Business Planning
Whether beginning or expanding your farm enterprise, a solid business plan is essential for testing viable business ideas and financing your business. While each farm is unique and must take the specific land, products, production techniques and marketing sector under analysis, the agriculture sector has specific resources for business planning including hands-on courses, guides, and templates.
Workshops
Business Impact Northwest
The Food Business Resource Center - FBRC - is a one-stop-shop for Washington State food entrepreneurs to access skills, resources, networks, and marketplace opportunities needed to start, run, and grow a successful food-related business.
A program of Business Impact NW, The Food Business Resource Center is proud to work with many partner organizations including farmers groups, kitchen incubators, regional food system initiatives, public agencies, eaters, and other businesses throughout Washington State to bring together our robust network.
Resources include:
- King County Farm Business Support and Technical Assistance Program
- Free One-on-One Business Coaching for King County farm businesses and King County food businesses that source primarily from King County farmers.
- Financial Management Boot Camp for Food Businesses
- On-Demand Courses about topics such as packaged foods and farm e-commerce
Washington State University
Washington State University’s award-winning Cultivating Success Agricultural Entrepreneurship course is an in-depth business planning course which covers:
- evaluating resources,
- planning and research,
- legal and management issues,
- marketing strategies,
- budgets and financial statements and
- cultivating money resources.
Participants produce a completed business plan by completion of course. Farmers and small business resource providers serve as guest speakers, bringing real world experience to the class. Students complete a business plan that they can take to the bank.
Northwest Agricultural Business Center (NABC)
- Classes and Workshops - Scheduled throughout the year on topics such as business planning, access to capital, financing strategies and plans, value-added product development and marketing.
- One-On One Consulting - NABC's fee-based technical assistance provides farm clients with "hand's-on" business plan review and development, preparation of capital and financing strategies and plans, value-added product development and marketing, project evaluations, and professional referrals.
Guides
Building a Sustainable Business
A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses
- This guide brings the business planning process alive to help today's alternative and sustainable agriculture entrepreneurs transform farm-grown inspiration into profitable enterprises. Sample worksheets lend a practical perspective and illustrate how real farm families set goals, researched processing alternatives, determined potential markets, and evaluated financing options. Blank worksheets help the reader develop a detailed, lender-ready business plan or map out strategies to take advantage of new opportunities.
- This publication is also available in the following formats:
Washington State Department of Revenue
- Start a Business Guide - Starting a new business is an exciting and challenging undertaking. Find out what you can do first to help your business succeed . Includes information on how to think about your business, legal structure, and licensing requirements.
- Business Licensing Guide Sheet - You can get a customized Business Licensing Guide Sheet just by telling us some information about the business you’re starting (for example, restaurant in Seattle). The guide sheet will include:
- Contacts for business licensing requirements.
- Forms to start your business.
Washington State
- The Small Business Guide - Provides helpful information, links to valuable resources, and outlines the steps for starting, operating, and closing a business in Washington State. The Small Business Guide is available in English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese.
Templates
ATTRA
- Agricultural Business Planning Templates and Resources - This resource list contains sources of business planning templates and further resources for agricultural enterprises. These resources include Internet and print resources as well as training courses and workshops.
Building a Sustainable Business
- A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses - Brings the business planning process alive to help today's alternative and sustainable agriculture entrepreneurs transform farm-grown inspiration into profitable enterprises. Sample worksheets lend a practical perspective and illustrate how real farm families set goals, researched processing alternatives, determined potential markets, and evaluated financing options. Blank worksheets help the reader develop a detailed, lender-ready business plan or map out strategies to take advantage of new opportunities.
This publication is also available in the following formats: