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 Prepare county 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