🚀 Join CAIC to celebrate Delmarva agriculture at Producers Unveiled 2024! Register now. 🌱📈

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Start Your Business Journey Here

Ready to take the first step toward your agribusiness goals? CAIC is proud to present the Producers Startup Program: a free course designed for farmers, value-added producers, and entrepreneurs. From doing effective market research to formally establishing your company, and from avoiding pitfalls to raising capital, you’ll build a foundation for success. 

During the six-week program, our instructor will blend educational information, real-world value-added producer experience, and developing an entrepeurnial mindset to help guide you through all of the decisions involved in opening a business. 

At the end, you’ll graduate with a business model that can easily be converted into a full business plan. 

Register for the January 8th Cohort

THE PROGRAM EXPERIENCE

Start with an idea, and set yourself up for success with the Producers Startup Program.

  • A comprehensive curriculum, starting with the basics. Learn to better understand and define your target market, highlight your competitive advantages, and connect with customers. The instructor will also walk you through developing the entrepreneurial mindset, common funding challenges and strategies for overcoming them, as well as the legal, regulatory, and contract considerations for new businesses.

  • Build the right business plan, and learn from the experts. Our instructors have experience starting and running successful companies, and they’re here to help you craft the right business plan. Each week, you’ll also hear from regional value-added producers about their business journeys and challenges.  And you can request a one-on-one coaching call to get further feedback and answers.

  • Ask questions, and test out your ideas. Class sessions are interactive, and give you lots of opportunities to bring your own challenges and questions to instructors. Along with your fellow cohort members, you’ll also be encouraged to brainstorm and workshop your business ideas, and get valuable feedback.

  • A wealth of resources to tap into. With each cohort capped at just 15 participants, you’ll have the chance to connect with and learn from entrepreneurs at similar growth stages. Through CAIC and our partner organizations, you’ll also learn about the numerous resources available to agricultural entrepreneurs and value-added producers in our region—from funding opportunities to support with market research.

Program Schedule

  • What makes a Successful Entrepreneur?  What is an Entrepreneurial Mindset?

     

  • Idea generation. What do you want to do?

     

  • Understanding/analyzing your market and customers. Who are your customers, and what do they need? How big is your market? What are the latest trends?
  • Defining your competitive advantage. Why is your product better than all of the others on the market? How will you articulate that message, and how will you convey it to your customers?

     

  • Building business and operations plans. What are the elements of a strong business plan?

     

  • Articulating your mission and vision. How do they connect to your business goals?

 

  • Analyzing Your Strengths and Team.  How do you use the Five Forces Model and SWOT Analysis to understand you, your team, and business environment?
  • Basics of lean operations and experimentation. Understand the components of the lean model canvas—what does it involve, and how can you create one for your company?

     

  • Experimenting and testing products. Learn to navigate the minimum viable product stages, set up experiments, and test ideas.
  • Creating a business model canvas. Understand the components, and build a canvas for your business.

     

  • Planning for profitability. How can you make your business more profitable

 

  • Balance sheet basics. How do you navigate balance sheets and forecast cash flow?

 

  • Learn about LivePlan.  A cloud-based business and financial planning tool.
  • Beyond Balance Sheets.  How do you handle expenses and prepare budgets?

 

  • Financial Ratios.  How do you use them to manage the business?

     

  • Building Your Budget.  So you can draft your financial and business plans.
  • Understanding and navigating common business challenges. What problems do small businesses typically face, and how can they be managed?

     

  • Financing your business successfully. What are some of the different options available to founders? How can you most effectively manage your company’s finances
     
  • Understanding contracts. Learn about the different types of contracts, and the legal and regulatory requirements business owners have to consider.

     

  • Understanding market segmentation, targeting, and positioning. Learn why they’re important, and how to execute them for your company.

 

  • Pitching your business. Learn to perfect your pitch.

Who’s Eligible?

CAIC hosts multiple Startup Program cohorts throughout the year, with each capped at 15 participants. To qualify, participants must meet the following criteria:

Be a farmer, value-added producer, or food-industry entrepreneur with a company anywhere from the idea stage to the startup stage

Operate your business in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, or D.C.

Testimonials

“Being a small business owner means making a lot of decisions; working with CAIC was a good decision. It has given me both the access to technical & financial resources and the confidence required to level up my business during uncertain times.”
Gayle GalbraithFounder/CEO of The Federal Brewing Company
Gayle Galbraith
“Croppers Farm was greatly helped by participation in the Ag Innovation Center programs last year. The timely, relevant, and important information provided was spot on. It was well worth our time and priced right! In these tough times we need all the help we can get. We got it from them.”
Tom CropperOwner of Sweet Gnome
Tom Cropper
The Business Solutions for Value-Added Producers course offered by the Chesapeake Ag Innovation Center is a great tool for producers to add to their toolboxes. Speakers covered such topics as writing business plans, funding sources and brand positioning, all important information when starting and building a value-added agriculture business. Organizers encouraged interaction among classmates and continued work on social media marketing, which added to the curriculum, followed by the opportunity to apply for a business grant. Anyone in the process of or considering a value-added enterprise should check out the CAIC and the value-added course.
Laurie Savage Owner of Brown Cow Creamery
I attended the seminars offered by the CAIC and they were very helpful with ideas to expand our small farm business. Hearing from other business owners was also invaluable information. The contacts I made with the seminar leaders is a great future resource. They have already answered a lot of my questions and I gave me links to find information on grants, social media help and other resources.
Liz Dodson Owner of The Kombucha Lady
Living rurally presents an excellent opportunity to operate a small farm, but produces an additional challenge for me since I have limited access to resources and customers. CAIC has been an integral part of my growth and development in the first year of business. They have connected me with resources and many other value-added food producers in my area.
Rhonda TomkoOwner of Little Hoof Farm
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HOW TO ENROLL

The first step to enrolling in the Startup Program is to fill out the registration form linked below. After submitting the form, you’ll receive an email from our Operations Manager, Suzanne Hogan, with next steps, including your welcome call. Approved participants will then be added to the class list, and will receive further details about the program start date and other course logistics.

For more information, please contact Suzanne at suzanne@caic.org.

REGISTER NOW

Participant Commitment

  • During the six-week program, you’ll be expected to attend weekly Zoom workshop sessions. 
  • You’ll also be responsible for completing the weekly hands-on homework assignments.
Register for the Next Cohort

MINI-GRANTs

Mini-Grants up to $5,000 are available for:
– Market Research and Validation of Target Market
– Customer Acquisition
– Product Development Initiatives
– Food Safety Classes
Eligibility
Value-added producers and companies with traction ($20,000 or more in yearly revenue) in Maryland and Delaware are eligible to apply for Mini-Grants. Participants may apply once for each of the categories. Applicants must demonstrate that they have a unique and differentiated product or service that incorporates an aspect of innovation or technology in its production, processing, distribution, or other element of the food supply system.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Award decisions will be made and funds will be available no later than three weeks following the receipt of a completed application.
Application Process
Applicants must submit Mini-Grant proposals by filling out the form at this link. Copy(ies) of quote(s), proposal(s), estimate(s), or any other supporting documents.

MINI GRANT APPLICATION

ACCESS TO SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS (SMES)

CAIC offers access to Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who can offer authoritative advice based on their deep knowledge and experience in a specific area. See the ADVISORS page of this Web site to learn more about the SMEs who are available to CAIC participants.

Register For The CAIC