In so many ways, Asheville is defined by its small business community, and the folks at Slate Ridge Strategic Finance want to help those businesses thrive.
They deliver strategic financial leadership and expert bookkeeping that have been specifically designed to help small business owners grow with clarity and confidence. Founded in 2024 by a husband-and-wife team, their mission is to elevate ambitious businesses with precise, forward-thinking financial support. In essence, they want to become your partners in building what’s next for your business.
We sat down and spoke with Caroline Gunning, Founder & Managing Director, to find out why they love working in Asheville, the inspiration behind their name and the reason why they’re proudly a “people first” type of business.
Why did you choose to open your business?
After ten years in consulting and corporate finance, we realized the work we found most meaningful was helping small businesses. We also saw that there weren’t many firms offering them a truly personal, boutique experience. Most owners were choosing between impersonal transactional bookkeeping and a full-time hire they didn’t need yet. We founded Slate Ridge to fill that gap.
How did you come up with your company’s name?
The name came together in two parts. We knew we wanted the mountains in it since Western North Carolina is home. That’s the “Ridge.” And “Slate” felt like a natural fit for what we do. It’s the surface people recorded their numbers on for generations.
“Our whole business is built on relationships, so the people we hire have to be relationship-focused people first and accountants second.“
What do you look for in a new hire?
My hiring philosophy has always been to prioritize attitude over experience. The technical side of bookkeeping and accounting is teachable. What I’m really hiring for is alignment with our core values: to act for others, work with integrity, always innovate and show gratitude.
You can see those in the small things, like how someone communicates, whether they take ownership, whether they truly listen. Our whole business is built on relationships, so the people we hire have to be relationship-focused people first and accountants second.
During your first year of business, what was the greatest lesson you learned?
Iterate, iterate, iterate.
In your first year of business, you’re going to make mistakes, launch ideas that don’t work out and lose deals. The key is staying quick on your feet: don’t dwell on it, take the lesson learned and move forward. You have to be comfortable making changes fast, taking feedback in stride and constantly adjusting to get to the best version of your business.
“You have to be comfortable making changes fast, taking feedback in stride and constantly adjusting to get to the best version of your business.”
What is your favorite part about doing business in the Asheville area?
Honestly, it’s the people. Folks here are friendly, but they’re also resilient, especially after everything the region has weathered. There’s a real entrepreneurial spirit, too, and it makes the whole community feel like people are genuinely rooting for each other’s success.