Holston Business Development Center

Join us for our 20th Anniversary Celebration on Monday, August 28 from 3-6pm.

Holston Business Development Center celebrates its 20th anniversary The Holston Business Development Center, a small business incubator that helps startups succeed is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Announcing the Appalachian Highlands Business Expo presented by your Kingsport Chamber, Sims Venture Capital and sync.space.

Join us as we showcase the businesses of our region, celebrate our growing economy and dive into the methods that make businesses thrive. Booths on sale now!

http://www.kingsportchamber.org/events/details/appalachian-highlands-business-expo-2023-9108?calendarMonth=2023-10-01

Join The Inventor Center for some great programming this month and next!

Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/promote-yourself-supper-seminars-fall-2023-2365199

More info here: https://theinventorcenter.com/news/promote-yourself-supper-seminars-part-two

Coming up on Wednesday - PROOF CPG Workshop.
Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kingsport-cpg-workshop-tickets-676275276557

CPG Products Workshop coming SOON!
Wednesday, August 2nd 9:00-10:30am
Register on Eventbrite.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tri-cities-cpg-workshop-tickets-676275276557?aff=oddtdtcreator

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Independence Day.

Don't forget to register for Business & Arts at the Ballpark tomorrow night at 7pm at Hunter Wright Stadium!

Learn about Kingsport Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and cheer on the Kingsport Axmen!

The Inventor Center Sync.Space Kosbe - The Small Business Connection PEAK - Kingsport Young Professionals Create Appalachia

Business & Arts at the Ballpark Join us at Hunter Wright Stadium on June 16th as we explore Kingsport’s entrepreneurial ecosystem!⚾️

Attention, early-stage startup CEOs and founders! 📢⁠
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Register now to attend a virtual Q&A session about InvestTN’s Regional Seed Fund on June 23 from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. CST.⁠
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This hour-long Ask Me Anything (AMA) session is designed for early-stage startup CEOs and founders to learn about the Regional Seed Fund, which will provide investments ranging from $25,000-$250,000 into pre-seed and seed-stage startups located in Tennessee.⁠
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During this session, startup founders are encouraged to drop in and learn more about the Regional Seed Fund, ask questions, and learn how to apply for funding.⁠
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The Regional Seed Fund is one of three InvestTN funds, so if the RSF is not a match, stay tuned for more information about the Technology Fund or Multi-Fund.⁠
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RSVP here: https://www.paperlesspost.com/go/4BkM7GmUVzVepbTVeAM7w
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Have clothes or small appliances in need of repair? Stop by The Inventor Center TODAY, 2-4 pm, to have them fixed!

118 Shelby St in Downtown Kingsport!

Using Social Media to Promote Your Creative Business Whether you're starting from scratch or seeking to enhance or expand your online presence, this class is meant for you.

Our yearly visit from the neighborhood bear.

National Small Business Week celebrates small businesses and honors small business owners. It is a week to show the impact of small businesses in our community and celebrate how they overcome obstacles to succeed!
How can your business get involved?
*Join the celebration of small businesses by sharing your story!
*Say thank you to the people who keep your business going.
*Invest in education.
*Make a difference in your community by partnering with another small business.1.
*Get the word out.
Happy National Small Business Week!

Promote Yourself: Supper Seminars hosted by The Inventor Center
https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/promote-yourself-supper-seminars-1850989

This program, funded by Launch Tennessee, will cover a variety of topics to give you the tools to promote yourself and your work. Learn while you enjoy some food and drink, and meet other entrepreneurs!

Promote Yourself: Supper Seminars This program, funded by Launch Tennessee, will cover a variety of topics to give you the tools to promote yourself and your work. Learn while you enjoy some food and drink, and meet other entrepreneurs!

Do you need to protect you IP abroad? Learn how at this virtual workshop!

Join us on May 31st to understand how to protect your intellectual property abroad.
This workshop will be offered virtually, register your space today!
https://bit.ly/TSBDCMAY

Join the fun this weekend!

This week we’ll have a special guest speaker at our Freelance Academy, Hannah Winegar! Hannah will be answering some common questions that many freelancers and business owners have such as:

✅ What is a balance sheet and why is it important?
✅ How do I get a home loan when I am self-employed?
✅ LLC vs Sole Proprietor?

We’re so excited to have Hannah share her expertise on financials and business setup!

If you haven’t made it to the Freelance Academy for the first few classes, you’re still welcome to join! You can find us Thursday from 6-8pm at the Johnson City Create Appalachia Center:
714 W Walnut Street, Johnson City, TN 37604

We hope to see you there!

Great news for Kingsport!

Businesses expressing interest in coming to Fort Henry Mall KINGSPORT — Five prospects have shown interest in moving into the Fort Henry Mall and have signed letters of intent with the shopping center’s owners, a city official said.

Upcoming events by Founders Forge!

Checkout our awesome April events! Enhance your skills, network with similar individuals, and discover opportunities. Don't let this chance to flourish pass you by! Check out the link in our bio for RSVP and event info.

Registration for the Freelance Academy is open!

We’re excited to announce that we’re now taking registrations for the Freelance Academy!

What’s the Freelance Academy, you ask? 🤔

It is an intensive course designed to give you the skills and knowledge you need to become a freelancer in the creative industry.

Over the course of eight lessons, participants will learn everything from how to develop a portfolio and build a strong brand, to finding clients and managing their business finances. We'll also cover important topics like marketing and networking, as well as how to stay motivated and inspired as a freelancer.
By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with the tools and confidence needed to begin their own successful freelance business.

This 8-week program begins Thursday, April 6th.
Sessions are every Thursday from 6-8pm and will take place at the Johnson City Create Appalachia facility.
It costs $50 per person to attend the entire 8-week program, however, we have several scholarships available!

Learn more about the program here: https://syncspace.org/freelance-academy/

Program in partnership with:
Create Appalachia, Sync.Space and Push the Pixels

Some great tips from the TSBDC!

When: Tuesday, March 7th, // 3:00-4:30 pm
Where: Meadowview Marriott Conference Resort and Convention Center,
1901 Meadowview Pkwy, Kingsport, TN

Join us with Commissioner Stuart McWhorter of , , CEO of , and regional economic development partners who will provide an overview of the program. The Fund Tennessee initiative is designed to support and expand an inclusive continuum of access to capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout Tennessee. The statewide initiative will assist in addressing:

• Loan capital for entrepreneurs and small business owners
• Equity capital for entrepreneurs and small business owners
• Technical assistance to help entrepreneurs and small business owners become capital ready

Afterward, make sure to meet us at Model City Taphouse to talk about this exciting announcement and what it means for businesses across our region!

🔗 Register today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fund-tennessee-northeast-regional-kickoff-meeting-kingsport-tickets-533697883737

There's just something about helping businesses succeed...

Attention all local artists and photographers!

Cher Cornett of the ETSU Digital Media department at ETSU will be teaching our Large Format Giclee Printing course on March 11th at 9 am and March 12th at 1pm.

As the Associate Professor of Digital Media, Cher will instruct you in the best-method practices for printing on large format printer such as paper selection, proofing, image optimization and more.

Register today and earn your certification as a Level-1 Giclee Print Technician!

To learn more about this course, visit https://www.createappalachia.org/event/large-format-giclee-printing-for-photographers-and-visual-artists-2-days-2/

Our updated website is now live. Please take a look and let me know if you have any suggestions or feedback! www.hbdc.org

We are currently selling in these states across the U.S!💚 We also want to give a big thank you to all the wonderful stores we’ve partnered with🌱
Where do you want to see us next?📍

Are you interested in taking your creative endeavor up a notch? Join this event for " a renewed sense of clarity of how to take your business to the next level."

Join us for an evening of inspiration and practical advice with creative entrepreneur Ryan Shipley! Ryan will be sharing his secrets to success, including the importance of consistency and the power of doing the "boring things" every day. You'll leave with a renewed sense of clarity of how to take your business to the next level.

Keeping your overhead low in the early stages of your business can give you a competitive advantage...but our tenants get much more than that!

New time and location! 6:00pm at Spark Plaza!

Entrepreneurs unite! Take your biz to the next level with our Founders Meetup: Tools of the Trade Group Discussion as successful local entrepreneurs will share their go-to biz tools for success! Join us next Thursday 6pm at Spark Plaza, pizza included 🍕 Register now for a night of knowledge-sharing & networking!

Culture in the hybrid workplace Hybrid work is happening. Your culture will need to catch up--fast.

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