Maps help us navigate the world, and they not only show us how to get from point A to point B, but, depending on the type of map, they can also help us to see where patterns, clusters, and gaps exist in a spatial environment. As part of KCARD’s state-wide Local Food System Expansion Initiative, a series of interactive maps has been developed to visualize the Kentucky local food system. Stay tuned for parts two and three of the series in the next few weeks. We will present a closer look into local food sales in Kentucky and the various industries that make up the local food system.
Mark it down as a problem that businesses had before COVID that has only gotten worse in the pandemic: finding and retaining workers. As a result, a lot of businesses are having to think creatively about their operations from start to finish to figure out how to handle this challenge. We were recently asked about how to do just that. Check out this blog post to learn more.
Creating a business plan is an important first step in developing and maintaining a viable business. The business plan lays out a variety of aspects of your business for you, from the official name of your business to who will post on social media and anything in between. Business plans help you communicate your vision for your business in an organized way that can also hold you accountable to the goals you establish.
As an agricultural business owner, it’s inevitable that you will be asked the question “what do you do?” by a wide variety of people, such as potential customers, investors, or even competitors. You might be asked at a school event, community gathering, or even while at the grocery store. Having a clear answer to this question can help you make new relationships that will help your business.
Keeping records is VITAL to your business. It helps you measure your growth (or decline), see what is costing you the most, and give you an idea of how much money you have at a given time. A business owner must think about how they can best keep records to ensure the system will be useful. In this blog post, KCARD outlines the three different types of recordkeeping systems.
“I need a feasibility study.” Maybe. When we hear these words at KCARD, we are going to want to know a lot more about your business and what you want to do with it.
You’ve made your first hire, gotten all the paperwork and file systems in place, and are ready to start training employees. How do you set yourself and your employee up for success? Below are some key points to focus on to make sure both parties have a successful experience.
When you first find a grant program that could fit your interests, your main source of information will typically be a document called the “Request for Applications”, also called the “RFA” or in federal programs, a “Notice of Funding Availability” or “NOFA”. This document is key in determining if a grant is a good fit for you or your organization and can easily surpass 40 pages in length. While you will need to read the entire document eventually, we suggest reviewing the following sections first:
FOMO. Yet another acronym that I had to learn from someone much younger than me. FOMO = Fear of Missing Out. It’s the term associated with people incessantly checking their phones, worried about missing out on the latest news about a celebrity, politics, an earthquake on the other side of the world, your friends’ vacation pics or missing out on experiencing something they are only learning about because of the phone in their hand.
In October and November, KCARD hosted a 6-week webinar series to help people work on their business and figure out what funding resources are out there that are good fits. Below are our top 5 takeaways from the series.
Spencer Guinn, one of KCARD’s business development specialists, took some time to answer a few questions about himself and one of KCARD’s new services, AutoCAD drawings.
The Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development is a non-profit organization established to facilitate agricultural and rural businesses in Kentucky. We are supported primarily through grants provided by the USDA Rural Cooperative Development Program and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board. Additional support is provided through our work with partners around the state and through fees charged for select client services.
