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February 8, 2022 - Virtual Winter 2022 Workshop Series: Tips for Food and Farm Business Success
Learn tips for running and growing a successful food business from specialists and entrepreneurs!
This no-cost series of online trainings is for small-scale food business entrepreneurs. Designed as a four-part series, the trainings will cover best practices in social media and marketing, strategies for overcoming labor challenges, collaborative marketing and distribution options, and an introduction to GrowthWheel, a tool to guide small business development. While based at UW-Madison Extension, this series is open to all. All sessions will be delivered via Zoom. Registration is required. Participants who register will be emailed a link to archived program materials.
Best Practices in Social Media & Marketing
Monday March 7th 10 a.m. (10-11:15 a.m.)
Social media creates numerous opportunities for you to get the word out about your business. While the marketing opportunities might be limitless, you only have so much time. Learn how to effectively use social media to share your business's story and turn your followers into return customers.
Strategies for Overcoming Labor Challenges through Improvements to Workplace Culture
Monday March 14th 10 a.m. (10-11:15 a.m.)
Labor issues have become one of the biggest challenges facing many food and farm businesses during the pandemic. This workshop will draw on research and best practices from human resources to help you learn ways to hire and retain employees through improvements in management and workplace culture.
Exploring Collaborative Marketing and Distribution Options: A Panel Perspective
Monday March 21st 10 a.m. (10-11:15 a.m.)
While supply chains have gained increased focus over the past several years, they have been a key challenge for food entrepreneurs for much longer. This workshop will feature Wisconsin businesses that operate co-production spaces and/or collaboratively market and distribute products for multiple local food producers and processors. Tips for success will be shared by Christine's Kitchen in Madison, Farmer's Best in Green Bay, and Central Rivers Farmshed in Stevens Point.
Indigenous Commercial Fishing: Developing Culturally Relevant Jobs and a Healthy Food Source
Monday March 28th 10 a.m. (10-11:15 a.m.)
Many tribes in northern Wisconsin rely on fish caught in regional lakes and rivers as an important traditional food. We will hear what two Wisconsin tribes are doing to start and expand their tribally operated commercial fishing operations to not only increase the availability of healthy food for tribal communities, but increase culturally relevant and sustainable jobs for tribal members.
An Introduction to Growth Wheel: A Tool to Guide Small Business Development
Monday April 4th 10 a.m. (10-11:15 a.m.)
This workshop will utilize the Business Advising Program "GrowthWheel" to highlight key areas of business development that food entrepreneurs can integrate to start or grow their businesses. In this workshop, we introduce aspects of a food entrepreneur's (1) Business Concept, (2) Operational Set Up, (3) Organizational Processes, and (4) Customer Relationships. Participants will be emailed 4 "Decision Sheets" that they can fill out during the live Zoom session.
Register Here
For more information contact ndemarsh@wisc.edu or visit this website.
