Business planning

Planning your agritourism operation means creating a separate enterprise that supports and complements your agricultural production business. Start with the mission (why), decide on goals and objectives, both financial and social (what), and then develop strategy and tactics to achieve your goals and objectives (how) while staying true to your guiding mission.

Creating this plan won't happen overnight. It requires a lot of thought, conversation, realism, and research. It also is a "living document": it changes as your goals, circumstances, and needs change.

Getting started; your mission, vision, business concept, goals and strategies

• 1-Page Business Plan Outline, by Andrea Nield, CSUMB SBDC
• Developing Mission and Vision Statements for Your Business, by Andrea Nield, CSUMB SBDC
• Managing by Goals, Kurt Clark, Alliance Small Business Development Center, Modesto
• Mission vs. Goals vs. Strategies vs. Activities
• Lean Business Planning Canvas Template, from the Small Business Administration and Small Business Development Centers
• One Page Business Plan Template from Farm Credit

Creating a business plan

• Agritourism Best Practices: Business & Financial Planning - a comprehensive 12 page guide, one of many created by University of Vermont Extension Agritourism collaborative
• Intro to Business Planning, presentation by Kristin York, Sierra Business Council Small Business Development Center
• The Key Steps of a business plan workbook from Megan Bruch, Extension Specialist, Center for Profitable Agriculture
• Resources from the Small Business Administration:

  • Business Plan Outline – The standard version used by the U.S. Small Business Administration and SBDC’s across the nation.

  • Business Plan Workbook - SCORE’s step-by-step guide to writing a business plan, with embedded sales forecasting, cash flow and financial projection spreadsheets.

• AgPlan- AgPlan is powerful website developed to help rural businesses develop a business plan, developed by the Center for Farm Financial management at the University of Minnesota

• Foothill Farming - Farm Business Planning - Website about the elements of a farm business plan and how to use it to guide development and management - UCCE Placer/Nevada.
• Farm Business Planning - Oregon State University. Short articles on the importance of a business plan and how to create one.
• Developing a Business Plan - Penn State. Longer article with more detail about putting a strong business plan together.
• Business Plan Tools - website created by the Santa Cruz Small Business Development Center

 Financial planning and management

• Financial Management: Budgeting and Pricing for Agritourism - presentation from Extension Training to Support Agritourism Development in the Northeast, Rutgers University
• Financial Planning, Budgeting & Cash Flow, presentation from Rick Leonhardt, Feather River College, Quincy
• Linked income and profit-loss projection forms (Excel) These linked template forms have formulas (and some adjustable entries) already set up. Line items can be adjusted, and the templates can be used to test income and expense projections to see resulting profit or loss.
• SCORE's Business Template Gallery - A curated gallery of business planning templates, financial analysis and projections tools.