Upcoming Workshops

Launching Your Own Business Workshop - Switz City, Greene County

Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Time: Two sessions available - 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. OR 6:00 p.m. to 8:0 p.m.
Location: White River Valley High School Community Learning Center, Switz, IN

Learn how to launch your own business! Learn more from this News Release. For more information and to register, download the workshop brochure. Please contact the Hoosier Heartland RC&D office at (317) 290-3250 with any questions.

Launching Your Own Business Workshop - Osgood, Ripley County

Date: Thursday, February 18, 2010
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: REMC Training Center, 712 S. Buckeye St., Osgood, IN

Learn how to launch your own business! Learn more from this News Release. For more information and to register, download the workshop brochure. Please contact the Hoosier Heartland RC&D office at (317) 290-3250 with any questions.

About REN Workshops

REN is currently offering a “Start Your Own Business” Workshop for rural individuals who are interested in starting a business or are in the early stages of a business. The workshop content includes: How Rural Entrepreneur Network (REN) Helps Rural Business Start Ups; Characteristics of Successful Rural Entrepreneurs; Self Assessment Exercise; Available Rural Businesses; Steps in Successful Revenue and Profit Planning; Support Services for Rural Start Ups; Steps to Get Started; and more.

REN is also offering Small Business Marketing Workshops for small business owners who need help in marketing and customer development. The workshop will feature the presentation of eleven marketing power tools that can have big customer impact with a small budget. Examples include Branding, Almost-Free Advertising, plus nine more.

Contact the office (317-290-3250) for information regarding upcoming workshop locations.

2008 Rural Entrepreneur Excellence Award 

The Rural Entrepreneur Network (REN) is pleased to announce the 2008 awardees of the Rural Entrepreneur Excellence Award. The awardees are the Richardson Family (from Johnson County ) and Marsha MacPhee-Webster (from Morgan County ). These awardees were selected because of their demonstration of entrepreneurial spirit, intelligent risk-taking skills, and business success.

On May 4th, a plaque was presented to John Richardson, who received this award on behalf of himself, Bill, and Laura Richardson during the Voice Concert at the Johnson County Museum of History. In September 2005, the Richardsons successfully started a winery, the Mallow Run Winery, in Indiana . This winery was one of four featured farms in the Johnson County Cooperative Extension Service's "Farm Fest" in September 2007. Please see the attached news release, which contains more details about the Mallow Run Winery and the Richardsons ' experience ( News Release-Rural Entrepreneur Excellence Award-Mallow Run Winery ).

A plaque was presented to Marsha MacPhee-Webster of Morgan County at Hoosier Harvest Church. Marsha successfully founded the Desert Rose Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, which opened in January 2005 and has stayed full the majority of the time. Marsha is also the CEO of Webster Software Inc. and has formed a not-for-profit business called Heart N Hand LLC. Please see the attached news release, which contains more details about the Desert Rose Foundation and Marsha's experience (News Release-Rural Entrepreneur Excellence Award-Marsha MacPhee-Webster).

Congratulations to the Richardsons and Marsha!

Let REN help YOUR business… mean BUSINESS!

Join the Shrimp Farmers Alliance in South Central Indiana !

The Shrimp Farmers Alliance is a group of current and potential Shrimp and Trout Farmers. This alliance was formed to help in information sharing, cost sharing, and marketing of shrimp and trout freshwater pond farming in South Central Indiana. Tim Connor of Monrovia , Indiana is the president of the Shrimp Farmers Alliance , located in Morgan County , and is the owner of the Connor Shrimp Farm.

“As president of the alliance, I am available to explain the specifics of shrimp farming and suggest ways to get into the business effectively and efficiently. In short, to get started you need some rural land with the possibility of establishing a ½ to ¾ acre pond on it,” claims Mr. Connor.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the alliance, email us at hhrcd@hhrcd.org or call the REN office at 317-290-3250. For more information about the Shrimp Farmers Alliance, check out the REN Prawn Conference Flyer (available in PDF format).