Practical Business Tips for Artisans

A workshop about marketing, social media, and pricing your work.

GATE CITY, Va. -- ’Round the Mountain: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Network and the Mountain Empire Small Business Development Center (SBDC) invite the interested community to attend a free three-hour workshop entitled Practical Business Tips for Artisans.

The event takes place August 21 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Community Services Building, 190 Beech Street, Gate City, Va.

Seating is limited and pre-registration is required. To register, please call Neva Bryan at 276-492-2403 or email nbryan@roundthemountain.org no later than August 13.

This workshop is designed to educate artisans, galleries, crafters, and other creative entrepreneurs, but it is open to the interested public. The workshop will feature sessions that address the following topics:

·        marketing,

·        social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and

·        pricing your work.

The program is presented by `Round the Mountain in partnership with the Virginia Tourism Corporation and People Incorporated. It is made possible through support from a Mountain Empire Community College SBDC Jobs Act Program grant.

`Round the Mountain is also supported, in part, by the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The following professionals are scheduled to appear:

·        Kitty Barker, partnership marketing development specialist, Virginia Tourism Corporation;

·        Cindy Green, training manager, People Incorporated Financial Services; and

·        Neva Bryan, education coordinator, `Round the Mountain.

`Round the Mountain’s mission is to promote sustainable economic development of the region's communities by assisting local artisans with marketing, educational, and entrepreneurial opportunities.

The `Round the Mountain service area includes Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe counties, and the cities of Bristol, Galax, Norton and Radford.

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