Community conversations can be impactful when it comes to creating change. A common theme for businesses across Northwest North Carolina centers around the ability to recruit and retain staff. Approaching these approaches "the same old way," is not providing the best results when it comes to filling positions and fostering longevity. What are the questions you should be asking as you are looking to build your team? What are employees of today valuing most when it comes to picking a career pursuit?

On this week's Mind Your Business we preview the 4th annual Vision Northwest North Carolina economic development summit, set for May 25th in Boone. The theme of this year's event centers around Returning and Retaining Today's Workforce. We'll examine some of the main community conversations around educational attainment and how asking the right questions of your staff can lead to a more efficient way of doing business in the future.

Mind your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The radio show airs each Thursday morning at 10:05AM on WATA (1450AM/96.5FM) in the High Country.

The podcast version of the program is made possible each week by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate and sponsored in part by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.

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As the calendar turns to April, festival season in the High Country is getting closer every day. Dozens of arts festivals will take place over the next several months, bringing visitors to the area while adding to the quality of life local residents get to experience each day. 

On this week's Mind Your Business,  we discuss the dynamics of festival season, and how each event works together to create a "destination" for arts enthusiasts across all genres. We'll also get a sneak peek at the 39th season of An Appalachian Summer, which just announced their slate of shows and performances set for June 24-July 29.

Mind your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The radio show airs each Thursday morning at 10:05AM on WATA (1450AM/96.5FM) in the High Country.

The podcast version of the program is made possible each week by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate and sponsored in part by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System. 

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Thursday marked final passage in the NC House for Medicaid expansion, leaving only Governor Roy Cooper's signature, and an approved State budget from improving access and affordability of healthcare to 600,000 North Carolinians. 

The process to get to this point was a long one, filled with enough gridlock and partisan politics to last a lifetime. How could this process better reflected the needs of rural North Carolinians?

On this week's Mind Your Business, we discuss the art of consensus building, and how taking conversation to decision-makers could give a fighting chance to advancing other key community issues, like childcare access, affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, and other similar topics.

We also give a listen to a timely excerpt from our sister podcast, Reaching Your Peak, where Christopher Chung of EDPNC talks about the value of building consensus, and what to expect in terms of economic development priorities in rural North Carolina in the years to come.

Mind your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The radio show airs each Thursday morning at 10:05AM on WATA (1450AM/96.5FM) in the High Country.

The podcast version of the program is made possible each week by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate and sponsored in part by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.

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News of Silicon Valley Bank's collapse late last week jolted the banking industry and sent many people's anxiety levels to an elevated state as they contemplated the ramifications of more financial turmoil.

As this story continues to evolve on a national scale, having local context of the associated impacts of this recent instability is important for business owners and residents alike.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we visit with Brian Greer, Watauga Market President of LifeStore Bank. He explains the steps that led to the demise of Silicon Valley Bank, while also sharing the differences between banks like SVB compared to community and regional banks that are more prevalent in our marketplace. While providing reassuring remarks about confidence in the community banking system, Greer also explains the types of benchmarks in your personal or business banking habits that should motivate you to talk with your banker or financial planner, so potential issues can be avoided.
 
If you have questions about your coverage, or would like to learn more about FDIC insurance and how it works, we encourage you to access the following resources: 

• Understanding Deposit Insurance
• FDIC Deposit Insurance FAQs
• FDIC Calculators

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We've talked a lot recently about workforce influences. From our past episodes on workplace conditions, housing availability, and childcare access, you'll see each of these topics plays off one another.

This week's Mind Your Business heads in a similar direction as we focus on working to improve your employee benefits, paying attention to both what you can provide and what you can pass along in terms of savings.

This is one of the topics we'll discuss with Wayne Randall, Manager of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Customer Center in Boone. We'll also hear about supplemental products that can be offered to employees, that might not be traditionally bundled with standard benefits packages.

And now for the fun part -- the BCBSNC Boone Center will soon be moving to a new location, one that features opportunities for the local community to use a new space for activities. Wayne gives us the scoop on that project and many other details about their impending Grand Opening.

Mind your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The radio show airs each Thursday morning at 10:05AM on WATA (1450AM/96.5FM) in the High Country.

The podcast version of the program is made possible each week by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate and sponsored in part by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.

Support the show

We've talked a lot recently about workforce influences. From our past episodes on workplace conditions, housing availability, and childcare access, you'll see each of these topics plays off one another.

This week's Mind Your Business heads in a similar direction as we focus on working to improve your employee benefits, paying attention to both what you can provide and what you can pass along in terms of savings.

This is one of the topics we'll discuss with Wayne Randall, Manager of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Customer Center in Boone. We'll also hear about supplemental products that can be offered to employees, that might not be traditionally bundled with standard benefits packages.

And now for the fun part -- the BCBSNC Boone Center will soon be moving to a new location, one that features opportunities for the local community to use a new space for activities. Wayne gives us the scoop on that project and many other details about their impending Grand Opening.

Mind your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The radio show airs each Thursday morning at 10:05AM on WATA (1450AM/96.5FM) in the High Country.

The podcast version of the program is made possible each week by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate and sponsored in part by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.

The access and affordability of early childcare has always been an important component to a thriving workforce in Watauga County. With conditions in the labor market already tricky, the last thing our community needs is for it to become even more difficult to find quality childcare for those participating or returning to the workforce.

On this week's Mind Your Business, Elisha Childers and Hunter Varipapa  from The Children's Council of Watauga County discuss stabilization grants issued as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), and what the looming expiration of those funds means for childcare centers across Watauga County. 

Earlier this week, Governor Roy Cooper sent a letter to the North Carolina Congressional delegation outlining the case for intervention at the Federal level. Please visit our Elected Officials Contact page to find contact information should you wish to address this issue with Congresswoman Virginia Foxx or Senators Richard Burr or Thom Tillis.

Mind your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The radio show airs each Thursday morning at 10:05AM on WATA (1450AM/96.5FM) in the High Country.

The podcast version of the program is made possible each week by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate and sponsored in part by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.

Support the show

The High Country Real Estate market is... 

Your answer to that question depends on your perspective. For many, their answer will be laced with some level of frustration. Investors see opportunity, but that comes at the expense of those trying to find affordable solutions across all inventory types. Then comes the issue of availability, and what limited supply does to a market where demand remains high.

Our answer to the above prompt...complex!

On this week's Mind Your Business, we speak with Stacie Pineda of the Stacie Pineda Real Estate Group. She discuses current market forces and how inventory impacts pricing. She also gives us perspective into the tough conversation realtors are having with both buyers and sellers, as it relates to the specific things they are looking for in their next home.

Pineda authored a summary of current residential real estate trends in the latest edition of Economic Indicators, released in early February 2023.

Mind your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The radio show airs each Thursday morning at 10:05AM on WATA (1450AM/96.5FM) in the High Country.

The podcast version of the program is made possible each week by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate and sponsored in part by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.

Support the show

When any business closes, on the surface, a casual observer could assume the worst. Upon digging deeper you may find the worst case scenario is actually true -- the business just didn't make ends meet. Or you could find out that a successful run in the industry sees the time right to pass the tourch to a new operator with new ideas. The point being, we don't learn by guessing or by applying "last time's logic." We must study the trends, talk to the experts, and take the pulse of one of our area's most important industries. 

On this week's Mind Your Business, we hear from Seth Sullivan, co-owner of The Cardinal and Lilly's Snack Bar, to get a sense of the health of the High Country restaurant scene. Are the recent closures of restaurants a harbinger of things to come, or does this follow a repeated pattern? What about the new opportunities and concepts that are coming to the area? What are the factors driving the day-to-day operation within the industry? We tackle these topics and many more as we seek insight on what's to come for one of our most important economic drivers.

Mind your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The radio show airs each Thursday morning at 10:05AM on WATA (1450AM/96.5FM) in the High Country.

The podcast version of the program is made possible each week by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate and sponsored in part by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.

Support the show

Earlier this week, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce released its Q4 Economic Indicators report, tracking activity in five key categories as it relates to the health and stability of the local economy.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we examine the numbers and tell the story of how the High Country economy fared in 2022. We also will discuss some big picture topics at the State level that will have an impact on our area.

Mind your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The radio show airs each Thursday morning at 10:05AM on WATA (1450AM/96.5FM) in the High Country.

The podcast version of the program is made possible each week by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate and sponsored in part by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.

Support the show