Swannanoa-based Copy and Post receives $10,000 NC IDEA grant

A Swannanoa-based company is one of the newest recipients of an NC IDEA grant.

According to an April 29 news release from NC IDEA, “a private foundation committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic empowerment in North Carolina,” Swannanoa’s Copy and Post is one of 16 companies to receive $10,000 each.

These grants, known as micro grants, were distributed after a three-month application process. The 16 recipients were chosen from 211 applicants.

Kristen Hicks, founder of Copy and Post, told Black Mountain News May 3 that her company focuses on the marketing needs of realtors.

A realtor herself, Hicks said she found that the marketing for realtors was a niche that needed to be filled. She was helping other realtors in the area with their marketing and when the demand was too great, she started Copy and Post, a platform for marketing.

“The idea of Copy and Post is to simplify marketing that is fully customizable and personalized, which is really key,” Hicks said. “There are other platforms that help with marketing, but it was important to me that every member felt like the marketing was made for them.”

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The development for the company began two years ago, with Copy and Post launching a year ago.

When new members sign up for Copy and Post, they enter in basic personal information such as their name, contact information and market area. When they select marketing materials from the website, this information is auto populated into the materials.

Currently, Copy and Post offers three different collections that feature different fonts, colors and free Canva elements. Members can pick and choose from each of the collections to create their marketing materials.

The company accommodates both digital and print marketing. For digital, members can link their social media accounts and either post materials immediately or schedule them for a later date.

Hicks said it “takes a team” to create marketing materials, from copywriters to graphic designers to IT professionals. The Copy and Post team consists of three employees and four contractors.

“We are a scrappy start-up,” Hicks said. “I’m a mom of four and so we are tiny but mighty.”

Part of Copy and Post’s business plan includes giving back to the community, which Hicks said is important to her. A portion of every subscription is donated to the Swannanoa Valley community, including schools and the Black Mountain Home for Children.

“We really focus on giving back to the communities,” Hicks said. “It’s a big deal for me because I’m super people-oriented. I like to help people, and I don’t believe that your business or your blessing stops at you.”

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This is the second year Hicks and Copy and Post have applied for the NC IDEA micro grant. Hicks said she is excited for this grant because NC IDEA provides not only funds, but a mentorship program as well.

Hicks said the company will use its $10,000 grant to bring more people to the team, but it will mostly go toward customer discovery.

“We can’t sell anything to anybody unless we know who they are and what the need,” Hicks said. “The grant will help us really refine our customer base.”

Hicks called the grant a “blessing” and said she is looking forward to the mentorship that will continue in the coming months.

She said Copy and Post is always looking for feedback on how to be better and wants to thank members for “being engaged and helping us thrive.”

As the market changes, Hicks said Copy and Post aims to be nimble.

“The real estate market is changing, and so we want to change with it, and we want to change with AI,” Hicks said. “We have that being implemented as we speak. We’ve got to make sure that we know who they are, know how we can serve them, know how we can meet that need. We’re going to be doing software development, marketing in order to reach those ideal clients and platform performance.”

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