1) Valentine’s Day Cookie Exchange Held Feb. 10
The Watauga County Public Library will host a Valentine’s Day themed cookie exchange on Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 3:30-6 p.m. Join us for chocolate Bingo, crafts and cookies! Bring a batch of your favorite cookies and a copy of the recipe to share with others. Please RSVP to either the Adult Services or Youth Services departments by Monday, Feb. 9, if at all possible. You can reach these departments by calling the Library at 828-264-8784 and choosing either extension 2 for adult services or extension 3 for youth services.
2) Caldwell, Watauga Small Business Centers Host Workshops
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center offers free workshops, one-on-one assistance and many more services to help local small businesses. To reserve your seat at one of the workshops, call 828-726-2242 (Caldwell), or 828-265-5385 (Watauga) or visit www.cccti.edu/smallbusiness to register.
Here is a list of upcoming free workshops in Caldwell County:
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Caldwell Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “How to Finance Your Small Business and Understand Business Financials” from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19 at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir. The speaker will be Arlene Childers and the workshop will cover various methods for financing a small business.
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Caldwell Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “Record Keeping and Taxes” from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 9 at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir. Speaker will be Arlene Childers and the workshop will cover the needed financial records for good business management and how to develop systems and practices for collecting information for tax reporting.
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Caldwell Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “Turn Your Passion into a Business on Etsy” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir. Speaker will be Nick Hawks, and eBay education specialist and the workshop will teach participants how to use Etsy to sell handmade and vintage items.
Here is a list of upcoming free workshops in Watauga County:
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Watauga Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “Guerrilla Marketing for Small Businesses” from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5 at the Blowing Rock Emergency Center in Blowing Rock. Speaker will be Mike Collins and the workshop will cover unconventional, low-cost marketing techniques for small business owners.
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Watauga Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “10 Essential Skills of Successful Small Business Owners” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 5 at the CCC&TI Small Business Center, Appalachian Enterprise Center in Boone. Speaker will be Mike Collins.
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Watauga Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn: Growing Your Business with Social Media,” from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 12 at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Conference Room in Boone, N.C. The presenter will be Matt Rudisill, owner and lead trainer with The Leadership Academy.
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Watauga Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “New Business Survival Strategies” from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 at the CCC&TI Small Business Center, Appalachian Enterprise Center in Boone. Speaker will be Russ Seagle and the workshop will cover survival skills for that crucial first year in starting in a new business.
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Watauga Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “Business Lessons for Entrepreneurs” from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21 at the CCC&TI Small Business Center, Appalachian Enterprise Center in Boone. Speaker will be writer and author Mark Csordos and the workshop will cover the mental and emotional aspects of starting and running a business.
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Watauga Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “eBay Your Way to Success: The Basics of Selling on eBay” from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22 at the CCC&TI Small Business Center, Appalachian Enterprise Center in Boone. Speaker will be Nick Hawks, eBay Education Specialist.
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Watauga Small Business Center will offer a free workshop titled “Customer Service for the Business Owner” from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 21 at the Tweetsie Railroad Conference Room in Blowing Rock, N.C. Speaker will be Russ Seagle.
3) Free Annual Snowball Building Contest Held Feb. 7 at Beech Mountain
Bring your snow-building talents to the Sledding Hill next to Beech Mountain Town Hall and you may just win some prizes! The Buckeye Recreation Center is holding the annual free Snowman Building Contest on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 10 a.m. until noon. Kids 12 and under will be competing for prizes in a wide range of categories! Come bundled up and prepared for cold weather. Bring accessories to dress your frosty friend, or use some of ours. Ample parking is available at the Sledding Hill parking lot across the street. Free hot chocolate will be provided. For more information, call Sean Royall at 828-387-3003.