Small Business Success (Part 2)

By Guest Blogger Blake Swanson

What good is the most efficient business out there that nobody knows about? In our modern era of the internet, Facebook, and blogs, businesses around the world are screaming for attention. My question to be answered this week among the small business series will be how to get people to find out about your business. Every business model from farm to factory should include marketing – a way to get your product into the hands of potential customers.

For starters, use your locality to your own advantage! Your easiest customers are going to be the ones who know about you and your business. Who wouldn’t want to support their own local farm over one across the country?

On the other hand, with the internet and our iPhones at our fingertips, a farmer in Kansas is only a call away from us at the Egg Carton Store over here in Washington State. That’s why we created Local Hens™ as a way for farmers to advertise themselves and their farm in a free and fun way.

As many of us belong to the locavore movement (click to learn!), buying and eating local food is important to keeping the community economy functioning at its best as well as getting the most nutritious and fresh foods while helping the environment at the same time. Buying local eliminates the movement of goods across the country and eliminates the environmental impact along the way.

Local Hens™ was inspired around filling the gap and utilizing the internet so that farmers can get customers to come to them. As an informative site, it allows customers to search for farms in their area so they can get in touch with the people who can supply the fresh eggs and farm products that they desire.

On the flip side, farm owners can create and display their farm page, location, and share pictures like this one that will make customers fall in love with your farm. Who knows? Maybe you will even be a featured farmer? At 1500 farms and counting, more farm pages means more potential customers finding their way to the Local Hens™ site and its farms.

Local Hens™ is just one of many ways to attract customers to your farm, so you can market your local produce to those who would appreciate it most. Go to the farmers market, post flyers, or get in touch with your consumer market with social media such as Facebook and Instagram. Customers absolutely love to see what you are accomplishing on your farm and share their own experiences with you as well as provide feedback and communication with your business itself! This information is useful in many ways such as product revision and knowledge and is enjoyable by both the owners and consumers.

The Egg Cartons Store exists to provide farmers with the products they need to be their best. Tune in to our final answer on farm business uniqueness next week and maybe get some inspirational new ideas that you haven’t yet heard of!