Collaborative Effort in Entrepreneurship

1. Collaborative Effort in Entrepreneurship S. Gary Bullen North Carolina State University

2. Why Value-Added Agriculture is Needed • Become the low cost producer • Achieve product or service quality differentiation • Achieve supply or distribution leverage • Pursue a market niche

3. Number of Farm Size of Farms

4. Comparing Marketing Bill and Farm Value

5. Percent of Disposable Income on Food

6. Value-Added Agriculture • Commodities vs. Products • Selling vs. Marketing • Focus on Customers • Increased consumer demands regarding health, nutrition and convenience • Capture large share of food dollar

7. Current Situation Need for Training? “As a commercial horticulture agent I am asked al the time “What can I do to make money?” “I see this as a valuable tool that I need desperately! I do not have formal training in business management, only production and diseases. It will better enable me to guide my clientele in the business management aspects of building a new business.”

8. Current Situation Need for Training? “ I am lacking in business development knowledge and skills. As an extension agent, I have no problem working with producers on production related issues. However, I do not feel as confident when issues of business planning, development and marketing arise. I hope I gain needed knowledge and skills to help clients with their endeavors”

9. Creating Business Opportunities • The CBO goal is to support the development and establishment of a wide array of agricultural business opportunities • Partnership between North Carolina State University, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services N.C. Farm Bureau and N.C. Rural Center. • Sponsored by Golden LEAF Foundation

10. CBO Objectives • Preparecounty personnel to help entrepreneurs with new business ideas • Develop a business training curriculum • Develop a set of business development tools to support county personnel • Create a network that will foster information sharing between groups working in business development

11. Collaborative Work

12. The Training Curriculum • Training was designed as if someone walked into your office asking for helping with new business idea • Combined lectures with group exercises • Teams formed based on geographic areas • Each session had time to introduce groups working in business development • TEAM Marketing plan practicum • Complementary training resource manual • Creating Business Opportunities Website

13. What Happened • We trained 83 CBO participants • Laid foundation for business network • County personnel now have business development resources • Training was good overview of business development

14. CBO Follow Up Survey • 84% have used CBO resource developed • Business planning material • Marketing • 66% developed a business training or workshop • Financial record keeping • Marketing seminars • Small Business Center workshops • 78% have referred clientele to another agency who participated in training • 28% helped clientele start a new business or add an enterprise

15. How did CBO help you with your current work responsibilities • Helped establish a farmers market • Organized agritourism workshop • Organized a workshop on how to start a lawn care business • Helped farmer evaluate agritourism activities

16. How did CBO help you with your current work responsibilities • Helped me get the big picture of what we need to set up a business • Help me work with other groups, I am at least 25% more effective on my job • Retooled me to address business questions not just production • Since just starting on my job gave me the tools to work with clients • Big help with contacts from other agencies

17. Agribusiness Certification and Training (ACT) • ACT is follow up to the CBO training • Invited past CBO participants to attend • Need for one business planning curriculum • With CBO developed our own • Reviewed four curriculum • What other agencies and organizations doing similar work? • Sponsored by Southern Risk Management Center and Tobacco Trust Foundation

18. Agribusiness Certification and Training (ACT) • The goal of the ACT training is to establish a group of extension agents and others who will serve a business development resource in their district. • Certify core group in a NXLeveL business planning curriculum • Teams develop a business planning practicum • Develop NxLevel business

19. ACT Training

20. Agribusiness Certification and Training (ACT) • SBTDC Small Business Technology Center • The Small Business and Technology Development Center is committed to providing knowledge, education and other supportive resources that enable existing small and mid-sized businesses, emerging entrepreneurs and local/state leaders to innovate and succeed.  • Was a natural fit for NC Extension.

21. What Are We Doing? • Extension business development teams in five districts • Developing a business plan practicum • Conduct NXLevel business planning workshops in cooperation with SCTDC regional offices • Business development referrals

22. Examples of Current Efforts • Two training workshops 33 people were certified to use Nxlevel materials. • Five business planning workshop planned for 2009 • Marketing research and business start up activities • Prawns Growers • Pie Business

23. What We Have Learned? • No one organization has all the answers • It take time to develop confidence in a new partner • Personalities may get in the way • Because it did not work in the past does not mean it will not work now • Understand what success means to each organization

24. Failed Business Strategies I cuss, you cuss, we all cuss for asparagus