Small Business Resources

Food & Farm Marketing Program Hosted in Meigs County, Ohio

The CFAES Center for Cooperatives, OSU Direct Food and Agricultural Marketing program at OSU South Centers, and OSU South Centers Small Business Development Center recently collaborated to present Food and Farm Marketing Basics at the Meigs County Fairgrounds on October 29th.  The free workshop hosted 10 participants with interests in learning and gaining information on marketing their food and farm businesses.

Attendees were introduced to marketing skills and how to better connect with their customers.  Christie Welch, who leads the Direct Food and Agricultural Marketing Team for OSU Extension, provided detailed information about how customers make buying decisions.  The importance of market analysis and how to understand the customer mix and developing customer profiles provided participants key takeaways from this session.

Melanie Sherman, Business Counselor with the OSU South Centers Small Business Development Center, presented effectively representing your brand through your food and farm business.  Attendees worked through the stages of brand and logo development and the importance of brand identity, while deciding what type of emotional response you want your brand to produce.

The team will host this free event again on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 from 12:00 pm- 3:00 pm in Lancaster, Ohio at the Fairfield County Agriculture Center.

Learn more and register here for the January 8, 2025 program.

A stall of vibrant, fresh vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers, at an outdoor farmers market.

A Closer Look at Worker Cooperatives

Worker cooperatives are becoming a popular form of the cooperative business model and generating more attention these days.  A worker cooperative is a business where workers own most of the equity and control the voting shares of the business, while participating in profit sharing, oversight, in some cases, management, while operating by democratic cooperative principles.  The OSU Center for Cooperatives team recently spoke with area worker cooperative leaders to hear about how they got their start and navigate current worker co-op operations and trends to continue propelling their businesses forward to be successful today.

Grace Corbin, Vice President of the Board of Directors and Marketing Coordinator with Casa Nueva, shared with us about the start of the Athens based restaurant.  “Back in 1985 it was known as Casa K Pasa at the time and the owner split town.  So the workers decided to band together and found a way to make it a co-op so they could maintain employment.  Today Casa has more than 15, and less than 20 member, worker owners right now.  We also have between 35 and 40 employees that is complicated, confusing and fun.”

We also spoke with Octavia Cordon, worker owner from Phat Daddy’s On Da Tracks, to get her perspectives on starting a worker cooperative.  “One of the biggest things that attracted me to the cooperative model is the equalness between members.  We started out, myself, my husband and my daughter, and we have differences of opinions and stuff like that, but the cooperative principles help guide us.  Because we’re just three years in, and still building up the business, we learn something new everyday.  When we started out it was just 5 of us, with 3 worker owners and 2 regular employees, who are on track to becoming full members.  Now today, we have 22 employees total.”

Mavery Davis, CPA, Director of Lending with New Economy Works West Virginia, explained to us about what motivates him through the cooperative lens.  “People want an opportunity to do something different and have meaningful work.  They say whether or not they get to work during Covid, or if that’s somebody else’s decision to make.  It takes trust, and co-ops move at the speed of trust!”

We also learned about Casa Nueva’s embeddedness in the community and how they make a difference in giving back.  Grace told us about the nontraditional means of how the tipping process works at Casa.  “Since don’t accept tips, and haven’t been since 2012, what we do with that money that is left is to donate it to a different nonprofit in our community every month.  A lot of the organizations that we chose like to promote that any money left is going to them.”

Josh Brown, Live Entertainment and Booking Coordinator for Casa, explained to us about the importance of working cohesively together as a group of shared owners.  “It’s (worker cooperatives) definitely got an upside with lots of brains working to solve a problem, which is very helpful.  The downside though is that everything takes time, for us it’s usually matter of months before something actually gets done of any significance.”

This discussion is part of the Appalachia Cooperates Initiative, (ACI), led by the CFAES Center for Cooperatives, a learning and peer-exchange network connecting cooperative, community, business, and economic developers and advocates in Central Appalachia to resources about the cooperative business model. The goals of the ACI are to:

  • Develop practitioners’ understanding of the co-op business model and development resources to better recognize and act on co-op opportunities 
  • Foster relationships among practitioners that will facilitate joint co-op development activities and allow practitioners to better utilize existing resources 
  • Raise awareness of the co-op business model as an opportunity for economic development and justice in the region 

To view this program recording in full please click here.  

Could Cooperation Help Your Small Business Market Better?

Product, price, place, and promotion. One of the keys to success for a small business is mastering marketing. Whether entrepreneurs are advertising their business, using promotional strategies to reach their target customers, or working to place their products into a new market channel, marketing encompasses many aspects of business. Are cooperative approaches to marketing opportunities a fit for your small business to save time and resources?

Does your business use supplies that many other businesses also use?

Purchasing supplies as a group, via a purchasing cooperative, for example, may help businesses lower per unit costs for supplies, improve market information across the supply chain, consolidate transactions to reduce administrative burdens, reduce inventories, coordinate shipping, or even control quality attributes.[1] For example, restaurants may use a purchasing cooperative to purchase food, packaging, equipment, and other commonly needed supplies together in bulk. The Wendy’s Quality Supply Chain Co-op works with suppliers to provide member restaurants with products and services, pooling billions of dollars in buying power.

For a more detailed look at the purchasing cooperative model, see the publication “A Guide for the Development of Purchasing Cooperatives,” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Golden french fries in white paper container. White toilet tissue rolls in a wire shopping cart. Yellow paper shopping bags with polka dots and stars.

Could your business advertise with businesses in the same industry or geography?

Marketing cooperatives and similar approaches may offer opportunities for small businesses to reach new market channels or audiences while reducing costs and administrative burden for individual businesses.

In Ohio, businesses in the tourism industry like convention and visitors bureaus, lodging, restaurants, attractions, festivals, and others, may be able to utilize TourismOhio’s “Ohio, The Heart of It All Co-op Advertising Program,” which provides members opportunities to purchase advertising like paid social, digital, and paid search, as well as opportunities for marketing contact creation offerings like photography, videography, storytelling, and influencer engagements, among other potential benefits.

Illustrated image of computer screen with various graphics, including play symbol, money symbol, text bubble, light bulb, and megaphone.

Does your business have the ability or opportunity to share physical space with other businesses?

In some instances, cooperative approaches to helping businesses access the physical space they need to operate or market their business might offer benefits. For example, shared-use space like business incubators or artist cooperatives might help create affordable opportunities for start-up businesses, help businesses attract new customers in spaces where customers who enter the space to shop at one business may also be encouraged to shop at others, and reduce administrative burdens by sharing maintenance and upkeep for the space and outdoor areas.

Learn more about artist cooperatives in this “Toolkits for the Arts: Toolkit 2: Form an Artist Cooperative” from the Tamarack Foundation for the Arts in West Virginia.

Open sign on inside of glass window.

Some Considerations for Working Cooperatively

Small businesses exploring how a collaborative approach might help them better market their products and businesses will need to consider various key questions. The questions below are a starting point but are by no means exhaustive. Entrepreneurs who are interested in exploring a cooperative approach further can reach out to the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Center for Cooperatives at Ohio State.

  • Who will be engaged? What is their role?
  • How will the group make decisions?
  • How will the group be formally organized?
  • How can the group manage risk?
  • Will working together provide the intended benefit

Graphic of light colored light bulb and hands connecting colored puzzle pieces

Contact Us!

For more information about the CFAES Center for Cooperatives at The Ohio State University visit go.osu.edu/cooperatives. Contact the CFAES Center for Cooperatives at osucooperatives@osu.edu or 614-247-9705.

For assistance with registration or additional questions about events, please contact Samantha Black at black.1156@osu.edu or 614-247-9774.

CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information, visit cfaesdiversity.osu.edu. For an accessible format of this publication, visit cfaes.osu.edu/accessibility.

[1] Reynolds, B. & Wadsworth, J. (2009). “A Guide for the Development of Purchasing Cooperatives,” U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, Cooperative Information Report 64.

COVID-19 Resources for Small Businesses

OSU South Centers located in Piketon, Ohio.

The OSU South Centers’ Business Development Network is prepared to help small businesses virtually.

Remember We’re Here to Help

The OSU South Centers Business Development Network continues to be available to help your small business. Our development specialists are working remotely and are available to meet virtually to assist your business.

Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)

CFAES Center for Cooperatives

Stay in Touch with Customers Remotely Using Online Tools

Businesses of all shapes and sizes can use technology to inform and stay in touch with customers. If you have had changes to your hours, location, contact information, or you simply want to communicate with your customers, consider updating your Google My Business profile or sharing updates or hosting events for your customer community online using Facebook, Instagram, or other online tools.

Utilize Free or Enhanced Capability Tech for Remote Working

If you or members of your team are shifting to remote work, a number of technology providers are expanding capabilities for their current customers for free or are making their platforms available at no cost for a limited time. GoToMeeting has released Emergency Remote Work Kits for current LogMeIn customers and other eligible institutions and organizations,  Google is granting free access to expanded capabilities for G Suite customers, Microsoft offers a free version of their Teams collaboration platform and is expanding free access to Teams, and Cisco has expanded the capabilities on their free Webex offer and is providing free 90-day licenses to businesses who are not Webex customers.

Get some tips on ensuring a successful transition to remote work:

For more information about collaboration tools offered in response to the public health situation, check out this article from ZDNet.

Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)

The SBA EIDL program can provide loans of up to $2 million to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and most private nonprofits that are unable to meet obligations and pay ordinary and necessary operating expenses due to a recognized economic disaster. Loan amounts are based on actual economic injury and financial need. Please note that EIDLs require repayment and that EIDL is not a grant program. Terms will be determined on a case by case basis.

Ohio was declared a disaster zone under the EIDL program on Thursday, March 19, 2020 effective beginning January 31, 2020.  Businesses can learn about the process for applying for EIDL assistance, gather loan application materials, and apply online if they think they will qualify for and require EIDL assistance. Required application materials will include:

  • Completed SBA Business Loan Application
  • Tax information authorization form for the applicant, principals, and affiliates
  • Copies of the most recently filed federal income tax return, including all schedules
  • Personal financial statements for the applicant, each principal, or general partner
  • Schedule of liabilities listing all fixed debt

Assistance for Exporters

The Small Business Administration (SBA) Export Express loan program is available for U.S. small businesses that export directly overseas or indirectly by selling to a customer that then exports their product. The Export Express loan program can provide up to $500,000 of financing for businesses prior to finalizing an export sale or while pursuing opportunities overseas, such as identifying a new overseas customer if an export sale is lost due to the coronavirus pandemic. Explore information on SBA’s COVID-19 small business loan resources.

IRS Federal Income Tax Payment Relief

The IRS has announced payment relief measures for individuals and businesses that owe federal income tax. Note that this payment relief applies only to federal income tax payments and does not apply to payments of state taxes or other federal taxes.

The income tax payment deadline for individuals, including self-employed income, is being automatically extended to July 15, 2020 for up to $1 million of a taxpayer’s 2019 tax due.

The income tax payment deadline for C Corporations is being automatically extended until July 15, 2020 for up to $10 million of the corporation’s 2019 tax due.

Also, note that recent reports indicate that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has announced that the federal income tax filing deadline will be delayed to July 15, 2020.

Unemployment Benefits and Employee Leave

An executive order issued by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has expanded flexibility for Ohioans to receive unemployment benefits during the state’s emergency declaration period. Learn more about coronavirus and unemployment insurance benefits from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.

On March 18, 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) became law with provisions for paid sick leave for employees affected by COVID-19, expanded coverage of the Family and Medical Leave Act for absences related to COVID-19, and certain tax credits to help offset the costs of paid leave requirements, among other provisions. Learn more about the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in, “Time to Hit Pause: What Employers Need to Know About Yesterday’s Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” from Forbes.

Please note that if you have questions about your legal requirements as an employer, you should consult a human resources or legal professional.

Keeping Your Workplace Safe

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has information to help employers address the coronavirus pandemic, including guidance on preparing various workplaces for COVID-19, preventing worker exposure to the virus, and more. To see all of the COVID-19 information from OSHA, click here.

Guidance for Businesses and Employers from the CDC

In response to COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that employers and businesses:

  • Actively encourage sick employees to stay home
  • Separate and send home sick employees
  • Emphasize staying home when sick, respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene by all employees
  • Perform routine environmental cleaning
  • Advise employees before traveling to take certain steps

Note that if an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, but maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has requested that Ohio employers ask their employees to check their temperature before coming to work. Stay up to date on Ohio’s Public Health Orders and COVID-19 response at coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Other Helpful Resources for Small Businesses