Financing
Arizona Resources
Colorado Resources
New Mexico Resources
Utah Resources
Business Finance Guides
Grant Information
Loan Resources
Venture Capital
Other Financial Planning Resources
*Each resource within the Four Corners region will be marked with an asterisk
See also:
- Four Corners Marketing Programs & Services listings of regional resources applicable to a variety of topics.
- Developing a Small Business for more on small business management.
Arizona Resources
*Arizona Department of Commerce: Small Business Services
Small Business Servicesprovides information and resources for every stage of your business development. Small Business Services collaborates with state agencies and numerous business organizations to promote entrepreneurship among small, minority-, women-owned, and disadvantaged business enterprises.
http://www.azcommerce.com/BusAsst/SmallBiz/
*Arizona Small Business Development Center
Arizona’s Small Business Development Center Network is an innovative partnership between the state’s ten community college districts and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
http://www.maricopa.edu/sbdc/
*Assessing Risks and Financing Requirements
This section gives some tips and tools that can help assess understanding your market and the associated risks and finances required. The section of Business Planning has related discussion on risk and finance requirements.
http://cals.arizona.edu/arec/pubs/dmkt/AssessingRisks.pdf
*Business Plans are More Important Now than Ever
This article from the University of Arizona’s Cooperative Extension stresses the importance of developing a business plan to help ensure success of a new business.
http://cals.arizona.edu/arec/pubs/dmkt/BusinessPlans.pdf
*A Business Plan is Important When Working with a Lender
You don’t have to borrow money to expand a business and make your dreams come true, but borrowing money can make those dreams come true sooner than if you wait to save all the necessary cash. This resource explains the process of working with a bank lender to help with small business development.
http://cals.arizona.edu/arec/pubs/dmkt/ABusinessPlan.pdf
*Sources of Small Business Assistance
This is a resource list for the state of Arizona to help with small business development. Listed are college courses, non-profits and other organizations that help with the development of business and marketing plans as well as other business resources.
http://cals.arizona.edu/arec/pubs/dmkt/SourcesSBus.pdf
*Step by Step Checklist to Start, Operate and Grow a Business in Arizona
This free, online program is designed to help you navigate quickly and easily to the basic business license, tax and registration information you need in order to start and operate a business in Arizona
http://www.azcommerce.com/webapps/smallbusvr/intro.asp
Colorado Resources
*Beginner Farmer Program
The Colorado Agricultural Development Authority (CADA) is an independent public body established by statute in 1981. Its mission is to encourage the investment of private capital in the agricultural sector through the use of public financing for the purpose of making low-interest loans available to agricultural producers for specified uses.
*Colorado Business Resource Guide: Financing Options
This is a guide produced by the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Division of Markets. Financing for your business may be obtained from private investors, lenders, and other financial institutions. This guide helps you evaluate which option is best for you.
http://www.state.co.us/oed/guide/pdf/Guide13_Financing.pdf
*Colorado Department of Agriculture: Business Development Tools
There are numerous publications on this page to help with small business development. Resources include information on getting started, developing marketing plans, and financing information.
*Colorado Rural Development Agricultural Cooperative
Assists small agricultural producers in forming business cooperatives, in order to stabilize and increase incomes. Offers Value-Added Agricultural Product Market Development Grants (http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm)
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/co/
*Colorado State University Extension, Small Farms: Financing
This is a list of financing options for Colorado farmers and ranchers.
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/boulder/AG/smallfarms.shtml
*Colorado Small Business Development Center Network
The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network is dedicated to helping small businesses throughout Colorado achieve their goals of growth, expansion, innovation, increased productivity, management improvement and success.
http://www.state.co.us/oed/small-business/index.cfm
*Colorado State Farm Service Agency
Works to stabilize farm income, help farmers conserve land and water resources, provide credit to new or disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and help farm operations recover from the effects of disaster.
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/stateoffapp?mystate=co&area=home&subject=landing&topic=landing
*Micro Business Development
Micro Business Development (MBD), a Colorado non-profit organization, was founded in 1993 to eliminate barriers to economic independence for community entrepreneurs, both youth and adult, through access to markets, resources, and business capital. MBD specializes in providing nontraditional loans for Colorado’s microentrepreneurs at a fair rate of interest to support emerging businesses.
http://www.microbusiness.org/gui/content.asp?lang=en
New Mexico Resources
*Arrowhead Center: New Mexico State University
Arrowhead Center is the economic and business development leader for New Mexico State University, helping to create an environment for small businesses to grow and thrive.
http://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/index.php
*New Mexico Department of Agriculture: Marketing and Economic Development
This department of the NMDA helps with marketing resources as well as licenses necessary for small food business in Mew Mexico.
http://nmdaweb.nmsu.edu/marketing-and-economic-development
*New Mexico Small Business Development Center Network
The NMSBDC is a partnership of the US Small Business Administration, the state of New Mexico, and the New Mexico Association of Community Colleges. The network helps with small business planning such as developing marketing and business plans.
Utah Resources
Agriculture Loan Programs
The Agriculture Loans Section of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food offers the following agriculture and rural loan programs. For more information, call the Program Office at 801-538-7179.
http://ag.utah.gov/services.html#assist
Agriculture Resource Development Loans (ARDL)—Low-interest ARDL loans made for a maximum of 12 years at 3 percent interest with a one-time administration fee of 4 percent. The objectives of the program are to: conserve soil and water resources; increase agricultural yields for croplands, orchards, pasture, range, and livestock; maintain and improve water quality; conserve and/or develop on-farm energy; and reduce damages to agriculture as a result of flooding, drought, or other natural disasters; and
Rural Rehabilitation Loans—Low-interest loans for farms and ranches. Specifically, this program provides assistance to those who want to buy, begin, or improve an agricultural operation but cannot qualify for conventional financing. The current interest rates for these loans are from 5 to 6 percent.
*State of Utah Department of Agriculture and Food: Marketing & Development
The mission of the Division of Marketing and Development is to raise the awareness of Utah agriculture and food products and enhance local, domestic and international marketing opportunities.
http://ag.utah.gov/marketing/promotion.html
*Utah Small Business Development Center
The USBDC helps current and prospective business owners, entrepreneurs, and others identify opportunities, develop business plans, refine strategies, overcome challenges, and connect with resources as they advance their business ventures.
*Utah State University Cooperative Extension: Development Centers
This page has information about the small business planning resources available through the Utah State University.
http://extension.usu.edu/agribusiness/htm/smallbusiness/centers
Business Finance Guides
Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses
Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses, was conceived in 1996 by a planning team for the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) to address the evolving business planning needs of beginning and experienced rural entrepreneurs.
http://www.misa.umn.edu/vd/bizplan.html
The Credit Process: A Guide for Small Business Owners
The purpose of this booklet is to assist small business owners or entrepreneurs who are seeking outside financing for the first time. The goal is to highlight information that prospective borrowers need to know about the credit process before they apply for a loan.
http://www.newyorkfed.org/education/addpub/credit.html
Evaluating a Rural Enterprise: Financial Assessment
This is an exercise that will help evaluate the financial component of a new business before spending time or money developing the logistics of production or a full enterprise budget.
http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/evalrural.html#finass
Starting a Small Business: Funding and Program Assistance
This resource guide contains links to full-text resources and guides about issues to consider before starting a business, how to start a business and develop business and marketing plans.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/small_business.htm#funding
The Small Business Financial Resource Guide
The sections of this guide provide an introduction to business planning and financial success, available public and private sources of lending and financial assistance, how to obtain financing, resources for women business owners, and how to implement an e-commerce strategy.
http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/links/macresource.asp?record=530&category=92
Small Business Start Up Guide
Careful planning is fundamental to success. The Small Business Planner includes information and resources that will help you at any stage of the business lifecycle.
http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/index.html
Starting an Ag-Business? A Pre-Planning Guide
This book is intended to help agricultural business operators (and future business operators) decide which enterprise is best for them to pursue with a full fledged business plan.
http://agviability.cornell.edu/pdf/Pre-businessPlanWorkbook.pdf
Grant Information
Building Better Rural Places
This ATTRA publication is a very helpful resource guide to figuring out which federal grant and loan programs can help finance various innovative agricultural enterprises.
Small Business Administration: Grant Resources
The SBA is the largest source of long-term small business financing in the nation. They help provide technical services for small businesses as well as leads for grant opportunities. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments
http://www.sba.gov/services/financialassistance/grants/index.html
Small Farm Funding Resources
Find tools to develop a business plan, write a grant proposal, and locate funding.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/small_farm_funding.htm
Transition to Organic Fund
Organic Valley Family of Farms, the nation's largest independent farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative, recently announced the Transition to Organic Fund, a financial assistance program for dairy farmers who are making the transition to organic. Organic Valley's Transition to Organic Fund will offset the costs of transitioning for dairy farmers who become members of the Organic Valley cooperative. For further information about the Organic Valley's Transition to Organic Fund, farmers are encouraged to call the Producer Hotline at Organic Valley at (888) 809-9297.
Value-Added Agricultural Product Market Development Grants (VADG)
Established by the Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000, the VADG producer grant program provides funding for value-added activities to independent producers including cooperatives, as well as agricultural producer groups such as commodity groups and majority-controlled producer-based groups. Contact your State Rural Development Office to obtain additional information and assistance:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm
Arizona
Gary Mack
USDA Rural Development
3003 North Central Avenue, Suite 900
Phoenix, AZ 85012
Tel: 602-280-8717
E-mail: gary.mack@az.usda.gov
Colorado
Leroy W. Cruz
USDA Rural Development
655 Parfet Street
Lakewood, CO 80215
Tel: 720-544-2926
E-mail: leroy.cruz@co.usda.gov
New Mexico
Eric Vigil
USDA Rural Development
6200 Jefferson Street, NE, Room 255
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Tel: 505-761-4952
E-mail: eric.vigil@nm.usda.gov
Utah
Richard Carrig
USDA Rural Development
Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building
125 South State Street, Room 4311
Salt Lake City, UT 84147-0350
Tel: 801-524-4328
E-mail: richard.carrig@ut.usda.gov
Western SARE Grants
SARE grants are used to increase knowledge about sustainable agricultural practices and to help farmers and ranchers adopt those practices. The Western SARE program administers grants in several categories that help it achieve those aims.
Loan Resources
Building Better Rural Places
This ATTRA publication is a very helpful resource guide to figuring out which federal grant and loan programs can help finance various innovative agricultural enterprises.
*A Business Plan is Important When Working with a Lender
You don’t have to borrow money to expand a business and make your dreams come true, but borrowing money can make those dreams come true sooner than if you wait to save all the necessary cash. This resource explains the process of working with a bank lender to help with small business development.
http://cals.arizona.edu/arec/pubs/dmkt/ABusinessPlan.pdf
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)
CREES has many funding opportunities, including the Assistive Technology Program for Farmers with Disabilities - National AgrAbility Project, which provides funds to increase the likelihood that farmers, ranchers, farm workers or farm family members with disabilities and their farms experience success.
The Farmers Guide to Agricultural Credit
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/boulder/AG/Farmer%27s%20Guide.pdf
Farm Service Agency Farm Loan Program
Are you a farmer who is temporarily unable to obtain private, commercial credit? This USDA/FSA program can help! Available loan programs include:
- Direct Farm Ownership—intended for purchase of land, construction of buildings or other improvements; soil and water conservation. Maximum loan amount is $200,000.
- Beginning Farmer Down Payment Farm Ownership—intended for purchase of farm or ranch. Maximum loan amount: lesser of 40% of purchase price or appraised value.
- Direct Operating—intended for purchase of livestock, poultry, equipment, feed, seed, farm chemicals, and supplies; soil and water conservation; refinancing indebtedness with certain limitations. Maximum loan amount: $200,000.
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=fmlp&topic=landing
Loans for Socially Disadvantaged People
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) can make and guarantee loans to socially disadvantaged applicants to buy and operate family-size farms and ranches. A socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher is one of a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of the group without regard to their individual qualities. For purposes of this program, socially disadvantaged groups are women, African Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
http://attra.ncat.org/guide/a_m/socially_disadvantaged.html
*Micro Business Development
Micro Business Development (MBD), a Colorado non-profit organization, was founded in 1993 to eliminate barriers to economic independence for community entrepreneurs, both youth and adult, through access to markets, resources, and business capital. MBD specializes in providing nontraditional loans for Colorado’s microentrepreneurs at a fair rate of interest to support emerging businesses.
http://www.microbusiness.org/gui/content.asp?lang=en
Small Farm Funding Resources
Find tools to develop a business plan, write a grant proposal, and locate funding.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/small_farm_funding.htm
What do Lender Really Need to Grant Small Business Loans?
This is an article from the Arkansas Small Business Development Center that provides information about how to best work with bank lenders.
http://asbdc.ualr.edu/bizfacts/509.asp
Venture Capital
Community Development Venture Capital Alliance
The CDVCA is the network for the rapidly growing field of community development venture capital (CDVC) investing. CDVC funds provide equity capital to businesses in underinvested markets, seeking market-rate financial returns, as well as the creation of good jobs, wealth, and entrepreneurial capacity.
National Association of Seed and Venture Funds
TheNASVF is an organization of innovation capital leaders: private, public and non-profit organizations committed to building their local economies by investing in local entrepreneurs.
Other Financial Planning Resources
Agricultural Marketing Resource Center: Business Development Information
This resource website has information to help with business development and operation.
http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/business/
Alternative Marketing and Business Practices
This is a resources guide that has been compiled by the National Agricultural Library’s Alternative Farming Systems Information Center. http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=2&tax_level=1&tax_subject=299