan and takes feedback from the public.
🗓️ North Buncombe River Parks Drop-In Workshop — Thu, Nov 5 · 4–6 PM (Salt Face Mule Brewing Co.) — The county wants your input on the future of North Buncombe's river parks.
🗓️ Happy Hour: Muddy Boots & Managing Moisture in Residential Construction — Thu, Nov 5 · 5:30–7:30 PM (Vision House Asheville, 18 Chelsea Knoll View) — AIA Western NC tours a new build in muddy boots and talks moisture control, with drinks.
🗓️ Blue Ridge Business Outlook Summit — Tue, Nov 10 · 8 AM–12 PM (Blue Ridge Conference Hall, Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock) — Free. Vision Henderson County's Gary Heisey turns national trends and local data into a 2027 planning cheat sheet. Registration required.
Hosting something cool?
📬 Hit reply and tell me what you think. Or share an event!
🏡 Featured Rental of The Week
Sponsored by Vesta Property Management
Vesta manages rentals all over WNC from their office on Haywood Road in West AVL, and the list changes every week. Here's one I think you should check out this week.
A modern 1.5-story West Asheville home, about 1,962 sq ft, and it's available now. The primary suite is on the main level with a custom shower, dual sinks and a soaking tub. Upstairs are two more bedrooms with oversized windows facing the Blue Ridge. The open floor plan centers on a chef's kitchen with upgraded appliances and a breakfast bar, plus there's a gas fireplace, central air, a rear deck, a yard and a 2-car driveway. It's under a mile to BattleCat and Ingles, about a mile to the River Arts District, and 1.8 miles to downtown.
Rent: $2,500/mo · Deposit: $2,500
Pets: Dogs and cats considered case by case (separate pet application)
Utilities: Tenant covers electric, gas, water/sewer/trash and lawn care. No smoking.
Application: $58 per adult, online only
Want to see it? Schedule a viewing or call/text (828) 882-2707.
Not quite the one? The full list has 1- to 4-bedroom places in Asheville, Candler, Swannanoa, Fletcher, Canton and Waynesville. Check it out!
Vesta Property Management · 329 Haywood Rd #05, Asheville · 828.492.3916
💡 Marketing Quickies
Brought to you by Pixelated Stories
Websites + Follow-Up Systems for Home & Professional Service Businesses | PixelatedStories.net
When someone looks at buying a business, they check how much of it runs without the owner. That's worth asking about your own company even if you're never selling, whether you're a contractor or you run a professional service business like a firm, practice or consultancy.
Save the answers you keep typing out to customers. Scroll through your last 20 sent texts and emails and pull out anything you've typed twice, like your service area, how pricing works, or what happens on day one. Save those as canned replies so anyone in the office can send them without asking you.
Put reminders on a timer. Set up one text the day before every appointment and another that morning, with the address, the time and a link to reschedule. It works the same for a roofer's estimate and an accountant's intake call, and nobody on your team has to remember to confirm.
Put past customers on the calendar. Most businesses stop talking to a customer the day the invoice clears, and that customer list is a big part of what a buyer would be paying for. Schedule a text at 90 days asking who else they know who needs the same work, then a check-in around 11 months tied to what you did, like a gutter cleaning reminder from a contractor or a "tax season's coming" note from a CPA. That year of follow-up is part of what we build in the Show Up and Follow Up System.
Want missed-call text-back, SMS confirmations, website chat, a unified inbox, and a follow-up system that keeps working after you close the laptop?
Reply to this email and we'll help you build it.
🎉 Fun Stuff Around AVL
🎉 Joy & Justice Book Club: Stories in Community — Wed, Nov 4 · 12–1:30 PM (YWCA of Asheville, 185 S. French Broad Ave) — The YWCA's first book club luncheon, free, discussing Stamped over lunch.
🎉 Under the Stars: A Decade of Discovery — Fri, Nov 6 · 6:30–10 PM (Highland Brewing Company) — Asheville Museum of Science fundraiser, featuring an actual NASA astronaut, John Casper. Bring questions about space toilets. Or packaged meals.
🎉 Paperhand Puppet Project: The Wild Wisdom of the World — Fri, Nov 6 · 7:30 PM (Diana Wortham Theatre) — Huge handmade puppets, live music, and a ton of laughs.
🎉 Downtown Art District First Fridays — Fri, Nov 6 · 5–8 PM (Downtown Asheville) — Free gallery hop with late hours and new openings all over downtown.
🎉 Stout Bout Beer Festival & Tasting Competition — Sat, Nov 7 · 1–6 PM (Hi-Wire Brewing RAD Beer Garden) — Dark beers go head to head (get it?), and you're the judge.
🎉 Eyes Up Here Comedy: Books & Baddies Edition — Sat, Nov 7 · 7 PM (Ginger's Revenge) — A comedy night themed for book lovers, at the ginger beer brewery.
🎧 Bands on the Horizon
Wed, Nov 4
Hayes Carll w/ Joelton Mayfield — 8 PM @ The Grey Eagle
AJJ w/ Greet Death — Time TBA @ Revival Asheville
Thu, Nov 5
Aaron Lee Tasjan — 8 PM @ The Grey Eagle
honestav — 8 PM @ The Orange Peel
Sweet Pill — Time TBA @ Revival Asheville
Whitney Mongé (Patio Show) — 5:30 PM @ The Grey Eagle Patio
Fri, Nov 6
Rumours ATL: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute — 8 PM @ The Orange Peel
Deer Tick — Time TBA @ Eulogy
SATSANG — 8 PM @ The Grey Eagle
Tyler Ballgame — 8 PM @ Asheville Music Hall
Sat, Nov 7
The Record Company w/ Glass Kinsman — 8 PM @ The Orange Peel
Chatham Rabbits w/ Alexa Rose — 8 PM @ The Grey Eagle
Larry Keel & Jon Stickley — 9 PM @ Asheville Music Hall
The Stews w/ Tobacco Road — Time TBA @ Eulogy
The Tall Boys — 3:30 PM @ Ginger's Revenge
Sun, Nov 8
Country Brunch w/ Elizabeth McCorvey — 11 AM @ The Grey Eagle (free)
Darren Nicholson & Daniel Ullom — 4 PM @ The Cork & Keg
Havok w/ Hellripper & Slackjaw — Time TBA @ Eulogy
Mean Mary — 7:30 PM @ White Horse Black Mountain
Tue, Nov 10
The Feels — 7 PM @ The Grey Eagle
The Kilans w/ Jade Street — Time TBA @ Revival Asheville
Want your biz in front of a few really smart AVL business owners? Reply with what you're up to and we'll see if it's a fit.
Go vote Tuesday. Until next week,
Jason De Los Santos
Pixelated Stories Digital Marketing
(828) 585-4293
