Take Control of Your Food Business's Profitability

Whether you struggle to understand the economics of your business or just want to increase your food business’s profitability, this course is for you! Each week, you will delve into specific business topics that will help you maximize your business's profitability.

Group sessions begin Wednesday, November 6, 2019, and meet on-line for 2 hours every week. The first hour is devoted to a specific business topic, such as QuickBooks or Cash Flow Budgeting.  The remaining portion of each class is an open discussion for participants to ask specific questions about their businesses.


"This course taught us to examine aspects of our business that we would have otherwise overlooked. Julia is a great resource when it comes to running a financially strong business."

Ashley and Ethan Vandermark, Nourish Wellness Cafe, Northampton, MA


Reserve your spot today!

Maryland residents can receive a $100 discount. To qualify, email Ginger S. Myers gsmyers [at] umd [dot] edu.



Course Topics

Basic Accounting

Become familiar with all the terms used in bookkeeping and accounting so that you can better develop your systems and utilize your financials.

QuickBooks

Learn how to set up your QuickBooks so that you can:

  • better track your finanicals and manage for profitability
  • file your taxes with ease
  • understand how to interpret your numbers
  • project for growth.

We’ll cover basic set-up, entering transactions, advanced features,  using classes and running reports.

Business and Financial Analysis

With a solid bookkeeping system, we can talk about how to analyze the numbers. We will review:

  • Cost of production – how much does it cost to make your products?
  • Breakeven – what do you need to sell to earn a profit?
  • Pricing strategies – how to set your prices competitively and for profit?
  • Reading financial statements – what do the reports tell you?

Planning for Growth 

We will walk through step-by-step how to create:

  • cash flow projections

At the end of the program participants will have:

  • Comprehensive bookkeeping systems designed to help them manage your business
  • A cash flow budget and the tools to make sure they stay on track
  • Systems for understanding all the costs in their business
  • A strategy for how to grow their business profitability in the coming years

In other words, you will have a plan to increase profits!

“This class is a soup to nuts guide to setting up farm finances, tracking them, and planning for the future. I feel very prepared to tackle our farm’s financial present and future, using the tools Julia taught us to stay caught up on bookkeeping tasks and to make financial decisions in a systematic way”

Susan Peters, Deer Ridge Farm, VT

Reserve your spot today!

Maryland residents can receive a $100 discount. To qualify, email Ginger S. Myers gsmyers [at] umd [dot] edu.



Class Schedule

The group meets every week, beginning November 6th, 2019 at 6pm ET. We will take a one-week break for Thanksgiving.
  • Session 1: Business Basics and Accounting Overview
  • Session 2:  QuickBooks Basics for Food Businesses
  • Session 3: QuickBooks Advanced
  • Session 4: Pricing Strategies and Food Costing
  • Session 5: Reading (and Interpreting) Financial Statements
  • Session 6: Creating Cash Flow Budgets and Projections


FAQ's

Each week, you will be given activities to help reinforce your learning. This may include reviewing the videos from the previous week, taking a quiz, or working through a problem set.

While the homework isn’t required, it’s a great way to reinforce the learning. It gives you a chance to practice the skills learned. You can expect to spend 1 – 2 hours per week outside of class-time reviewing the content and doing the homework.

There are several options for getting additional support:

While it’s not required to know QuickBooks, a willingness to use it and basic understanding is helpful. We will spend two sessions discussing QuickBooks, but it is not enough time to really master it. Since much of the financial analysis we’ll discuss during the course (channel analysis and reading financial statements, as examples) is based on data exported from QuickBooks, it helps to have your own system set-up so you can follow along with your own numbers.

There are several options to catch up on missed material:

  • You can watch the self-paced videos online.
  • The slides will be posted to the website.
  • You can visit Julia during office hours to ask questions.

Maryland residents can receive a $100 discount. To qualify, email Ginger S. Myers gsmyers [at] umd [dot] edu.

Reserve your spot today!

"The Farmer’s Edge was an invaluable program for not only creating a clear picture of my farms finances but also for planning future production. I can now easily analyze the profitability of each of my crops and see what is working, what isn’t and confidently make informed decisions to grow a successful business."

Mike Costanzo, Lake Hollow Homestead, CO

What WeOffer You

Whether you’re just starting out, or expanding your business to the next phase of growth, Julia Shanks Food Consulting can help you succeed. Click below to find out more about our services.
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Tips, Toolsand Templates

Writing a business plan? Looking for investors? Getting set up in QuickBooks? We’ve got the tools and templates you need, from planning a startup to growing your business.
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Have Julia SpeakAt Your Conference

Julia speaks about small business accounting, business planning and sustainability. Recent conferences include NY Veterans in Agriculture and Women in Sustainable Agriculture.
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