| PROJECT SUMMARY |
A group of about 30 African American women from rural counties in southern Georgia (about five counties) working to establish a variety of small enterprises based on food and craft production, determined that they needed practical instruction and advice on how to manage and reduce the risks associated with such ventures.
The Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education, Inc., and the Southern Rural Black Women´s Initiative for Economic and Social Justice, organized and provided a series of workshops and monthly technical assistance sessions that participants attended.
The women acquired information and skills that helped them define, research, evaluate, organize, and acquire resources for their enterprises. They held planning meetings on a county level to apply what they learned in the workshops to their own joint projects. The groups agreed to organize a marketing cooperative to reduce risk, and developed farming and enterprise plans including value-added products.
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| NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 30 |
| TOPICS COVERED |
| Insurance products |
| Product and enterprise diversification |
| Market analysis and outlook |
| Cash and futures pricing tools |
| Marketing strategies, plans and clubs |
| Direct, wholesale, and processing markets |
| Contract production, branded or certified marketing, and value-added enterprises |
| Financial records, analysis, and bench-marking |
| Tools for managing legal liability |
| Leases, contracts and negotiation |
| Business and strategic planning |
| Employee recruitment, management and retention |
| Interpersonal, family and business relationships |
