Catskill WoodNet News: Finanancing Your Business

May 2013

Letter from the Editor

Spring has sprung in the Catskills, and with everything growing again, now's a great time to plant the seeds that will take your business to the next level. We're offering two opportunities to help you do just that. First up, "Financing Your Business" is a workshop that will help you improve your pitch to financial institutions. You'll hear from actual lenders about what they're looking for and get to interact both with them and your fellow business owners to share experiences seeking capital. Second, we've started vendor recruitment for our online store, Pure Catskills Marketplace, which will open this summer.

I hope you will join us for both of these opportunities to grow your business and improve your profits.

Enjoy!

Wood Products Utilization and Marketing Specialist

Watershed Agricultural Council Forestry Program

(607) 865-7790 ext. 112

jvanbrakle@nycwatershed.org

Financing Your Business Workshops

Sooner or later, most businesses need financing. Whether you're starting up, looking to expand, or need a line of credit to help with cashflow, financing is a part of life for small business. Getting it can be challenging though, especially when you work in the farm and wood sectors. Financial institutions often see these companies as riskier investments. That means if you want financing, you'll have to work extra hard to convince lenders to take you seriously. This workshop will help you learn what financial institutions look for in loan applications. It will also include a forum period where you can ask questions of lenders, share your experiences seeking loans, and hear from other business owners about how they have approached financing challenges.

Who should come: This workshop is targeted at farmers, food businesses, and wood products companies such as loggers, sawmills, and manufacturers, but any business owner will find the information useful. Speakers include Sam Kandel of the Small Business Development Center, Barbara Puglisi of the Catskill Watershed Corporation, and Ryan Hrobuchak and Robert Yurkewecz from Farm Credit East. For loggers, the workshop has been approved for ½ TLC continuing education credit.

Where and when: The same workshop will be offered twice -

Sullivan County
July 10th, 4:30 - 8 PM
Sullivan County Soil and Water Conservation District building
64 Ferndale-Loomis Road
Liberty, NY 12754

Otsego County
July 11th, 4:30 - 8 PM
Brooks House of BBQ
5560 State Route 7
Oneonta, NY 13820

Cost: $20 per person, which includes dinner (yes, a Brooks BBQ dinner for those attending that one!)

To register: Register online using our Event Brite electronic sign-up for Oneonta or Liberty or call Columbia/Greene County CCE at 518-622-9820.

Questions? Email Josh VanBrakle or call 607-865-7790x112. Event directions are available on the Event Brite pages.

We look forward to seeing you there!

*In addition to the Council's funders - the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Forest Service - this workshop is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. We would also like to thank Brooks House of BBQ and the Sullivan County Soil and Water Conservation District for allowing us to use their facilities.

Pure Catskills Marketplace

Our online store, Pure Catskills Marketplace, is now recruiting farm, food, and wood products companies interested in selling their products over the Internet. Businesses that produce any of these products in Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, or Ulster Counties are eligible to participate. The Marketplace will be launching this summer. This is a great opportunity for you to expand into new markets, take advantage of low-cost marketing, and gain experience in online sales. You can learn more about the store, see screenshots, and explore the benefits of participating by checking out this video.

Want to get started on the Marketplace? Simply fill out this application and send it in. A Marketplace team member will contact you.

Your privacy is very important to us; therefore we will not sell, rent, or give your name or email address to anyone. And, you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of every Catskill WoodNet News.

Catskill WoodNet and the Pure Catskills branding campaign are economic initiatives of the Watershed Agricultural Council. The Watershed Agricultural Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to support the economic viability of agriculture and forestry through the protection of water quality and the promotion of land conservation in the New York City Watershed region. The WAC is supported by the U.S. Forest Service, The New York City Department of Environmental Protection, U.S.D.A and other sources. The Watershed Agricultural Council is an equal opportunity employer and provider.