Texas Center for Rural Entrepreneurship/Texas Leadership Institute

Generating Income with Rural Property and Natural Resources

Plainview Civic Center
2902 W. Fourth St.

8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Wednesday May 23, 2012

Agenda

8:30             Registration and refreshments

9:00             Introductions and workshop overview

                   Generating and Evaluating Ideas and Opportunities

                    Planning for Success

12:00           Lunch

1:00             Managing Operations is Key to Success

Bootstrap Marketing

Accounting and Financial Management Tell the Story

                   Sources of Information and Assistance

                   Internet Offers Valuable Tools

                   Handling Successes…Failures

3:30             Wrap up and Evaluation

4:00             Adjourn

All successful businesses start with an idea which is like a seed that must be planted, cultivated and nurtured.  Sometimes the resulting business does not turn out as you first envisioned it.  However, hopefully it has transformed into a successful business nonetheless.  Ideas based on innovation, creativity and market forces are what comprise most of successful “new era” agribusinesses.  Many existing producers are investigating diversification strategies or value-added enterprises to enhance the income generated by commercial agricultural enterprises.  At the same time, opportunities for many new rural landowners looking for activities that will generate income while utilizing natural resources are limited only by their imagination.  This workshop suggests a variety of enterprises that are appropriate for individuals with smaller acreages as well as current farmers and ranchers. 

Once attractive ideas are identified, the next step is to evaluate the feasibility of each with respect to selected criteria so you can begin developing a more complete business plan.  The workshop will include suggested criteria for evaluating the feasibility of potential ventures and many of the important components of business plans for natural resource-based businesses.

The success of agribusinesses often hinges on the effectiveness of selected marketing programs in generating revenue to meet financial goals.  Yet many owners of small businesses hesitate to invest the necessary time, effort and expenditures into marketing either because they lack understanding of the subject or are focused more on cutting costs.  Often finding themselves with limited cash flow, owners of small businesses face tough decisions about spending limited resources.  This workshop includes discussions of which marketing functions are most critical and explores how small businesses can accomplish them on a shoestring budget. 

Agribusiness managers that pay close attention to financial information and use a variety of tools at their disposal to help make data-driven decisions are much more likely to succeed than those that “shoot from the hip.”  The story of where a business has been, its current status and whether it is merely surviving or is perched for growth is found in its financial.

Cost for the workshop is $15 and includes all materials & lunch.  Preregistration is requested.  For more information or to register, please call the Main Street/CVB at 806.296.1119.