Business | University of Maryland Extension

Updated: June 4, 2021

Can SMART Ever Be Dumb??

December is often a “Slam” month for most direct marketers. Holiday sales, year-end inventories to conduct, annual profit projections, and the final push of multiple last quarter marketing initiatives that were often launched even before Halloween. The major goal is to end the year in the financial black. Other goals now take a back seat.

Updated: March 24, 2021

Assessing Your Farm Business Plan

Nowhere does the old adage “failing to plan, is planning to fail” more applicable than when preparing to launch a new business enterprise or service company. Regardless of the greatness of your product, unless you carefully plan in advance how to operate a profitable, sustainable business, your business success will be limited. The goal of the Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center is to help you succeed in that planning process and this is why we have launched a new tool, Assessing Your Farm Business Plan.

Business plan chalkboard with text: communication, teamwork, strategy, goals, results, risks, team, costs, project, vision, tasks, analysis, development, quality, execute, planning, control, organize, and plan.

Updated: February 4, 2021

Turning on Your Specialty Food Business

You need to formulate a business plan and consider how your business will be organized.

Updated: February 3, 2021

Turning on Your Idea: Starting a Specialty Food business Requires Careful Planning

Successful specialty food processing requires careful planning, dedication, and skilled management. Food businesses must comply with a number of complex and often confusing federal, state and local regulations. This report includes questions that individuals should consider before starting a small food processing business. The critical aspects of market research—gathering information about markets or customers --are described. Market research is an important step in preparing to start a business and in maintaining competitiveness. This report also provides valuable information and resources on county and state local and state rules, regulations and agencies that will help specialty food business owners get started.

Updated: January 8, 2021

Enterprise Budget for Firewood Business

This information sheet provides an enterprise budget for a small business that will buy, cut and split logs, and deliver in cord quantities, primarily for home heating or fireplace wood. It includes sources of income and expenses using real work values and a downloadable Excel file allows the user to change values for their potential enterprises and determine potential profitability.