.

Providing a connection between
talented entrepreneurs producing locally
and those seeking
goods crafted and manufactured regionally

Clinch Artists is building on its 13 years of experience
as an artisans cooperative
drawing from five counties in northeast Tennessee
to become a regional resource
providing services which strengthen artisan business
over a broader region of 36 counties in
east Tennessee, southwest Virginia and southeast Kentucky.

Our purpose as the Clinch Artists has always been to provide
* a positive climate for rural entrepreneurs
* to gather and share their art and craft interests,
* to develop their products as a small home based business
and
* to receive marketing support. 

With such a diverse membership
we have the opportunity to
link businesses through joint marketing efforts
therefore increasing economic growth.

As a cooperative business
we have experience in
several different marketing styles.

As an existing group
we have a wide variety of marketing experiences
and
evaluate all new items coming into the store.
We offer positive criticism when needed
to assist the client in advancing their craft.

Another reason Clinch Artists is well-qualified to
coordinate resources for artisans in the region
is that we are a member of
Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) Rural Learning Cluster
funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
Through attending conferences and other gathering of AEO
we have build relationships with other organizations similar to CAAC
such as Showcase West Virginia, Mountain Micro enterprise Fund,
and Appalachian By Design, all of which are in the ARC region.

Clinch Artists
is a part of the Jubilee Business Incubation Program,
business development project most directly addressing ARC Goal 4:
“Appalachian residents will have access to financial and technical resources
to help build dynamic and self-sustaining local economies.” 
Toward this goal, this project located in 36 Appalachian counties,
10 of which are designated distressed counties,
provides entrepreneurial education, business assistance,
and other art business related services and programs
to rural arts and craft entrepreneurs.

This project secondarily addresses ARC Goal 2
by promoting use of telecommunications technology
to assist the participants in the project to
strengthen their individual businesses,
communicate and make decisions as a group,
and encourage to market their products individually by e-commerce.
     
Finally, with the support of
Tennessee Overhill in southeast Tennessee
and Clinch Powell RC&D in northeast Tennessee,
we will be integrating leadership development into our work
with the artisan members in this project.
This project tangentially addresses ARC Goal 3
by building the capacity of entrepreneurs as individuals
and as members of small business groups,
to increasing their ability to
work together, plan, obtain resources, and solve problems.
    
The Jubilee Business Incubation Program
addresses several priorities of local and state government,
including creating jobs through coordination
between artisan and economic community development arenas,
encouraging counties to develop tailor-made local
and regional economic development,
and supporting homegrown small businesses in Tennessee
and helping them expand.
This project addresses the area of improving access to capital by
introducing various local funds in the region,
enhancing marketing efforts by promoting the purchase of
local made products of participating entrepreneurs
(via website, radio and print advertisements, tourism events, etc.)