Wanted:  Ag and Natural Resources Entrepreneurs to Help Revitalize Maryland’s Rural Communities!

Have you ever had a fleeting thought of starting a business or new enterprise but raked it from your mind thinking it would never work?  Did you think your family and friends wouldn’t support you or were you lost because you had no idea where to start? If so, your thoughts were no different than those of other people who decided to go with the idea of becoming a business owner, revamping an existing business, or adding on a new enterprise.

Entrepreneurs question the status quo; they recognize opportunities for addressing needs, problems, and wants that others may not see.  They are the backbone of every community’s economy. As the Small Business Administration noted we are moving into an “entrepreneurial age.”  If current trends continue, it has been estimated that one out of every four rural citizens will be self-employed by 2015.

Entrepreneurs are risk-takers. They are no different than farmers who plant crops every year not knowing for sure what the yields will be; not knowing the affects of weather or market conditions on the family income. But, they differ in that they can manage some of the risks of starting a new business with guidance from other successful farmers and a well vetted business plan.

The University of Maryland Extension, with assistance from a Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Community Development Grant, has developed new inter-active support and resources for Maryland’s Ag and Natural Resources Entrepreneurs.

This website module is organized into three tabbed panels of information and resources including this Overview, Coaching, and Additional Resources. We hope this new module will provide you with assistance during the process of developing your business..

Best wishes for a successful enterprise!

Maryland Ag & Natural Resources Entrepreneurial Coaches’ Assistance Program and Directory

Entrepreneurs are made, not born.  They can be developed to their full potential when provided training, a support network, and access to resources.  Entrepreneurs are by nature individualists who want to learn from other successful entrepreneurs and peers.  But, they need to have someone designated as a sounding board for ideas, dreams, and someone who can provide a trustworthy “reality check” during the business planning process.  Working with an agricultural “entrepreneur coach,” someone who can listen and advise budding agricultural and rural entrepreneurs, is an important component of any entrepreneurship program. This coach will help strengthen the process of business planning.

Maryland Ag & Natural Resources Entrepreneurial Coaches’ Assistance Program provides entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a trained agriculture service provider.  The goal of coaching sessions is to sound-out business ideas or expansion plans and received realistic and timely consul on how to proceed.  The bottom line: a coach can help the entrepreneur save time and money.  The Entrepreneurial Coaches available are well-trained volunteer leaders who come from a variety of backgrounds including agribusiness, professional services, Extension, community and economic development, and education.

To the right is a link to the Maryland’s Ag & Natural Resources Entrepreneur Coaches Assistance Program and Directory.  This resource is available for free after a short survey of 6 questions. Your feedback helps greatly in designing new resources and making improvements to this website. Once downloaded, use the directory to contact a coach that best fits your type of business and schedule an appointment for a coaching session.

Answer six short questions about your enterprise and download the Maryland Extension Entrepreneurial Coaching Directory for free!

Maryland Extension
Entrepreneurial
Coaching Directory

And for the Coach:
Agricultural Entrepreneurship Coaching Guide