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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) — partnership primarily between government colleges/universities and the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provides educational servies for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. (link)
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 information on Business Structures and 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)
Farmers who export crops can file as IC-DISCs, which may have substantial tax savings. Find more information here. (link)

Farm Cooperatives


A Brief Introduction to Agricultural Co-ops from OSU (link)
Cooperative Farming: Frameworks for Farming Together is a Greenhorns Guidebook with an introduction to the many models and possibilities of cooperative farming. (link)
USDA Cooperative Assistance Programs, Oregon Office. (link)
Northwest Cooperative Development Center – a regional non-profit with cooperative resources, information about models, internships, and more. (link)
USDA Rural Cooperatives Magazine — a free publication. (link)
Current Issues in Cooperative Finance and Government – a 205 page background and discussion by James Baarda of the USDA. (link)
University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives (read more)
National Cooperative Business Association — A co-op trade group. (link)
Columinate is a national consulting cooperative serving various mission-driven organizations, including food co-ops and nonprofits. (link)
Taxation of Co-operatives and their Patrons (read more)
Welcome to the Table – 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)
Bylaws for Fifth Season Cooperative. (link)

Business Planning


Building a Sustainable Business: A guide to developing a business plan for farms and rural businesses. (link)
Download our Business Plan Checklist here. (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)
PowerPoint presentation overviewing basic record keeping, cash flow and other financial records. (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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