Intro to Forest Entrepreneurship - Santa Cruz

Calling all Forestry Entrepreneurs!

Get ready to dive into all aspects of launching or expanding your business.

Join Sierra Business Council, the Small Business Development Center, and Sierra Commons in beautiful Santa Cruz, California for a tuition-free two-day bootcamp designed to create sustainable forest-based jobs and wood products businesses.

With climate change and wildfires putting increasing pressure on our forests, the demand for forest-based businesses is growing every year in rural communities throughout the Sierra Nevada.

Have you ever dreamed of being a business owner? Or maybe you have a business and want to take it to the next level. This course is for you!

This two-day course is geared toward businesses in forest thinning and management, defensible space, prescribed fire application, small mass timber product manufacturing, small diameter timber utilization, biofuel, bioenergy, home hardening, plant restoration, other non-timber-related businesses, and forestry logistics.

About the Bootcamp

Robert Trent, founder of Sierra Commons, and Ruby Beauchamp, a seasoned climber and cone collector, will lead the course. Throughout the weekend, guest presenters will provide valuable information and resources.

Students will learn the basic foundations of good business, from finance, pricing, and cash flow to research, marketing, and sales and the complex world of government contracts and permits. With a weekly accountability group and one-to-one advising, students will expand their knowledge and gain access to resources.

Each participant is eligible for personalized technical assistance at no cost through the SBDC program.

The curriculum is designed to provide:

• Technical assistance to launch small businesses
• Entrepreneurial development focused on a broad range of forest and wood-based businesses
• Training and guidance for transforming businesses
• Opportunities to showcase emerging business opportunities
• Guidance on the benefits of wildfire reduction and economic development; at the nexus of wood product development and outdoor recreation in rural forested communities

Funding for this program was provided by a Good Jobs Challenge EDA-funded grant through the Foundation for California Community Colleges to conduct forestry and fire-mitigation training programs in the Sierra Nevada region of northeastern California.

Info: Students will learn from different instructors throughout the day about the basic foundations of good business:

Logistics

Introductions

Core Values

Entity Selection

Insurance

Value Proposition and Customer Analysis

Pricing and Budgeting

Resources Review/Recap

Info: Students will learn from different instructors throughout the day about the basic foundations of good business:


Marketing

Industry Guest

Business Law

Government Contracting pt 1

Breakouts:

Government Contracting pt 2

Info: This is an informal meetup to get to know each other before the bootcamp begins on Saturday. We will meet at a local spot that is casual and fun. We'd love it if you can make it.

Also check out other Workshops in Aptos, Business events in Aptos, Meetups in Aptos.