Purpose & History of the HCBN
The High Country Business Network (HCBN) is a regional support system for small business and entrepreneur development in the High Country. HCBN is committed to promoting a culture of entrepreneurship by providing networking and educational opportunities to the region's business community. As a regional organization encompassing eight counties (Wilkes, Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, Yancey and Caldwell), HCBN creates the critical mass necessary for the High Country business communities to participate in networking activities and business development seminars to encourage entrepreneurs and new business formation. Its intent is to bring business creators together with public and private service providers; professionals, such as lawyers, accountants, insurance brokers; and already successful business people to share ideas, expertise and encouragement.
The HCBN has grown out of a regional strategy to establish entrepreneurship and home grown business development as a viable part of the region's economic development programs. The Watauga Entrepreneur Development Partnership (WEDP), established last year as a cooperative effort by the Watauga County Economic Development Commission, ARDI and the Walker College of Business, was the first step toward implementing the strategy. The WEDP enjoyed strong initial success during its first year in helping people with new business ideas take positive steps toward "jumpstarting" their business. Efforts are underway for other counties in the region to implement similar partnerships and embrace entrepreneur and small business development in their economic development portfolios. And as more and more communities realize that small business creation is a viable economic development strategy, they also realize that a networking organization is a vital part of the support structure, as well as an important element in establishing a culture of support for entrepreneurship in the region. The HCBN fills this role. Welcome.