PROJECT BUSINESS PLANNING

Once community assessment and readiness are determined, and Chief & Band Council has given a favourable & supporting green light to an FNG Community Garden Farming Co-op Facility proposal, we work directly with you and your Community Champion to begin to develop an in-depth project business plan. A very detailed written document that describes the proposed Community Garden Farming Co-op business in great detail, its objectives and strategies, the market you are targeting, that also includes your financial forecasts. It is essential to have a business plan because it helps you understand your market, set realistic goals, secure external funding when needed, measure your successes, clarify operational requirements and establish reasonable multi-year financial forecasts. Adequately preparing your business plan will also help you focus on how to operate an FNG Community Garden Farming Co-op Facility to its maximum, giving you and your new community business the best chance for continued annual successes.

Securing financial assistance to start your new business will be directly related to the strength of your business plan. To be considered a viable candidate to receive funds from a financial institution or investors, you must demonstrate that you understand every aspect of your business, and its ability to generate profit. A business plan is more than just something to show lenders and investors; it is also necessary to help you plan for the growth and progress of your business. Your business’s success can depend on your plans for the future. Listed below are examples of questions to ask yourself when writing your business plan:

 

  • How will I generate a profit?
  • How will I run the business if sales are low or if profits are down?
  • Who is my competition, and how will we coexist?
  • Who is my target market?

 

Although business plans can vary in length and scope, all successful business plans contain common elements. Every business plan should include the following points:

 

  • Executive summary (business description)
  • Identifying your business opportunity  Marketing and sales strategy of a business plan
  • Your team
  • Operations
  • Financial forecasts of a business plan (3 years)

 

The executive summary is an overview of the main points in your business plan and is often considered the most critical section. It is positioned at the front of the program and is usually the first section that a potential investor or lender will read. Although the executive summary is the first section of the plan, it is a good idea to write it last; after the other parts of the project have been finalized. The summary should:

 

  • Include the main points from each of the other sections to explain the basics of your business
  • Be sufficiently compelling to motivate the reader to continue reading the rest of your business plan
  • Be brief and concise – no more than two pages long

 

We will need to identify your business opportunity. In this section of your business plan, we will describe what your business is about, its products and services, and your ideas for the company.

This section usually includes:

 

  • Who you are
  • What you do
  • What you have to offer
  • What market you want to target

 

Marketing and sales strategy of a business plan are also an essential element of a healthy business plan including a section that describes specific activities that you will use to promote and sell your products or services. A strong sales and marketing section demonstrates that you have a clear idea of how you will get your product or service in the market.

PROJECT TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

First Nation Growers Community Garden Farming Co-op Pre-Care-After-Care Training and skills development empower Indigenous people and their communities!

Each of our FNG training programs complements a series of seminars focusing on specific areas of new age rotary hydroponic growing. Courses are available through distance learning (self-study), in-class learning, hands-on workshops, and web-based virtual learning. Included are examples of how to set up informative training sessions with department managers and community members. We have certified instructors teaching all courses provided within the community, even those in remote northern locations. We come to you! Classes are also available to all Indigenous agricultural professionals, and those dealing with Indigenous exposures.

Operations that give the same commitment to Indigenous employment initiatives as other business activities in relatively short time frames achieve excellent outcomes. Attaining sustainable improvements in Indigenous employment begins with a promise. Companies with successful Indigenous employment strategies have an executive leadership team that has publicly committed to improving Indigenous employment outcomes and backs this commitment by providing adequate financial and human resources. Companies communicate their commitment to staff, contractors, suppliers and shareholders through statements, policies, strategies, and reconciliation action plans.

FIRST NATION GROWERS LP. intends to support the continuous successes of each of our First Nations and Inuit Community Garden Farming Co-op projects and partner communities by providing pre-start-up and semi-annual Head Office Facility visits that include educational training and industry education workshop seminars. Each employee and manager, as an essential component of our continued support for the ongoing success of each, fresh produce community grow project will be privy to quick and easy accessible industry education, knowledge, and growing understanding through innovative training, and staff development workshop seminars, both on-site and online. We stand behind our equipment 100% concerning warranty and operational guarantees. We believe that it is as equally important to get behind our people in providing pre-start-up and semi-annual employee industry training, education, and development workshop seminars to ensure the successes and longevity of each First Nation Indigenous Community Garden Farm Co-op System projects, regardless of size or remoteness regarding location, Canada-wide.

FNG will provide 24/7/365 support and is both privy and sensitive to Indigenous concerns, incomes, and issues, where we intend to create and nurture a healthy, creative, respectful and enjoyable office and plant facility environment. Employees are fairly compensated and encouraged to respect each other and customer clients as well as the quality of the products that we produce. First Nations and Inuit community project employees and visitors will feel welcomed and at home during every Facility industry Workshop and Education Training seminar.

FNG intends to provide the best possible relevant and easily accessible project training, education, and development workshops and seminars for each First Nation Growers Inc. Fresh Foods Garden Farm Co-op community project, creating added value for each community partner grower. A big part of our fresh produce education component will be the added on-line webinars made available to each community member. We discuss the value of combined nutrition to our diets, cooking with fresh produce greens and why including healthy eating and foods benefit one today for tomorrow, that raw produce consumption provides our bodies and the ongoing long-term benefits of good health.

Besides, employee project industry training, workshop, and education seminar follow-up will be mandatory to ensure project, customer client, and employee satisfaction, knowledge and operational successes.

PROJECT BUDGET & FORECASTING

It will be essential to include a component of each project business plan that at least a 3-year budget and forecast, for both responsible business practices and decision making as well as initial funding applicant possibilities.

Efficiently managing your business’ finances is critical to project long-term successes. Good budgeting and financial forecasting skills can help you control the financial health of your business. A budget is a detailed statement of expected revenues and expenses. Your income will include revenues from sales, interest, accounts receivable, and any other revenue sources. Your expenses will include costs such as your payroll, inventory, and insurance. Budgets are often based on an organization’s fiscal year and then broken down by month. Reviewing your budget on a regular basis and adjusting it as needed, will help you keep an accurate picture of your finances.

 

Developing good budgeting skills from the business get-go can help you:

  • Forecast future revenues and expenses
  • Identify opportunities for cost-cutting
  • Find opportunities to be more efficient and productive
  • Ensure you have enough cash on hand to cover upcoming costs
  • Determine a break-even point

 

Your budget needs to be based on realistic figures and assumptions to be effective, Developing a sales forecast can help you build a comprehensive budget. Accurately forecasting future sales is a crucial part of creating a stable budget. Forecasting is not an exact science, but basing your figures on past purchases and well-researched assumptions can help you realistically predict future performance.

 

When you are developing your forecast, you will want to make sure that:

  • Previous sales figures are broken down by month
  • Predictions for changes in the size of your market or the economy as a whole

 

If you are a new business, you will need to conduct market research and analyze the sales of similar companies in your area.

 

Forecasting can help you:

  • Make strategic decisions such as when to introduce a new product
  • Identify the best time of year for you and your employees to take a vacation
  • Calculate how profitable the boom time must be for the business to survive a slump

Financing is essential to starting or growing a business. A substantial budget tells investors or lenders that you have a well-thought-out strategy and plan. A reasonable forecast shows them that you have researched your business strategies and are aware of the pitfalls and how to deal with them. If you want your business to be successful, you will need to develop proper budgeting and forecasting skills, or work with a professional whom has those skills.

FINDING YOUR COMMUNITY CHAMPION

“Every First Nation and or Inuit community has many untapped, very talented individual community champions within”

 

An essential FNG Community Garden Farming Co-op Facility project step is to seek out a community planning champion, a community member that believes and cherishes their community, a community champion that shares a strong vision for what their community can be, a community member that is so much more than just a nine-to-five employee. A community planning champion and there are many within every community, are the backbone of every Indigenous population and play a huge role in the success of every garden facility planning process and its result.

Community Champions bring enthusiasm, curiosity, and fun to the FNG project planning table. Many community champions have had little or no planning training when they begin. What they do have is a strong commitment to their community well-being, a willingness to learn, to listen and to get out into the community to start talking with their community members.

A Community Project Planning Champion will often introduce the idea of the project planning to the community and leadership and can drive the process, gain support and help build a strong community planning team. A community planning champion can be any community member. They may come forward as a result of a trigger in the community — issues such as proposed land development, a move into the treaty process or a crisis that gets people talking to resolve community issues and address pressing community concerns. Your community planning champion needs to be based in the community, respected by community members and prepared for a long-term commitment to the project planning process.

Project Funding

First Nation governments have challenges accessing capital for Indigenous infrastructure and economic development projects, such as Indoor Green House projects, community power, water and waste projects included, primarily because First Nation lands cannot typically qualify as project security.

First Nation Growers is making a concerted effort to find newfound Indigenous project funding resources to create sustainable First Nation and or Inuit owned and operated environmentally friendly, industry-leading rotary hydroponic, 4seasons cold climate, Garden Farming Community Co-op Markets. Where funding applied to the facility and operation start-up costs, including ownership contributions, agency grants, and loans both at the Federal and Provincial levels of Government, augmented by both third-party private individual funding resources and through third-party public-private partnerships.

 

Many Aboriginal entrepreneurs and communities can qualify for added business development support. Depending on the nature of the project, First Nation and or Inuit communities and Indigenous projects may be able to obtain funding to assist with a wide range of activities that may include:

  • Business planning & Business expansions
  • Establishment (capital) costs
  • Marketing initiatives that are local, domestic, or export-oriented
  • New product or process development
  • Adding technology to improve operations and competitiveness
  • Operating costs in association with capital costs
  • Financial services, business support, business-related training, and mentoring services

 

In all of the community projects and activities that First Nation Growers adventure in, our key components are respect for the environment, sound management, self-sufficiency, and sustainable prosperity for every Indigenous community we work within each 4seasons Garden Farming Community Co-op Facility. First Nation Growers works with Aboriginal entrepreneurs and Indigenous Community partners to provide a range of services and supports that promote the growth of a healthy, sustainable, self-sufficient Indigenous business and community. Support will vary depending on the needs of each community, the readiness of each city, availability, and sources of funding, the eligibility of costs, the economic benefits, and project viability.

First Nation Growers place great importance on partnerships as a path to respect for the environment, culture, self-sufficiency, and sustainable prosperity through sound business and management practices. In the long-term, each project will help lead our Indigenous Community partners to financial independence and provide returns in the hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in support of their community members. Through new creative approaches to Indigenous Community project funding opportunities, First Nation Growers can help Aboriginal entrepreneurs, and Indigenous communities achieve their business goals. That includes improving access to project financing, project sustainability, environmentally friendly management, job-creating innovation, employment training and development and project productivity as we aspire to help each community growing partner that we work with becoming self-sufficient and financially independent. The net profits of each project will provide each community with the resources needed to stimulate economic growth within each community and build a better future for Indigenous children through “new” year-round fresh, nutritional streams.