The Purdue Extension Digital Ready program is designed to help small businesses learn to leverage online tools and services to grow their business. Workshops are designed to take about an hour and include a presentation from a trained Extension educator, activities, handouts, and more. Register for one or more of these virtual workshops to take …

~by Michael Wilcox Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development / Purdue Extension Associate Director / North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) ~ Ginger Evenson, Artist and Social Activist   Many years ago, I found myself in the crosshairs of my supervisor. It is a long, funny, and touching story about falling …

~by Steve Yoder, Community Development Regional Educator, Purdue Extension    Most grant applications can now be completed online with little, if any, personal interaction between the grant seeker and the grant funder. Applicants can conduct research, draft a proposal, and submit their request without ever having to pick up the phone or meet the funder …

~Dr. Larry DeBoer June 21, 2022 The inflation rate in May was 8.6 percent, the highest since the bad old days of the Great Inflation 40 years ago. We’re all paying higher prices. So are our school districts. School districts face some costs that increase as prices rise, and other costs that don’t. Food, fuel …

~by Michael Wilcox Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development / Purdue Extension Associate Director / North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD)   Creating Connections at Every Crossroad: Purdue Extension Community Development Program Supports the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) The National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals’ annual …

~Dr. Larry DeBoer May 24, 2022   Every year about this time homeowners receive a Form 11 from their county assessor. It’s the notice of assessment of land and structures, and it shows the previous assessed value of the home, and the new value for taxes payable next year. I’m a homeowner, and I got …

~Dr. Larry DeBoer March 30, 2022   Here’s one way to think about property taxes: The local government sets its budget, subtracts all other tax revenue, and raises the remainder with the property tax levy. The assessor measures the value of all the parcels of taxable property inside the boundaries of the government. Then the …

~ by Heather Strohm, Regional Extension Educator, Community Development – Purdue University   Over the past several months, my column has provided an overview of all five of the Business Retention & Expansion Program (BR&E) modules and discussed the Business Retention & Expansion process. The BR&E process includes establishing a Task Force, creating and conducting …

~by Michael Wilcox Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development / Purdue Extension Associate Director / North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD)     Last month, I offered a glimpse into our Purdue Study Abroad trip to Ireland focused on rural development. Our planned activities exceeded our expectations during the trip, but …

In 2017, Extension Community Development and the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) sought a way to help Indiana small businesses enhance their online presence. Together they created the Digital Ready Businesses program, hosting numerous hands-on training sessions through educational workshops. Now, in 2022, the program has been updated to add new content that reflect …