“This was such a beneficial seminar. The topics were diverse, presented well and immediately actionable.”
“I liked how the group was the same for each session. You get to know people, not just see names and turned off cameras.”
“I loved the round table style, people were able to have real conversations about issues or questions that they have. The course material was very well rounded.”
“Each segment of the Miniversity was impactful. Even subjects I feel I have mastered brought new ways of thinking about our small business challenges.”
“We received valuable guidance on the grant-writing process. Putting my new skills to use, I applied for a grant in March. We were awarded the grant in the full requested amount to hire a food safety consultant and improve food safety measures within our operation.”
“As a newcomer to the world of entrepreneurship I found the variety of topics to be incredibly helpful. Also being able to go back and watch certain segments was amazing.”
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Our Business Miniversity is similar to an “introduction to business” course, hitting on leadership, management, finances and margins, strategy, and marketing topics. Sessions are designed for you to walk away with actionable information about managing a team or running a business. Group size is small and personal; you’ll be able to have conversation and Q&A with presenters (and other attendees!) in every session.
WHO IS THIS FOR:
- Suitable for new (or up-and-coming) business owners and managers – or those who have managed businesses for a while, but want to continue to build their skillsets!
- Content is designed for cheese producers, value-added food producers, and specialty food retail in particular.
- Our attendees have included business owners, managers, team leaders, and those aspiring to management. Others have attended in preparation for launching their own new businesses.
- Although we have many speakers from Vermont, presenters will share information applicable to those outside of the state.
VIRTUAL & RECORDED: All sessions are virtual, and open to attendees from any location. Every session will be recorded and available for watching later for a limited time, in case you have to miss sessions.
DATES/TIMES: Sessions are scheduled on Wednesdays from 12:00 – 1:30 PM ET over 9 weeks, March 5 – April 30, 2025.
PRICING: $100 for the series (less than $8 per hour of education!). (Note: because attendees function as a cohort, we are not able to offer “one-off” passes to individual sessions at this time).
TOPICS & SPEAKERS:
- Understanding Financial Statements with Elisa Clancy of University of Vermont Extension
- Fundamentals of Grant Writing with Rose Wilson of Rose Wilson Consulting
- Packaging Design with Steve Crafts and Michael Adams of Place Creative Company
- Managing and Calculating Margins through a Specialty Supply Chain with Zoe Brickley of Jasper Hill Farm
- Branding: Selling Your Product Through Story with Daniel Prial of Prial Outreach Consulting
- Attract, Engage, Retain: Making Every Hire Count with Grant Prezlow of Wholestone Farms
- Quality & Culture: Simple Leadership Practices for Team Success with Amy Beth Kessinger of Community College of Vermont
- Tools for Strategic Planning Success with Elisa Clancy of University of Vermont Extension
- And more!
2025 BUSINESS MINIVERSITY SPONSORS
2025 SUPPORTER LEVEL SPONSORS
2025 PLATINUM SEASON SPONSORS
