TRYON – The Tryon Downtown Development Association (TDDA) has partnered with Mountain BizWorks to offer a six-week business course series beginning on Feb. 27 at 5:30 p.m.

The series, which will run on Mondays from Feb. 27 until April 10, focuses on helping aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners create comprehensive plans to either start or expand their businesses.

The series has been utilized for 20 years with thousands of entrepreneurs, according to a press release from Jamie Carpenter, executive director of the TDDA.

Each session will be three hours on a weekly basis from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Participants will gain perspective into how to operate their businesses through research and development and will also learn about business financials and marketing strategies.

Carpenter said the class would meet at the TDDA office at 116 N. Trade St. on the lower level of the Shops of Tryon. The cost for the course is $375 and scholarships are available through Mountain BizWorks. Mountain BizWorks can be contacted at 828-255-2834 for more information on the scholarships.

MountainBizWorks, based in Asheville, is a nonprofit community development financial institution and gives entrepreneurs in western North Carolina access to the resources needed to make their businesses thrive. Mountain BizWorks also provides business loans and coaching to emerging and established businesses in the region.

Main Street Insurance and TDDA are offering supplemental scholarships to pay for the classes, Carpenter said. After the six-week course, Carpenter said the TDDA would assist new business owners in finding locations for the shops in addition to providing incubator space in the downstairs area of the Shops of Tryon.

The course also encourages participants to gather feedback from peers to create a network of support in an effort to develop the “social capital of the group,” according to TDDA’s press release.

For more information on the courses and to sign up, visit downtowntryon.org or contact Carpenter at 828-859-6484.