Business Development

Michigan State University Extension and the MSU Product Center—Food Ag Bio focus on assisting entrepreneurs who develop and commercialize high-value, consumer-responsive products and businesses. The MSU Product Center’s Innovation Counselor Network includes professionals trained to assist entrepreneurs in the agriculture, natural resources and bioeconomy sectors. Counselors can assess the developmental phase, identify markets, innovate new products, help make critical decisions and guide them from concept to launch. MSU Extension educators can provide business counseling to entrepreneurs in any sector, including those who want to start a business as well as current business owners who want to expand.

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• Increase seasonal business by using the right marketing tools

  May 7, 2013 | Yvonne (Bonnie) Wichtner-Zoia | With summer just around the corner most tourism-related businesses have already determined where to spend their summer marketing dollars. If still undecided it is important to develop a marketing plan and find the right tools for your business.

• To tweet or not to tweet: How to use Twitter successfully from the start

  May 5, 2013 | Julia Darnton | If you’ve decided Twitter is right for you as a method for promoting your business, you next need to get tweeting. Here are some tips on getting started.

• To tweet or not to tweet: Why is Twitter so popular?

  May 5, 2013 | Julia Darnton | Understand why Twitter is used by millions is key to using Twitter successfully. You must assess whether Twitter is the right social media tool for your business, farm or farmers market to reach out to customers and community.

• To tweet or not to tweet: What is Twitter and why should business owners care?

  May 5, 2013 | Julia Darnton | Before you can decide if Twitter the right strategy for your business, you must first understand the basics of the popular social networking service.

• How to become a better presenter: Part 2

  May 4, 2013 | Mark Hitchcock | Being a better presenter is easier than you think.

• How to become a better presenter: Part 1

  May 4, 2013 | Mark Hitchcock | Send your audience away with a positive impression, not a sense of survival.

• Consumers are creating demand for groceries from non-traditional retail sources

  May 1, 2013 | Randy Bell | From tech-savvy millennials to seniors, more people are seeking new and convenient ways to buy their food.

• Safety awareness for your agricultural employees

  April 30, 2013 | Stan Moore | Workplace safety is of particular concern in more hazardous occupations such as agriculture. To ensure their workforce stays safe around the clock, employers are looking at safety programs that extend beyond the workplace.

• Scope, scale and the start-up urban farmer

  April 27, 2013 | Frank Gublo | Can an urban farm generate enough income to be financially sustainable?

• Business options: Buying the assets of an existing operation

  April 27, 2013 | Mark Thomas | Considerations include depreciation of real estate, existing equipment and anticipated inventory turnaround.

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To find an MSU Extension expert who covers your location or to find an expert in your area of interest, please visit the MSU Extension Expert Search. To reach an MSU Extension county office, call toll-free 1-888-678-3464.