Small Business: Marketing Cottage Food

         

       Starting a business is like a maze of possibilities with twists and turns galore. The wrong path can cost the business its future, so careful choices are a must! We have made our share of mistakes in running Maid-N-Meadows. We have made the wrong product at the wrong time. We have taste tested product with stuffy noses, before shipping it out. (Please, don't make THAT mistake!) We have been inefficient and ill equipped for the task at hand....causing us to work around the clock. We have been wrong in our cost of product forecasts and labor forecasts....The list goes on and on!

             With the help of patient customers and those seasoned in the cheese business world, we are still here. We have managed to do a few things that have helped us as well....and that is what we wanted to share today. First our business's marketing model that has helped us promote Maid-N-Meadows and get us our start.

1.        Make an excellent product in a niche area that is currently not being filled, at a competitive price. High performance in customer service is a must!
2.    If your business is a food/craft that can make a regular showing at a farmer's market, it is an excellent way to reach out to a grassroots base. We love our market goers because they really "get it" and support us loyally. They are the heartbeat of what we do!
3.          When working for a wholesale account, SHOW UP! Emails are nice and phone calls can work, but walking through the door gives the full impression of the business and what it stands for. We want our wholesale customers to know they matter. When they sell or use our product, their reputation is on the line too! We want them to know that we take product quality seriously and that we will stand behind our product. If problems crop up, we will be there to help set things right.

       A few other things we have going for us are excellent mentors, facility inspectors that encourage us, a rocking distributor, and truly intelligent and insightful farm help! So much expertise and insight is just a phone call away. (Thank God!)