Food Business Resource Center
The Food Business Resource Center - FBRC - one-stop-shop for Washington State food entrepreneurs to access skills, resources, networks, and marketplace opportunities needed to start, run, and grow a successful food-related business.
A program of Business Impact NW, The Food Business Resource Center is proud to work with many partner organization including farmers groups, kitchen incubators, regional food system initiatives, public agencies, eaters, and other businesses throughout Washington State to bring together our robust network.
How You Can Build Your Business With the FBRC
- Join the Packaged Foods ‘What’s Next’ OnDemand Online course (coming soon)
- Schedule an appointment with a Food Specialist Business Coach, available to help Washington State food business entrepreneurs start or grow their businesses.
- Be your best through free monthly food business tool and training webinars
- Learn More
- Register
- Join the Ready to Sell: Small Farm E-Commerce Pilot and get the expertise you need to sell farm products.
- Take part in the Financial Management Boot Camp for Food Businesses (coming Fall 2020) - a four-day boot camp created by the Food Finance Institute at the University of Wisconsin.
- Utilize food business specific resources
- Connect with food business resource partners and explore marketplace opportunities throughout Washington State.
- Watch recordings of panel discussions from Food Biz Day, March 7, 2020 - an online conference focused on providing insight, education, and networking for food entrepreneurs.
- Or, follow the paths below to get access to classes, coaching, or funding for any kind of business, from idea to launch to growth stage.
The Food Business Resource Center - FBRC - is a one-stop-shop for Washington State food entrepreneurs to access skills, resources, networks, and marketplace opportunities needed to start, run, and grow a successful food-related business.
A program of Business Impact NW, The Food Business Resource Center is proud to work with many partner organizations including farmers groups, kitchen incubators, regional food system initiatives, public agencies, eaters, and other businesses throughout Washington State to bring together our robust network.
How You Can Build Your Business With the FBRC
- King County Farm Business Support and Technical Assistance Program
- NAVIGATE: Free One-on-One Business Coaching for King County farm businesses and King County food business that source primarily from King County farmers. Sign up – Register Here
- LEARN: On-Demand Trainings, Live Classes, and Events
- CONNECT: Resources and Services
- Cost: FREE
- Contact King County Farm Business Support Specialist Neil Subhash neils@businessimpactnw.org to get connected today!
- One-on-One Business Coaching
- Business Impact NW’s Food Business Resource Center (FBRC) provides free one-on-one coaching to food and farm businesses across the region looking to start, grow, or fund their ventures. Sign up – Register Here
- Cost: FREE
- Farmer Finance - On-Demand Series
- Farmer Finance is a 3-part series aimed at providing the beginning farmer the knowledge and resources to approach their farm with a business mentality. The 3 courses covers financial management and using financial statements to track business performance, developing enterprise budgets to plan for profitable growth, and access to capital.
- Farmer Finance 101 – Building a Successful Financial Foundation
- An overview of basic financial principles and best practices to gain a better understanding of your business from a financial standpoint. Topics include accounting and bookkeeping practices, financial statements, and budgeting with a cash flow projections.
- Click Here to Register
- Farmer Finance 201 – Growing for Profit – Introduction to Enterprise Budgets
- Introduction to viewing your farm business as a collection of individual enterprises. With a focus on crop enterprises, we walk through the steps of collecting data, creating crop enterprise budgets, and how to use the data to make informed strategic decisions on your farm
- Click Here to Register
- Farmer Finance 301 – When, Why and How to Access Capital
- Like many businesses, farms require capital to get started, to operate, and to grow and expand. This course explores funding options available to farmers in different stages of business growth, what it takes to qualify for loans and how to be prepared to meet with lenders when the time comes
- Click Here to Register
- Farmer Finance 101 – Building a Successful Financial Foundation
- Cost: FREE
- Farmer Finance is a 3-part series aimed at providing the beginning farmer the knowledge and resources to approach their farm with a business mentality. The 3 courses covers financial management and using financial statements to track business performance, developing enterprise budgets to plan for profitable growth, and access to capital.
- "Ready to Sell" Farm E-Commerce - On-Demand
- The purpose of this course is to provide you with the tools and resources to develop an effective online presence through which you will be able to connect with new customers, build and maintain customer relationships, grow your individual brand identity and integrate e-commerce in to your sales plan. The course content includes insight, advice, and trainings from industry leaders and experienced business owners through recorded interviews and presentations, as well as options and information in regards to software and e-commerce platforms for farmers.The course is divided in to 4 sections, followed by a Marketing Tools section which includes additional video workshops and marketing toolkits that may be helpful in your strategic marketing plans. This is a self-paced course, and can be repeated or re-watched as needed. It is recommended to start at the beginning and work though the sections as they are presented.
- Click Here to Register
- Cost: FREE
- Packaged Foods On-Demand Online Course
- For entrepreneurs considering moving into the packaged food space or farms looking to develop value-added product(s), this on-demand, self-paced online course will provide a basic overview of the process from concept to market. With case studies, panel interviews, planning tools, and links to additional resources, you will gain valuable insight into what it takes to get started.
- Details/Register Here: Packaged Foods On-Demand Online Course
- Cost: FREE
- FOOD BIZ WEEK 2021 - Recorded Panel Discussions
- Food Biz Week is an opportunity for food and farm businesses at all levels of food production and food retail in the Pacific Northwest to learn from industry experts and fellow experienced colleagues through a curated week of virtual panels, presentations, and networking activities.
- Farm Businesses (recorded 2/22/21): Click Here to Access
- Packaged Foods/Value-Add Businesses (recorded 2/24/21): Click Here to Access
- Financing for Food and Farm (recorded 2/25/21): Click Here to Access
- Foodservice Businesses (recorded 2/26/21): Click Here to Access
- Cost: FREE
- Food Biz Week is an opportunity for food and farm businesses at all levels of food production and food retail in the Pacific Northwest to learn from industry experts and fellow experienced colleagues through a curated week of virtual panels, presentations, and networking activities.
- Be your best through free monthly food business tool and training webinars
- Learn More
- Register
- Take part in the Financial Management Boot Camp for Food Businesses - a four-day boot camp created by the Food Finance Institute at the University of Wisconsin. Are you a business support service provider? Check out our Finance Training for Food Business Supporters that offers food business financial training, specifically for food systems advocates.
- Utilize food business specific resources
- Connect with food business resource partners and explore marketplace opportunities throughout Washington State.
- Or, follow the paths below to get access to classes, coaching, or funding for any kind of business, from idea to launch to growth stage.
Email fbrc@businessimpactnw.org for questions or more info.
Our Goals
- Provide underserved food entrepreneurs the resources and connection they need to be successful throughout Washington State.
- Maximize jobs created by and for those businesses
- Reinforce the growth, profit, and value of each business
WHAT YOU CAN GAIN
- Business plan and financial projections
- Funding options
- Loan packages
- Skills for profitability
- Expansion options
- Specialized resources
Our Goals
- Provide underserved food entrepreneurs the resources and connection they need to be successful throughout Washington State.
- Maximize jobs created by and for those businesses
- Reinforce the growth, profit, and value of each business
What You Can Gain
- Support in creating a comprehensive business plan and financial projections
- Understanding of your funding options
- Help preparing loan packages and presentations for lenders and potential investors
- Skills to help you manage business profitability
- Help identifying business expansion options
- Specialized resources and connections for food specific businesses
Total support. After 27 years in business, I now have the tools with their guidance on how to get my business out there to help so many people!
My counselor was so helpful with my cash-flow spreadsheet and business plan. She is following up with me and had lots of practical tips for small business help.
Good classes for business development at a variety of levels - great resources for entrepreneurs just starting out or those already well on their way.
It was great attending your presentation today. I learned a lot of new ways to look for funding and a new approach at finding funds to grow my business.
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Food Finance Boot Camp
In-depth finance training for new and established food business owners
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Food Biz Week
A week of panel discussions, presentations, and networking opportunities for food and farm entrepreneurs at all stages with education, insight, and connections to help their businesses launch, grow, and thrive.
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Resource Partner Directory
Connect with resources throughout Washington State
Coming Soon!
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Sign Up for one-on-one business coaching
Our partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration requires all clients to register with an online service request before we can provide assistance. This form also acts as Confidentiality and Code of Conduct Agreements. All client information is held in strict confidence. Any request for technical assistance (business coaching, training, or counseling) is FREE and CONFIDENTIAL!
To unlock your access to all of our classes and the ability to receive free one-on-one business coaching,
From idea, to plan, to business start,
let us help you launch your dream.
We work with you to take your
established business to the next level.
We work with you to secure funding
for your business to thrive
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Reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.
Contact fbrc@businessimpactnw.org or call 206.324.4330.
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Business Impact NW Sustaining Sponsors
