Minnesota Ag Connection - Business Basics 101 Workshop Registration Open

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Business Basics 101 Workshop Registration Open
Minnesota Ag Connection - 06/23/2017

Artists, makers and growers as small business entrepreneurs are invited to attend a free educational workshop to learn business planning basics led by Julie Anderholm of Central Lakes College.

The Art of the Entrepreneur: Business Basics for Growers, Makers & Artists will take place July 11 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Sprout Growers & Makers Marketplace, 609 13th Ave NE, Door 8, Little Falls. Anderholm will discuss business image, marketing musts, business structure, financing, tools and resources needed to run a successful business, and more. Registration is open via Eventbrite (link). Facebook event is here.

Additional upcoming workshops this year will focus on marketing and career planning. The workshops are co-created with artists, growers, and local experts; prospective participants can request the type of education needed to build their businesses via a short online survey on the Sprout website. Community participation, as central to placemaking efforts, is encouraged throughout the planning process to ensure workshops cater to their specific needs in Central Minnesota.

Workshop goals are to increase access to technical assistance and resources for growers and makers to build their business capacity and profitability; connect and equip local artists to obtain leadership roles that can lead to further placemaking in the region and commissioned work opportunities; develop deeper understanding of good farming practices; fuel succession planning that increases economic prosperity, etc. Throughout the next three years, Sprout will host 14 leadership and business classes and trainings funded by an ArtPlace America creative placemaking grant awarded to Region Five Development Commission.

In May, Sprout hosted this year's second workshop "Grant Writing & Evaluation for Artists, Growers, and Makers" with Linda Holliday from Impact Minnesota and Stacey Stockdill from EnSearch. Attendees learned about prospective funders in the region, what grant reviewers want to understand about applicants and their proposed projects, preparing budget estimates and timelines, and more.

To register for a workshop or for schedule updates and additions, visit www.SproutMN.com or the Sprout Facebook page.

Anderholm completed her Bachelors of Science and Masters of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management with an emphasis in Accounting and Finance. She worked as a healthcare finance professional in the areas of auditing and financial forecasting for both Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and Aetna Insurance. She began independent financial consulting through the Small Business Development Center in Rochester, Minnesota and for the past 22 years with the SBDC in Brainerd, MN. She consults with small businesses concentrating on financial analysis and forecasting as well as general business information. In the past year, she has also taken on independent financial consulting roles with various entities, both for-profit and non-profit.

Julie is active at the Brainerd YMCA as a fitness instructor. She also serves on the Finance Committee for the YMCA. She was a previous board member for the Crossing Arts Alliance, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the arts and the Lakes Area Youth Soccer Association. Julie is an active member of Lutheran Church of the Cross, where she has served as a Sunday School teacher, Confirmation Leader and Mentor. She resides in Nisswa with her husband and has three children.

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