1. THE THIRD ANNUAL COLORADO ENTREPRENEURSHIP
OCTOBER 15, 2010
LIMON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, LIMON COLORADO
7:30 a.m. Registration/Check -In Opens
7:30 - 8:15 a.m. Exhibit Hall/Continental Breakfast
8:15 - 9:15 a.m. Welcome - Morning Keynote Speaker
Nick May, Seeds, LLC - Cultivating Small Businesses
9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Session I
Diversification in Agriculture
Diversifying Your Income on the Farm/Ranch
This session presents opportunities for farmers and ranchers to diversify their income, mostly through direct
market opportunities but also with other emerging markets. Producers will share their successes and their
struggles as they diversified their own operations, and offer information and ideas about others around them.
Business Development
Practical Business Development
Come learn where to purchase the Magic Bullet to grow your business. Hear what works and what does not work when
trying to establish a customer base sufficient to make your business stable so it can grow. Discover just how much
power you already have to make it happen for your business.
Community Development
Redeveloping Great Locations in to Great Business Sites
Often, great business locations are occupied by vacant buildings, structures and debris from former uses. This session
will discuss the process of recycling these sites and making them ready for a new business through site cleanup,
renovation, or redevelopment. Learn how to evaluate physical and environmental site challenges presented by former
uses; transactional considerations and due diligence for underwriting the deal; approaches to addressing lingering
environmental issues; and sustainable redevelopment approaches.
Financing
Funding Resources for Small Businesses
For many potential and existing small business owners, the biggest hurdle - real or imagined - is financing. This panel
discussion will offer some viable financing options for businesses of any size or kind.
Technology
Social Networking for Business
This session will show you why Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn) is so important to you and your business.
Learn Social Media best practices, rules and integration. See how to brand yourself and your business within the world
of Social Media while learning what the tangible and intangible benefits are.

2. Session I Continued
Marketing
Choosing the Right Advertising & Promotion Tools for Your Business
Target market selection, company objectives, budget, brand image, and message are all used to help you select the right
advertising and promotion tools to reach your target market and grow your business.
10:30-11:00 a.m. Networking Break in Exhibit Hall
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Session II
Diversification in Agriculture
Direct Market Opportunities
This workshop will help existing and budding farmers/ranchers learn ways to tap into the growing demand for
local foods through direct marketing opportunities, including farmers markets and other individual markets, as
well as emerging wholesale markets such as restaurants and schools.
Business Development
How to Create an "Elevator Pitch"
In this workshop, attendees will learn how to craft an effective "Elevator Pitch." A carefully crafted "Elevator Pitch" will
give you the ability to sell your company in a concise, compelling manner. A strong pitch explains why you are different
and better than any other business out there....something your customers, your employees and even a potential
investor could learn in the time it takes to ride up an elevator.
Community Development
Elements for a Successful Economic Development Strategy
How can your small town begin to engage the planner, enforcement officer, business owners, schools, economic
development entity, and residents in the process of building a stable economic development strategy in this new
tougher economic reality? This interactive session will look at the multi-disciplinary approach to community and
economic development that works to focus resources, energy, and impacts on developing the commercial core for
increased sales tax and property values to support essential community functions.
Financing
The Financial Climate and Credit Market Conditions
The US economy has experienced several quarters of positive economic growth, but the recovery has been sluggish and
unemployment remains high. Although the Federal Reserve has kept interest rates low and the financial system
continues to improve, small business lending remains anemic. Are things really getting better? This session will assess
the current financial climate and the outlook for small business lending.
Technology
Website Design/Website Development - What's the Difference?
Learn how basic websites are constructed so you can easily have one and direct a web contractor, developer, or
designer. Discover the simple components of this industry which impacts all of us every day. This session will help you
save money on design, development, hosting and monthly site maintenance.
Marketing
Develop Your Message: Let Consumers Know Why They Should Buy Your Product or Service
By the end of this interactive session you will have all the tools needed to create a message that will convince consumers
to try your product or service. Learn about the importance of creating a strong brand, understand your positioning
versus the competition, and delve into why your product or services are unique.
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Lunch

3. 1:00 - 1:45 Afternoon Keynote Speaker - Judy Canales, USDA-RD, Washington DC
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Session III
Diversification in Agriculture
Heritage of the Land
This session goes beyond agri-tourism, and includes ways in which farmers and ranchers can make a business out of
educating the public about our agricultural heritage and its importance to our overall economic and social well-being.
Business Development
What Can the Office of USDA-RD Do For You?
Finding funding for business opportunities can be a challenge. USDA Rural Development has several programs available
to help small, emerging and existing businesses. An interactive discussion will be held regarding business loans and
grant programs available to help with start up costs and technical assistance. For Ag Producers, our Value Added
Producer Grant Program provides funding to producers to expand the customer base for their products or commodities
and ensure that a greater portion of their revenues derived from the value-added activity goes back to the producer.
Community Development
Business Incubation 101
This session will provide an overview of the best practices in business incubation, including types of business incubation
programs and their economic impact. Key points to be covered include the importance of client selection, services and
graduation.
Financing
What You Need to Know Before Applying for a Grant
There are a lot of financial resources open to entrepreneurs and small businesses—however, the unfortunate reality is
that there is no free money. The grants, loans and other potential sources of funding all come with strings attached.
This workshop will cover types of grants and loans available, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and the basic
information you need to prepare and submit a successful application.
Technology-Option 1
Online Branding and Marketing
On-Going Afternoon Session
This session will be an on-going session throughout the afternoon. Hear an overview of online branding and marketing
while learning the best practices, tools, and rules and regulations of Social Media, including the importance of having
your own website and domain name. This session will also include information on E-Commerce and highlight the
tangible and intangible benefits.
Technology-Option 2
"Leveraging Google: Tools for Small Business and Entrepreneurs"
Google has become an indispensable research tool for business, but did you know that there are PILES of free resources
that Google provides beyond search? Scott Lininger, a Googler and local entrepreneur, will show you ways that you can
leverage Google to market your name, expand your audience, connect with customers, and even make money. Learn
how to use GMail with your own domain to claim yourname@yourname.com instead of EwokLover19@yahoo.com.
Explore how Google Docs can help you manage your business and collaborate with partners. Find out how Google's
massive ads platform works and see for yourself how easy (and cheap!) it is to get started. Bring your questions and
ideas to this fun, interactive presentation guaranteed to show you something you had no idea Google could do.

4. Marketing
Marketing to Local Rural Customers in the Face of Global Competition
Explore strategies to attract and keep customers in rural areas. Learn how to create an automated marketing plan,
combining proven “old school” methods with new technologies. Marketing 101 reinvented for rural markets.
3:00 - 3:30 Networking Break-Exhibit Hall
3:30 -4:30 p.m. Session IV
Diversification in Agriculture
Adding Value Through Renewable Energy
In this session, Tony Frank will offer means by which alternative energy can assist with efficiencies on the farm or ranch,
and possibly provide another revenue stream. He will touch on everything from basic efficiency measures that help
reduce input costs, to installation of new technologies that produce off-grid energy resources, to income-generating
opportunities through the same new technologies as well as carbon sequestration. Tony will be joined by April Dahlager
from USDA Rural Development who will discuss financial opportunities for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Programs in the state. Rural Development has loan and grant funding available for farmers, agricultural producers and
owners of rural small businesses to install renewable energy systems such as wind turbines, solar, geothermal, biomass,
anaerobic digesters, hydroelectric, and ocean, or hydrogen systems. Funding may also be used to purchase energy-
efficient equipment, adding insulation, and improve heating and cooling systems.
Business Development
Customer Service - it is More Important Than You May Think
Learn from field experience how to improve your guest and your business relationship and increase residual income
from repeat customers. Learn when to follow classroom theory, and when theory is no longer practice for your
business's health, and your employees safety. Hear about the link of having great, happy, long-term employees with
your customers that continually return to do business with you. When a customer does business with you, it is not
about the service, it is about the entire experience!
Community Development
Collaboration Among Entrepreneurs, Community Development, Economic Development and the Healthcare Sector
Healthcare is one of the most important community services - as well as one of the largest and best paying employment
sectors - in rural Colorado. Learn how you, as a resident, can support healthcare in your area, how residents are actively
influencing future directions in the healthcare in their community, and how residents can tap into employment and
entrepreneurship opportunities related to healthcare.
Financing
What Role do Finances Play in Business Planning?
Financial projections provide one key element to the business planning process and are key to running a successful
business. During this session there will be exploration of how finances and the rest of the business plan work together
as a tool to help owners get control of and allow them to more effectively manage their business.
Technology
Online Branding and Marketing
On-Going Afternoon Session
Hear an overview of online branding and marketing while learning the best practices, tools, and rules and regulations of
Social Media, including the importance of having your own website and domain name. This session will also include
information on E-Commerce and highlight the tangible and intangible benefits.
Marketing
Marketing on a Shoe-String Budget
As a small business owner, your marketing budget is small. What can you do to minimize cost, and maximize your ROI?
Everyone is still talking about how tough things are “out there.” It doesn’t have to be. Having a plan, and knowing what

5. you can do now to make 2010/2011 a great year for you and your business is the key. You will hear several ways you
make yourself stand out to provide more sales opportunity and MORE PROFIT, which is what it is all about. You will go
home excited and ready to take charge of your marketing, and have at least four ideas on how to market your business
for low or no cost.
4:30 - 5:00 Laptop Give-Away in Exhibit Hall
5:30 - 7:30 Taste of the Eastern Plains Reception - Limon Heritage Museum and Railroad Park