Cooperative Extension Service to host Arkansas Business Navigator marketing and hiring events
Oct. 19, 2023
By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Oct. 25 virtual agribusiness marketing event focuses on Department of Agriculture branding programs
- Nov. 7 hybrid event will cover hiring first employees, company policies
- Arkansas Business Navigator is a program of Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center
(427 words)
(Newsrooms: With flyers)
LITTLE ROCK — For business owners, it’s important to take advantage of marketing opportunities and to make informed decisions when hiring employees. The Cooperative Extension Service will host two Arkansas Business Navigator events on these topics Oct. 25 and Nov. 7.
The Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, will collaborate with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture for a virtual event focusing on the Arkansas Grown, Arkansas Made and Homegrown by Heroes branding programs. Karen Reynolds, grants and program manager for the Department of Agriculture, will discuss how these programs promote Arkansas farmers, ranchers, producers and their products to consumers. The webinar will take place via Zoom from 12:30 p.m.-1:00 p.m. on Oct. 25. Participants can register at bit.ly/argrownabn.
Brandon L. Mathews, extension program associate for economic development for the Division of Agriculture, said it’s important for Arkansas producers to take advantage of these branding programs.
“These programs provide the infrastructure and marketing channels to connect business owners’ brands to consumers, without needing to know how all of the back-end processes work,” Mathews said. “These programs are free, and leveraging the branding from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture helps boost consumer confidence in the brands and products showcased. This gives you more legitimacy, which is often difficult to establish on your own.”
On Nov. 7, the Cooperative Extension Service will host a hybrid event focusing on employee hiring information. Glenda Caton, owner of Caton Consulting, LLC, will discuss contract workers versus employees, employee compensation and benefits, disciplinary action and more. The event will take place from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Little Rock State Office at 2301 S. University Ave or via Zoom. In-person attendees must register by Oct. 30 to ensure their lunch. Register for the event at bit.ly/hr101abn.
Mathews said Caton’s workshop will help attendees make smart choices when scaling up their businesses.
“Making the first hire can be one of the most difficult decisions to make, and doing this the correct way can be even more daunting,” Mathews said. “As a business owner, the consequences — good or bad — are your responsibility. Glenda is brilliant at explaining employer responsibilities in a way that anyone can understand. This workshop should give entrepreneurs the confidence they need to make their first hire successful.”
The Cooperative Extension Service is the outreach arm of the Division of Agriculture. Arkansas Business Navigator is a program of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, hosted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and is funded in part through a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
# # #
Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
@RKHall_
501-671-2061