Hiring the Right Web Developer for Your Business's Website, Part 2

My last post focused on some of the terminology used to describe different types of web developers including website designer, website programmer, graphic designer, and internet marketing consultant.  It is important to know what each of these people does and how they can help you build a great site for your business.  (Hopefully you can find a web developer who has skills in more than one of these job descriptions.)

As I discussed before, the article "How to Choose a Web Designer" by Karyn Greenstreet has some great tips on hiring the right web developer for your agricultural business website.  Below, I've highlighted some of these great pointers.

• Pay attention to how much they ask you about your business. They should want to get to know you and your business intimately. How else can they design a site that reflects you, your brand, and your business, unless they spend time to get to know you?

• Look at sites they've designed to see if you like their style. Is there a certain feel to ALL their sites, or are they flexible in their designs?

• Ask them if they did the actual graphic and layout design of the site, or if they just did the programming. If they don't do the graphic work themselves, can they recommend a graphic artist?

• Ask them what they know about internet marketing and search engine optimization (SEO). Be sure that they're creating a site for you that meets your larger marketing and business goals. (A pretty site is no good to you unless it generates revenue and prospects.)

• Ask the designer for their fees and what is the estimated cost for the site you want. They may not be able to give you a good estimate until you discuss content and features of the site. Expect to pay between $60 - $125 an hour, depending on their skill and their location. A quality website with good graphic design and layout will cost around $2,500 - $5,000 for a simple business website. If you add a blog, newsletter, shopping cart, autoresponders, email address setup, SEO, membership site, or logo design (or if you have many page on your site), expect the price to be higher.

More tips to follow in Part 3!

Building a Website for Your Small Business

Creating a useful website is a very important part of attracting customers. Most people, myself included, would find the task of creating a website themselves quite daunting and would immediately want to hire a web designer. But in doing some research of my own, building your own conventional website (meaning not overly complex or customized) may not be as difficult as it appears.

Person adding content to their website. (photo credit: morguefile.com)

To do it yourself, you can use a website builder, which is a tool that allows a user to create their own website without writing code. (Here is a list of some of the most popular website builders.)

This very useful article from Site Builder Report describes some questions to ask yourself to help determine if you should build it yourself or hire a web designer.

1. What is my budget? If you have a small to mid-size budget (which the author defines as $5,000 or less), then you should use a website builder. A competent website designer will usually cost this much or more. You will also need to pay a monthly fee for your website hosting. (Web hosts provide space on a server for your data and allow it to be available on the internet.) By comparison, a website builder like Squarespace, costs $8-$24 per month, which includes hosting.

2. I have a friend, family member, etc. who quoted me a low price. Shouldn't I use them? "Designing websites is a very complicated and involved thing. A very low quote probably means that this person "does not do web design for a living. And that’s a red flag."

3. What do I need/want in a website? "Think convention for website builder. Think customization for website designer...Use things like photo galleries, forms, paragraphs, basic e-commerce, and text." These will help you build a website that is functional without custom designing each piece.

If you really want 100% customization, then you will need a website designer.

4. Can I do it myself? "Trying to do it yourself will open you up to some of the realities of web design and will give you a sense of the constraints and challenges of web design. This will make you so much better when you try to actually hire a web designer. Plus, you may surprise yourself and realize you can do it yourself."

Hopefully this post has made you realize that hiring a website designer is not your only option; you can try to do it yourself. If you do find that you want/need a web designer, I will discuss some tips on helping you to choose a one in a future post. Happy site building!

Using PA MarketMaker to Market Your Business (part 5)

In my previous posts, I discussed how helpful PA MarketMaker (PAMarketMaker.com) is for marketing your ag business.  Another way MarketMaker can assist you is by providing you with market research.

In the process of marketing your products, you may want to use online directories to list your products and services.  In doing so, you will also want to perform market research to understand where your customers are and what you can do to meet their needs.

PA MarketMaker is loaded with census data to help producers find the best place to market their products and services.  This data is easily summarized on a map to show concentrations of consumer markets.

To explore Pennsylvania MarketMaker’s market research data:

1.  Visit PAMarketMaker.com and click on the drop-down box under the Market Research heading located in the upper left corner of the page.  You can then choose what data category you want to study: Age, Household Type, Race, Income, Education, Foreign Born, or Food Preferences.

2.  The second drop-down box will show choices within your chosen category.  Click Search when you are ready to view the available data.

3.  Your search will bring up a map filled with a great deal of information.  The key in the upper center of the page can help you see where the largest concentrations of your selected customer type lives.

Another feature of the Market Research section is the ability to explore the locations of a certain type of business as an overlay on the map.  For example, a grocery store manager looking for the closest producer of organic vegetables can query the website to find names and contact information.  To do this, click on the blue Business Search tab in the upper left corner of the page and select the type of business you are looking for.

Take advantage of this opportunity to market your products and services online!  Pennsylvania’s database has over 380 registered businesses and over 46,000 listings.

Find a Mentor!

If you are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, you likely have family members and/or friends who are supportive of your ideas.  But, do you have someone who will be brutally honest about where your business is headed?  Most family members and friends might not be be able to go there.  You need a mentor!  A mentor is someone who has "been there, done that", can give you advice based on experience, and most importantly, tell you the truth.  

In an article for ReadWriteWeb.com, Janet Crowther and Katie Covington (founders of FortheMakers.com, a website for DIY design and crafts projects) rehash their experience in finding a mentor.  “The only way to find mentors is to be out there, meeting people and asking questions,” Covington says. “We’ve met people at events, through friends, on Twitter and by following blogs. As long as you are respectful of time, mentors are almost always willing to help you and your company evolve. We look for mentors who believe in us, have experiences that are vastly differently from ours, and are always creating.”

Crowther and Covington found a willing mentor in tech entrepreneur Cindy Gallop.   “After talking with Cindy for 10 minutes, she was making parallels between For the Makers and a handful of other people she knew.” The companies don’t have a ton in common, “but both of our companies are about giving people tools to create something for themselves,” Covington says. “Mentors can use their experiences to frame your business in a unique way.”

(Source: http://actasifblog.com)

 When looking for a mentor, Gallop advises, “Don’t just fall in love with someone’s reputation, perceived celebrity or name. Identify someone who could be directly relevant to what you want to do, or who is pursuing a similar vision. And someone who is likely to have the time and the inclination to help you.”

As an ag business owner, do you have a mentor?  Has someone ever asked you to be there mentor?  What great advice has your mentor given you?

As a future ag business owner,  have you tried finding a mentor?  Has it been easy or hard to get someone to help you?

Making the Decision to Fire an Employee

As a small business owner, keeping you and your business profitable, sustainable, and pleasant can rely heavily on your employees. What if one of them isn't making the cut? Below are some signals from the Young Entrepreneur Council (a non-profit organization that provides entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support a business’s development and growth) that it's time to let an employee go.



*No Call/No Show- Always be sure to document on a disciplinary report basic reasons for letting someone go. For example: on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 (Employee) did not arrive to work or call the manager to indicate she was unable to come to work.

*Integrity is Essential- If the employee has broken their integrity to the company, shame on the company—perhaps you need to have the conversation on how important it is to keep integrity. But if the employee breaks integrity a second time, shame on the employee. There is no need to give them another chance; this is the time to find someone else.

*Take Action When Actionable Feedback Is Ignored- Making mistakes is a pivotal part of an employee's learning and growth. When they happen, it's an opportunity to tell the employee what went wrong, provide coaching to curb future mistakes, and make clear what future success will look like and create a timeline for its achievement. Then, if an employee does not uphold his or her end of the performance improvement plan, you can take action.

*Hire Slow, Fire Fast- No leader has ever fired an employee and then said to themselves, "I wish I would have waited six more months before firing that person." If you're spending a significant amount of time considering this option, it means you should have already fired them.

*What Does Your Team Think?- In a small company, your team's happiness and attitude are absolutely critical. Having high-performers is important; but having a high-performer who spoils the mood of the team is never worth it. Make sure that everyone is aligned in your culture—if someone does not fit and will not adapt, you have to let them go for the benefit of the whole.

To see more tips from the Young Entrepreneur Council, please read the article "Enough is Enough: When to Fire an Employee" by Fox Business.

Firing an employee is never a fun task, but if they are bringing down the team, morale, profits, or scaring away customers, it's for the best that they leave.

As an ag entrepreneur, have you ever fired an employee? Why did you fire them? Do you have any tips on how to make the firing process as painless as possible? How has your business improved since that person has left?

More About Crowd Funding

A few weeks ago, I wrote the post "What Is Crowd Funding and Does It Really Work?". I wanted to follow up and give some more info on crowd funding. A quick google search will reveal many, many websites offering crowd funding. Below are a few examples of some of the better-known sites.

Kickstarter.com

From their website: Kickstarter is the world's largest funding platform for creative projects. Every week, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields.

A new form of commerce and patronage. This is not about investment or lending. Project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work. Instead, they offer products and experiences that are unique to each project.

All or nothing funding. On Kickstarter, a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. Why? It protects everyone involved. Creators aren’t expected to develop their project without necessary funds, and it allows anyone to test concepts without risk.


Fees: 5% from the total amount collected + 3% third party fee (if you reach your goal)

Indiegogo.com

From their website: Anyone can create a campaign, where you tell your story, set a funding goal, and offer perks to contributors. You can use IndieGoGo to create your campaign, share it with your network, engage fans, track information about contributors, and collect money. IndieGoGo provides excellent customer service, educational tips, and information tracking for campaigners and funders. We also promote campaigns through social media and press outreach, as well as on our homepage, in our newsletters, and on our blog.


Fees: IndieGoGo charges a 4% fee on the money you raise. If you don't reach your goal, the fee is 9% on the money you raise. If you have opted for Fixed Funding (all-or-nothing) and don't meet your goal, all the money raised will be refunded to the contributors and no fees will be incurred.

Rockethub.com

From their website: RocketHub is a launchpad and community for independent artists and entrepreneurs. We offer an innovative way to raise money (Crowdfunding) and tangible opportunities to take creative products and endeavors to next level (LaunchPad Opportunities).


Fees: 4% from the total amount if you do or do not reach your goal (plus 3-5% payment processors fees).

As you can see, I just listed a few points about each service. DO YOUR RESEARCH! What might work for one person may or may not work for you. As an ag entrepreneur, would you try crowd funding?

"Entrepreneurship" and "Individualism" Are Not Synonyms

So, what image comes to mind when you hear the word, "entrepreneur?"  For many, it conjures up images of a single person, AKA "the" entrepreneur, struggling against all odds to start a company.  This superhero image is still widely adopted.  Our superhero is able to develop new products, create financial projections to obtain loan or investment funding, navigate the obstacle course that local, state, and Federal laws and regulations bring, manage all finances, and everything else needed to make the business flourish.  It's hard work, but our superhero is up for the challenge.

Without exception, entrepreneurs can not do everything on their own.  The best ones don't even try.  This is true for all types of entrepreneurs: social entrepreneurs, corporate entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, serial entrepreneurs,... (I'm starting to feel like "Forrest Gump's" Bubba describing types of shrimp.)  Entrepreneurship happens in lots of different contexts and this point is relevant for each....

Entrepreneurship does not equal individualism.

True entrepreneurs use the resources that they control to make something happen.  (This generally means launching a new business or product.  For entrepreneurs that work within another business, even a university, this might mean moving a project along that furthers the organization's mission.)  Resources include money, for sure, but also labor, machinery, equipment, and other people's expertise.  We in Extension have contributed to many entrepreneurial ventures in agriculture and food, for example, by providing expertise on production, policies, business management, etc.  Entrepreneurs often visit Small Business Development Centers or other counselors for input.  They often have a team around them to help them see the things that would be overlooked if they worked on their own.

Even within an organization, including one like Penn State in which I work, we have a lot of leeway to be entrepreneurial.  The only difference is that we have to keep in mind that we do things under the Penn State brand and must operate within its guidelines.  Within that zone, though, we are free to behave as entrepreneurs.  I have zero doubt, though, that I'll not be as effective on my own as I would be as part of a team that is all rowing in the same direction.  At the end of the day, that's the entrepreneur's dilemma (or opportunity); how does one get all of those people rowing in the same direction?  It would be a lot easier if one could do it alone, but the entrepreneur's effectiveness drops precipitously if he or she tries.  Almost all university courses in entrepreneurship recognize and promote this fact by placing students into teams for class projects.

Truth be told, entrepreneurship works best when the individual puts "I" and "me" aside and turns it into "we" and "us."  The best entrepreneurs (remember, this refers to all types) connect with others to make their ideas better and to make their dreams a reality.  This mythical superhero just doesn't exist!  Myth... busted!

Craft brew- Is it right for you?

Beer industry sales as a whole dropped 2.2% in 2009 and 1% in 2010, but craft brewer sales are up 12% (as reported by the Brewers Association). What exactly is a "craft brewer"? The Brewers Association describes a craft brew as "small, independent and traditional. Small: Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less. Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for purposes of this definition. Independent: Less than 25% of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer. Traditional: A brewer who has either an all malt flagship (the beer which represents the greatest volume among that brewers brands) or has at least 50% of its volume in either all malt beers or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor."



Some facts about the craft brew industry:
-Growth of the craft brewing industry in 2010 was 11% by volume and 12% by dollars compared to growth in 2009 of 7.2% by volume and 10.3% by dollars.
-1,759 craft-breweries were in existence in 2010 (up by 100+ since the previous year) and over 600 are being planned.
-Craft brewers sold an estimated 9,951,956 barrels of beer in 2010, up from 8,934,446 in 2009 (11% increase).

Is this an industry for you? As always, DO YOUR RESEARCH! The Brewers Association website offers some great materials on getting started in this industry. Their business help includes marketing tools (press releases, a media list program, sell sheets, etc), an export development program, and label approval guidance for the Tax and Trade Bureau. Some other things to think about if you are considering entering the craft brew industry:
-What type(s) of beer do you want to offer (stout, lager, porter, etc)?
-What ingredients do you need and how easy/difficult is it to obtain these ingredients?
-What training do you need in beer-making?
-What supplies do you need(bottles, tanks, boxes, etc)?
-What are your state's laws on producing and selling alcohol?

The above points are just a glimpse at the many, many questions you will need to answer before entering this or any industry. As always, Penn State Extension is here to help you in this process!

Surveys of mid-Atlantic consumers conducted by Penn State researchers part 7

Continuing with the PSU consumer research on purchasing behavior, another survey question asked survey respondents about origin of farmers' market produce.

Participants were asked if they purchased fresh produce from farmers' markets. Those that responded ‘yes’(63%) were then asked what percentage of produce grown at the farmers' market they believed was actually grown by the farmers at the market. If they did not believe that 100% of the produce was grown by the farmers at the market (84.6% of participants who shopped at farmers’ markets), they were then asked to indicate where they believed the produce was grown.

Results indicated that approximately 14.4% of participants who shopped at farmers’ markets believed that all of the produce sold at farmers’ markets was actually grown by the farmers at the market. The majority of the participants (53.8%) believed that 50-99% of produce at the market was grown by the market farmers. The majority (67.7%) reported that they believed the produce at the markets were grown within either their state/metro area or the mid-Atlantic region.

press release

As an ag entrepreneur, what is the importance of this data? If you sell at a farmers' market, do you think it is important to advertise the origin of your produce? Why do you think only 14.4% of respondents believe that all of the produce sold at farmers’ markets was actually grown by the farmers at the market?

Leading the Way

Sometimes being an entrepreneur means having to tackle the challenges that come with being the first to do something a particular way.  As in the story shared below, this meant taking the time and effort to work with state regulators to demonstrate that a particular processing method, while not in large-scale use, is safe and effective.  Not only did this farmer's efforts help him achieve his goals, but it allowed others to follow his path.

GA dairy farmer helps pave the way for other small-scale operators

Surveys of mid-Atlantic consumers conducted by Penn State researchers part 6

As described in my earlier posts, Penn State researchers asked survey participants from metropolitan mid-Atlantic cities about their product purchasing behavior. In one particular question, participants were asked to review a list of 46 common fruits and vegetables that are readily available at a variety of retail outlets and indicate which of the fruits and vegetables are grown in the mid-Atlantic region.

Results from the survey indicated significant differences for responses to this question between participants who reported being a member of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and those who reported that they were not CSA members. A greater percentage of participants who belonged to CSAs selected more incorrect responses than did participants who did not belong to CSAs. For example, a greater percentage of CSA members reported that certain fruits and vegetables, such as bananas and grapefruit, are grown in the mid-Atlantic compared to non-CSA members. Additionally, a smaller percentage of CSA members correctly reported that other fruits and vegetables are grown in the mid-Atlantic, such as beans, corn, and apples, compared to non-CSA members.

To read more about this study, click here.

If you are a produce grower or seller in the mid-Atlantic, how do you think these results affect your business? Have you had a significant amount of people asking for produce not grown in the mid-Atlantic? If you are a CSA provider, will you start (or do you currently) education on what produce is mid-Atlantic based?

Surveys of mid-Atlantic consumers conducted by Penn State researchers part 5

Another area for the PSU researchers to study was the effect of children on household preferences for locally grown and certified organic produce.

The responses suggest that a greater percentage of individuals who had children in the household selected options that emphasized “Certified Organic,” while individuals without children were more likely to select options that included “Locally Grown.” For example, the first set of options (where both were “Locally Grown”) shows a greater percentage of consumers with children (65.7%) compared to those without children (60.3%) selected the option that included “Certified Organic.” In Set 2 (both “Certified Organic”) and Set 3 (neither “Certified Organic”), those with no children in the household preferred the “Locally Grown” option by 5 to 6 percentage points.

One explanation for this difference is that individuals may have the tendency to purchase organics for their children to eat but they are not necessarily purchasing it for themselves to consume.

To read more about this survey, please read the press release.

As an ag entrepreneur, how can this information be used to position your food products for these demographic groups? If you sell organics, are most of your organic purchases from parents? How do the terms "certified organic" and "locally grown" affect consumers' perception of your products?

Surveys of mid-Atlantic consumers conducted by Penn State researchers part 4

In the continued Penn State research, consumers in metropolitan areas of the mid-Atlantic were surveyed on what types of food products they purchased, where they purchased these products, and what variables have affected their purchasing behaviors.

Survey respondents were asked to indicate which products they would be more likely to purchase if the product did or did not have a certain label (i.e. natural, certified-organic, locally grown, sustainably grown, green). There was an upward trend in both education and income levels indicating that they would still purchase products without the given labels.

To read more about this topic, go to the Mid-Atlantic Specialty Crops website and click "Newsroom".

Why are consumers of higher income levels and education responding this way? It may be because these consumers are choosing products because of other aspects besides the primary label. For example, these consumers may be less influenced by claims made by the product's primary label but more interested in the ingredient list.

As an ag entrepreneur, what do you think about this research? Do you have any of the above mentioned labels on your product? How do you think these labels are perceived by consumers of higher income and education?

Surveys of mid-Atlantic consumers conducted by Penn State researchers part 3

In the research conducted by Penn State, participants were surveyed on what types of food products they purchased, where they purchased these products, and what variables may have affected their purchasing behaviors. Two questions specifically asked participants to provide an approximate percentage of how much (quantity) of their average weekly food purchases consisted of “fresh” products versus “processed” products, and what percentage of these weekly food purchases could be categorized as
“meat,” “vegetables,” “grains,” “fruit,” “dairy,” “snacks,” and “sweets.”

Survey participants reported that approximately half of their food purchases could be categorized as “fresh”. Approximately 36% of their purchases could also be categorized as “fruit” and “vegetable” products, while “meat” products were reported as the majority of food purchases (20.2%).

Notable trends include differences between:
1) age groups – A greater percentage of the older age groups purchased meat and vegetables than younger age groups
2) education level – A greater percentage of the more educated groups purchased vegetables and fruits and a smaller percentage of the same groups purchased snacks than less educated groups
3) gender - A greater percentage of males purchased meat but fewer purchased vegetables and fruit than females


To read more about this research, please see the press release.

As an ag entrepreneur, how does this research affect your marketing? Have you seen these trends in your own sales?

Surveys of mid-Atlantic consumers conducted by Penn State researchers part 2

Continuing with the series on the PSU survey, more research has been released regarding produce purchasing behaviors of different age groups. (Sorry for the long pause between blog posts. I was on maternity leave.)

One question focused on the origin of common fruits and vegetables available at mid-Atlantic produce retailers. Participants were provided with a list of 46 fruits and vegetables including such items as apples, bananas, mushrooms, potatoes, and watermelon and were asked to indicate which of these fruits and vegetables are grown in the mid-Atlantic region.

Overall, 38 of the 46 fruits and vegetables listed were shown to exhibit significant differences between the age groups in regards to what produce they believe is grown in the mid-Atlantic region.






Some important findings include:
1) Generally, the older a participant was, the more likely he or she selected the correct fruits and vegetables, meaning that more of the older participants selected fruits and vegetables actually grown in the Mid-Atlantic, as well as NOT selecting fruits and vegetables that are NOT grown in the Mid-Atlantic. The younger age groups tended to select more incorrect responses than the older age groups.

2) The 21-24 year old age group was the exception to this generalization, as more of the participants from this group would select more fruits and vegetables to be grown in the mid-Atlantic region.

To read the full press release, please visit http://bit.ly/htN67X

As an ag entrepreneur, how does this information affect you? Will you use advertising to teach your customers about what produce is from the mid-Atlantic region? Do you think that incorrectly identifying the fruit's origin affects the purchasing behaviors of consumers?

Surveys of mid-Atlantic consumers conducted by Penn State researchers part 1

Over the past 2 years, researchers at Penn State University have surveyed mid-Atlantic consumers to determine consumer attitudes and behaviors towards food purchases. Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. were chosen based on the diverse demographics of consumers who reside in each area.

Survey questions were developed to investigate factors influencing consumer purchasing decisions regarding fresh produce and value-added, processed products. Researchers were interested in the role and impact of increasing food prices, rising energy costs, and other economic factors. Survey respondents were also asked about food safety, quality, availability, variety, and affordability. The surveys were conducted quarterly to investigate changes over time to better forecast consumer responses to situations, such as further increases in energy costs and reoccurring food safety issues.

For the next few weeks, I will be blogging about these survey results and how they can help entrepreneurs make decisions about their businesses. The first set of results I will discuss involves questions regarding on what types of food products
survey respondents purchased, where they purchased these products, and what variables may have affected their purchasing behaviors. One particular question asked participants to indicate what types of produce/produce-based food items they purchased for their household during an average week.

90.6% of survey participants chose fresh fruits and vegetables as items bought for their household during an average week. The next most popular item was potato/corn/vegetable chips, selected by 71.2% of participants. Other popular food items included frozen fruits and vegetables, selected by 64.3%, jams/jellies/marmalades (59%), fruit/vegetable juice or nectar (57.4%), vegetable-based soups (56.6%), and canned/bottled fruits and vegetables (54%).

To read more about the survey, please visit www.midatlanticspecialtycrops.com and click the "Newsroom" tab.

As an ag entrepreneur, do you sell any of the above products? If you sell a variety of these product types, are your sales similar to this data (meaning is fresh produce a better seller than fruit/vegetable juices or canned fruit/vegetables)? If you are thinking about becoming an ag entrepreneur or you are an ag entrepreneur looking to expand your product line, does this data influence your decisions on what you will sell?

Using Facebook as an online storefront

Do you use Facebook in your business? If so, you are probably seeing the benefits of this quick and easy way of communicating with your customers. Some businesses are taking their Facebook presence to another level. Retailers are now using Facebook as an online storefront. Customers can make purchases without ever leaving Facebook.

According to the article "Retailers working to turn Facebook into marketplace before holiday shopping season" by Maria Halkias, this phenomenon is referred to as "social retailing". How does it work? "Best Buy is an example of a large retailer with a "shop" tab on its Facebook page. Its entire inventory is on Facebook, and users are encouraged to share items they're considering with their friends and read what others think about a product."


article

As an ag entrepreneur, how has your Facebook presence helped you reach customers? Would you consider selling your products on Facebook? Why or why not?

Tailgating- a new merchandising opportunity?

On the eve of a Penn State football game, I have been thinking about the monetary impact tailgating has on State College, PA (and other towns with a large football following). I believe that many retailers are missing out on profits by not merchandising for tailgating season.

A tailgating study conducted by the Weber grilling company reports that over the past 12 months, 1 in 8 Americans has tailgated 3.4 times. Tailgaters also reported their main tailgating purchases. "The ‘basics’ tailgaters rank their top four foods: hamburgers (70%), brats (45%), chicken (42%) and hot dogs (42%) to the tune of $106 per tailgate or $441 in groceries per year for this activity. Another group, the ‘gourmet’ tailgaters, prefer chicken (43%), ribs (39%), brats (37%) and steak (33%) to the tune of $165 per event or $1,001 per year."

Meat is not the only merchandise tailgaters need. Other items may include veggies for grilling, wine, beer, snacks, condiments, ice, sauces, desserts, drinks, serveware, etc. Why not set up a tailgate merchandise area in your retail space? Tailgaters will appreciate the convenience of a "one-stop-shop" and you may see your sales increase because of this. Use your creativity to design a space centered around your local team and advertise, advertise, advertise!

Tailgating article

As an ag entrepreneur, have you done any merchandising for tailgating? Have you seen any increase in sales for certain products during football season?

Honing your negotiating skills

As an entrepreneur, you will need to negotiate with suppliers and clients. Many people hate negotiating because they feel it leads to tense situations and unhappiness (for possibly both parties). In an article on The Customer Collective (a forum for sales and marketing executives), author and CEO of Top Sales Associates, Johnathan Farrington, gives tips on making negotiating as painless as possible.

1. Manage your emotional state- Build rapport by matching the other person’s style, pace, and approach until you have achieved a ‘connection’. Personalize the negotiation by using “I” rather than your organization’s name. This demonstrates your belief in your proposal and highlights your credibility.

2. Look for quick mutual wins to build the belief “we can agree”- Seek to address the easy/quickest areas of agreement first to reinforce the process of agreement is simple and straightforward. If you discover an area where agreement may not be reached quickly, then agree to leave it until later.

3. Use active listening skills and ask questions to give you a greater understanding of the other person’s viewpoint- The goal of active listening is for you to hear and understand other people – their words, thoughts, and feelings, and to let them know you’ve heard and understood them. Acknowledge their motivations, feelings, and point of view, even when you don’t agree with what they are saying. Your goal is to understand the message, not judge the validity of what they say.

4. Build trust by negotiating fairly- Act with integrity and hold a healthy respect for the intentions of the individual you are negotiating with. There is always a reason why a point of negotiation is important to the buyer and if we can appreciate more about their underlying reasons, this knowledge can be used and acted upon.

article

As an ag entrepreneur, how often do you negotiate? How do you feel about negotiating? Do you find these tips to be helpful? Do you have any other tips to make negotiating less stressful?

What does "local" mean?

No legal authority (including the USDA) has declared a definition for "local", so how do you define it? Maybe the best way is to use the definition most popularly used by consumers. In a recent study conducted by the Mid-Atlantic Specialty Crop Research Initiative at Penn State, 1,710 participants from the metropolitan areas of New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Richmond were surveyed on this very topic.

The participants were surveyed on what types of food products they purchased, where they purchased these products, and what factors may have affected their purchasing behaviors. They were asked to indicate their definitions of “locally grown,” in terms of miles from their residence and in relative terms of distance from their residence. The majority of participants (78%) defined “locally grown” as 100 miles or less from their residence, as well as 84% defined “locally grown” as within their state of residence.



Are these findings enough to develop a definition of "local" or does the government need to get involved? Vermont and Maryland have developed or are in the process of developing their own definitions. In 2008, the state of Vermont developed a definition for "local"; foods could be considered local if they were grown within 30 miles of the point-of-purchase or within the state of Vermont. The state of Maryland is in the process of creating an industry advisory group of growers, retailers, processors and consumers to come up with guidelines to define "local".

As an ag entrepreneur, how do you define "local"? Are you marketing any of your products as "local"? Does the government (national or state) need to create a definition? Do you think different state definitions will help or hurt marketing?