In 2017, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture signed a Memorandum of Understanding with leaders from SCORE, our country’s largest network of volunteer business mentors. SCORE matches small business owners and entrepreneurs from all sectors of the economy with expert business mentors to provide advice and guidance. The agreement between USDA and SCORE is designed to expand business support for farmers and agricultural businesses.
Following SCORE’s commitment to working with the agricultural community, our South Central NY Dairy and Field Crops Team established a partnership with SCORE Syracuse, a local chapter that serves Onondaga, Oswego, Cortland and Madison Counties. Through this collaboration, SCORE educators will adapt their existing QuickBooks training to meet the needs of farm businesses.
Quickbooks is the most used bookkeeping software for small businesses, and it can help to improve the efficiency and accuracy of record keeping. The software produces a variety of financial statements to be used for analysis and for preparing tax returns. With QuickBooks, farm managers can easily compare their current financial performance to prior periods, existing budgets, and industry statistics.
In the upcoming workshop, farmers will learn how to set up QuickBooks for their farm business from the ground up. The class is appropriate for farm operators and office staff who have no QuickBooks experience and are considering adopting the software. It is also a great fit for farms that are already using QuickBooks and would like to be sure they are getting the most out of the software.
The four-part workshop will cover:
- Basic accounting concepts and reports
- How to set up a chart of accounts to fit your farm operation
- Invoicing and cash receipts
- Recording and paying purchases and expenses
- Reconciling accounts
- Production and analysis of financial statements
All in a small group setting with other farm operations, allowing plenty of time for interaction and questions. Laptops with Quickbooks 2018 will be provided. Students who complete the workshop may schedule free individual follow-up sessions with a SCORE business mentor.
The workshop will be held from 10am – 12pm on January 9, 16, 23 and 30 at the Cortland County Chamber of Commerce. The cost is $95 for the 4-part series, and up to 2 individuals per farm may attend. Veterans may register for free courtesy of a grant from M&T Bank. For additional information, or to register:
http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=mqwp6ucab&oeidk=a07eftx0905ddbea767