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Business Planning Resources

Hands-on Assistance and Classes


ATTRA’s 8-course business planning series (link)
Blue Tree Strategies offers business planning and project financing advice to sustainable small businesses, and is developing a small farms specialization. (link)
Microenterprise Resources Initiative and Training (MERIT) at Chemeketa Community College provides entrepreneurial training to Hispanic and other aspiring entrepreneurs in the Woodburn area through the Mid-Willamette Valley Latino Microenterprise Development Program. (link)
Portland State University’s Business Outreach Program — provides technical assistance and business consulting services to locally-owned, small businesses. (link)
SCORE — a nonprofit composed of retired professionals who offer free counseling on business issues, as well as a workshop series for a cost. (link)
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. (read more)
Small Business Management Program at Chemeketa Community College provides a combination of classroom training, one-on-one business counseling, and business-to-business support and networking. (read more)

Creating a Business Entity


Farm Commons‘ resources, including how to create an LLC. (link)
Chart of Business Forms: Compare the pros and cons LLCs, Corporations, Sole Proprietorship and more. (link)
LLC Creation Checklist. (link)
IC-DISC corporations which may have substantial tax savings for farmers who export crops. Download here: IC-DISC_Oregon_FINAL_KJD- (link)

Farm Cooperatives


A brief introduction to Agricultural Co-ops from OSU Extension. (link)
Cooperative Farming: Frameworks for Farming Together, from National Young Farmers Coalition. (link)
USDA Cooperative Assistance Programs, Oregon Office. (link)
Northwest Cooperative Development Center — a regional non-profit (link)
USDA Rural Cooperatives Magazine — a free publication. (link)
Current Issues in Cooperative Finance and Government — S 205-page study by James Baarda. (link)
University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives (read more)
National Cooperative Business Association — A co-op trade group. (link)
CDS Consulting Co-op — A group dedicated to helping new food co-ops. (link)
Taxation of Co-operatives and their Patrons (read more)
Stronger Together — A consumer website developed by the National Cooperative Grocers Association. (link)
Lights, Camera, Co-ops — An ongoing video series of co-op stories from around the USA. (link)
Articles of incorporation and bylaws for two interesting multi-stakeholder cooperatives: Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative and Fifth Season Cooperative. (link)

Business Planning


Building a Sustainable Business: A guide to developing a business plan for farms and rural businesses. (link)
Business Plan Checklist. Download here: Business-Plan-Check-List-2007. (link)
Growing Farms: Successful Whole Farm Management Planning Book is extensive information on whole-farm management. (link)
AgTools, OSU’s free online computer programs that help farmers make strategic, long-term decisions on a whole farm basis. (link)
Cash flow Powerpoint. Download here: Training-on-Cash-Flow-2 (link)
Ag Risk Education Library — Insurance Information & Crop-Specific Enterprise Budgets. (link)
Friends of Family Farmers provides these resources solely for educational purposes. Friends of Family Farmers neither favors nor endorses any of the organizations listed on this website, nor are they responsible for any incorrect information that is listed on the hyperlinked external sites.

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