Charleston, WV. May 15, 2025 – Advantage Valley, Inc. is bringing two FASTER WV Build Your Business Workshops to the Elk River Trail Region this May—one in Braxton County and one in Clay County. The Braxton County workshop will take place on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 from 5:30 – 7 pm, at the Sutton Public Library, located at 500 Main Street in Sutton. The Clay County workshop will take place on Thursday, May 29 from 5:30 – 7 pm at the WVU Clay County Extension Office at 184 Procious Maysel Road in Clay.
These free workshops are designed to support aspiring and existing entrepreneurs in communities along the Elk River Trail System, a growing regional destination for outdoor recreation and tourism. As investments in the trail continue to expand, Advantage Valley is working to ensure local businesses are positioned to grow alongside this emerging economic opportunity. The scenic trail—which follows the Elk River through Kanawha, Clay, and Braxton Counties—attracts anglers, boaters, cyclists, hikers, and equestrians from across West Virginia and beyond. With the right tools and support, communities like Sutton, Gassaway, Clay, and Clendenin can leverage the trail’s momentum to build sustainable, tourism-aligned businesses
Business coaches from the FASTER WV Entrepreneurship Program will be present to discuss free business coaching, business basics classes, and access to capital for the start-up or growth of small businesses in the region. They will provide information to anyone wanting to open or expand a business and learn about resources connected to the FASTER WV Program. Registration is encouraged: https://airtable.com/appX7aSMhtCZTJhsu/shrhH5UUxXDgL6WyL or by contacting Sasha Strader at 304-352-1165 or at Sasha@advantagevalley.com.
Advantage Valley is also offering its next Kauffman FastTrac® Entrepreneurship Course on Thursday nights from June 5 – June 19 th, from 5:30 – 7 pm at Area 34 in Putnam County. This free, three-week course provides access to content, templates, and tools to progress through modules that mirror the entrepreneurial journey. By the end of the course, clients will have developed and refined a vision into a detailed business plan.
FASTER WV has chosen to offer a short course which moves at a very fast pace. Registration is required: https://airtable.com/appfusEEJd3nhp7Fv/shrw481iBPcFMQ48z or by contacting Bryan Shaw at 304-352-1165 or at Bryan@advantagevalley.com.
Advantage Valley’s FASTER WV Program assists new business owners in critical new business development from startup through year 3. FASTER presents local workshops, offers free business coaching to individuals as they start and grow small businesses, and provides technical assistance and access to capital to fund new start-ups. Since its inception, the FASTER WV program has contributed to the creation of 177 new businesses and 267 jobs and provided one- on-one coaching for hundreds of start-up businesses. Learn more at https://advantagevalley.com/entrepreneurship/.
CONTACT:
Marjorie Cooke, Director of Marketing & Communications (304) 541-9657
