Aug 1, 2025
Financial Planning Tools for Small Agribusinesses
As part of HVADC’s ongoing Business Technical Assistance programs, HVADC has launched a new section of its website featuring a variety of articles written to help small business with their agribusiness planning. A series of articles is now available covering topics related to small business financing topics, specifically written for farms and food producers by HVADC consultants. Subjects include startup financing options, grants, loans, insurance, credit improvement, financial health, and working with partners.
When HVADC became a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in 2023, it struck out to not only provide lending and expand its Business Technical Assistance (BTA) services with a focus on farm and food enterprises, but to also serve as a knowledge base for food entrepreneurs to learn how to improve the financial health of their small businesses. The new Financial Health & Education library was specifically developed to address the small-business challenges that are distinctive in agribusiness.
“Sometimes people reach out to HVADC seeking access to capital, but they are not quite sure about the differences between loans and grants and what they have to do to obtain either. This set of articles helps business owners review the basics about both and also some of the steps to prepare themselves to apply for either - at their own pace and as they need them, said Duane Stanton, HVADC Business Services Coordinator.
Developed with the assistance of Laura Kozien of Stop Whispering, a firm specializing in financial education content production for CDFIs, the HVADC original-content library was formulated with the help of HVADC Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). BTA consultants Brian Zweig of Business Opportunities Management Consulting, Anita Pierce of Eleven3seven5 and Greg Mruk of NY FarmNet each contributed their expertise to articles.
“For agribusiness owners, so much about qualifying for a loan to support their growth is about being prepared. Business owners who understand their loan options and their own finances before they begin approaching funders are more successful in obtaining funding. The HVADC team understood this, and elevated topics that deserve the attention of small business owners,” said Kozien.
The HVADC Financial Health & Education library will continue to expand over time and be augmented by sourced resources, with current articles available for viewing including:
Farm Grants vs Loans: Expert Gyide to Agricultural Funding
Agribusiness Guide to Financing
Thrive! Your Personal and Agribusiness Check-up Guide
Get Your Agribusiness Loan-Ready
Four Ways to Finance Your New Agribusiness
A Guide to Insurance for Agribusinesses
Beyond Interest Rates
Why Personal Credit Matters to Lenders
Smart Fast-Funding Strategies
HVADC's Loan Process Guide
Essential Conversation When Business and Personal Partnerships Overlap
"Strong businesses are built from the inside out. That means investing in more than just your product or service—it means protecting your business with the right insurance, creating systems that support business growth, strengthening your financial foundation through literacy and credit management, and ensuring you’re prepared to access the capital needed to grow. These are not just best practices—they are necessities for long-term sustainability and resilience,” said Pierce.
The full library of articles may be found at https://www.hvadc.org/agribusiness-planning.