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Overview
Are you working to get ahead in program design and impact? Learn from leaders in the field and gain wisdom from others to enhance your educational agendas! This professional development training will help you build business outreach skills, and create high performance programming for home-based, farm-based, rural retail, and value-added small or micro businesses.

Training Goal
The goal of this training is to sharpen your business skills so you can effectively assist entrepreneurs in building profitable enterprises in rural communities.

Registration
Registration is limited. The training begins on Tuesday, September 2 at 3 p.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 6. Tuesday through Friday sessions adjourn at 5 p.m., leaving evenings free.

The registration fee is $195. This fee covers all training materials, instructor costs and meeting expenses. Checks should be made payable to the Southern Rural Development Center. Registration refunds will be made for cancellations made three working days prior to the training. If you have questions or need additional information, contact Bonnie Teater.

7
 To register by Fax
Print the registration form, include purchase order or credit card information and fax to Bonnie Teater at (662) 325-8915.
   
-
 To register by Mail
Print the registration form and return it with a check, money order, purchase order or credit card information. Make checks payable to Southern Rural Development Center (Federal ID #64-6000819). Mail to: Southern Rural Development Center, Box 9656, Mississippi State, MS 39762.
   
8
 To register Online
Complete the secure online registration form, include credit card information and click submit.

Lodging
The Business Skills Training will be held at the La Mansion del Rio Hotel, 112 College Street, San Antonio, Texas 78205. The hotel is located in the heart of San Antonio, overlooking the historic River Walk and within walking distance of the Alamo, the Convention Center and the Rivercenter Mall. Its intimate Old World charm mingles with the excitement and energy of an international city.

A block of rooms has been reserved in the same of "Southern Rural Development Center." Rates are $91 single/double if booked by the priority date of Monday, August 4, 2003. Reservation requests received after the cutoff date will be accepted on a space available basis at the prevailing rate. Participants should make their own reservations by calling the hotel directly at (210) 518-1000 or toll free at (800) 292-7300.

Training Agenda September 2003

  Tuesday 2
3:00 p.m.

General Session

  • Dave Kohl, Professor of Agricultural Finance and Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  • Chester Fehlis, Director, Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University System
   
  Wednesday 3
8:00 a.m.

Marketing
= Assessing the Market
= Market Research
= Advertising
= E-Commerce Strategies

  • Kent Wolfe, Marketing Specialist, University of Georgia
  • John Toman, Director of Information Technology, University of Tennessee
  • Beth Duncan, Small Business Specialist and Extension Professor, Mississippi State University
   
  Thursday 4
8:00 a.m. Financials
= Creating a Financial Plan
= Understanding/Analysis of Financial Statements
= Making Business Decision from Financial Statements
= Understanding Financial Ratios
= Pricing
  • Richard Outcalt, Outcalt & Johnson: Retail Strategists, LLC
  • Patricia Johnson, Outcalt & Johnson: Retail Strategists, LLC
  • Greg Passewitz, Professor Emeritus, Ohio State University
   
  Friday 5
8:00 a.m.

Business Operations
= Developing a Business Plan
= Developing Partnerships

  • Alan Barefield, Associate Director, Southern Rural Development Center
  • Jim McConnon, Extension Business and Economics Specialist and Associate Professor, University of Maine
  • Betty Emarita, President, IACED
  • Patricia Harris, Executive Director and CEO, Cobb Microenterprise Center
   
  Saturday 6
8:30 a.m. Customer Service
  • Patty Rai Smith, Associate Extension Professor and Home Based and Micro Business Specialist, Cooperative Extension,University of Kentucky
  • Barbara Cunningham, Business Specialist, University Outreach & Extension/Missouri Small Business Development Center

Sponsors
This training is sponsored by the Southern Rural Development Center and the Cooperative Extension Service Home-Based & Micro Business Design Team through a grant to encourage the development of business skills among USDA service providers.

(partial support--granting agency)

The Southern Rural Development Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status.