What services does REN provide rural families or rural alliances?

REN provides many services to rural entrepreneurs including:

• workshops designed specifically to train rural entrepreneurs
• a portfolio of hundreds of rural businesses opportunities
• networking, education, and support of rural entrepreneurs in FRED meetings that are free-of-charge and with monthly FRED mailings
• determining entrepreneurial aptitude - exercise
• assistance with rural business start ups in overcoming obstacles
• a website, lending library, and other resources
• a broad referral network of rural economic development experts
• help with tough issues, such as risk management, funding, planning, marketing, zoning, and other legal regulations
• one-on-one consultations via appointment basis
• low-cost options for business websites and branding packages
• assistance with outreach to youth entrepreneurs

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Newsletter
The Rural Entrepreneur Network has developed a semi-annual newsletter. This newsletter contains recent news about the Rural Entrepreneur Network, REN workshops, and the Shrimp Farmers Alliance. Please click on the link provided to view this newsletter – REN Newsletter- Spring/Summer 2008 (available in PDF format).

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Workshops

Attend the REN Workshops! 

REN offers a series of workshops for those who are considering starting a business. These informal workshops include:

1) “Start Your Own Rural Business”
• Presents multiple business opportunities
• Provides diagnostic testing to determine entrepreneur characteristics
• Offers critical business start-up skill development and training

2) Small Business Marketing – “BIG BANG for Small Bucks”
• Offers cost effective methods to promote your small business
• Concentrates on 11 specific low-cost promotional tools

Each workshop is a professional workshop offered for a fraction of the actual cost, due to a grant provided by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. Please contact the office for details regarding upcoming workshops.

If you would like to attend a workshop or have one or more of these workshops offered in your community, contact the REN office by calling 317-290-3250 or email us at hhrcd@hhrcd.org.

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One-On-One Consulting Sessions

REN offers rural entrepreneurs the chance to meet with the REN Director, Jim Roudebush, to receive assistance in starting a business or in the early stages of their business. Jim Roudebush is an entrepreneur from Central Indiana with a rural background. For more information about the consulting session or to schedule an appointment with Jim, contact the REN office by calling 317-290-3250 or email us at hhrcd@hhrcd.org.

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Business Products

REN is excited to present a branding package and website offering for your small business. Click on the Branding Package or Website Package below for more details.

Branding Package – What is branding? It is developing a unique image for your company with a name, logo, design, and tagline that creates personality and a positive emotional connection with the customer. Branding provides a professional image for your company by giving increased customer appeal (click on the PDF link provided for more information on the Branding Package).

Website Package – REN provides a website presence that will enable your company to enhance its total marketing effort (click on the PDF link provided for more information on the Website Package).

The funds generated by these services go directly back into the project to make other services and materials affordable.

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Business Portfolio

Types of Rural Enterprises or Businesses

If you want to start your own business, but need some ideas for where to begin, you may be interested in considering some alternative enterprises that are not in the commodity market. The key in choosing a business is to find something that you and your family enjoy and feel connected to, where you can use both your rural property and skills.

REN has divided business enterprises in the following four groups for you to consider and explore:

For more information, please click on the appropriate topic below:
• Alternative Crops
• Alternative Livestock
• Agri-Tourism
• Rural Non-Ag Business (services and products to suburban and urban residents)

For more information, go to www.nrcs.usda.gov.

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Business and Entrepreneurial Training and Development

If you are interested in or already are a rural entrepreneur, you have many resources available to help you achieve success in your business. Whether your current need is to determine a specific business, enhance a business, or develop a business plan that will weigh your expenses against your projected income to determine profit prospects or problems with legal, regulatory, insurance or lending…there are many websites and groups ready to come to your aid.

Visit the following websites (or contact REN) if you need assistance:

• Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs

• Business Plan Development (Agricultural Innovation & Commercialization Center)

• Alternative Business Ideas Or Agri-Tourism

• USDA Loan Programs – Farm Service Agency or Rural Development

• Starting A New Business (Purdue New Ventures)

• Collaborative Enterprise Development (Indiana Cooperative Development Center)

• Small Farms Resources, Alternative Crops, Agri Tourism, and more – Contact your local County Extension Service Office. Find their office at: http://www.ces.purdue.edu/counties.htm

• Conservation, Soils, and Other Natural Resources – Contact your local County Soil and Water Conservation District Office. Find their location at: http://www.in.gov/isda/2394.htm

• Local or County Economic Development Director

• Indiana Small Business Development Centers

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Business Plans

Please click on the link provided to view and print out a sample one-page business plan that you can use for your business (available in PDF Format). If you have little or no experience with business plans, this is a great way to get your thoughts organized.

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Marketing Plan Template

Please click on the link provided to view and print out a sample Marketing Plan Template that you can use for your business (available in PDF Format). This simple plan can help you on the road to promoting your services and products.

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