Page 8 - CFAN_Aug2014

MORE STRATEGIES FOR EXTENDING YOUR BUSY SEASON
WE’RE SMACK-DAB in the middle of summer, and for many small businesses, sales and other activity might be closer to the valley than the peak. It’s the “slow season.”
That might be okay for people who need to take a couple of weeks for some R&R, but it’s not okay for those whose livelihoods depend on steady work and a steady flow of income. They’d much rather see their busy season extended as much as possible. Here are some ideas for doing just that:
• Research your seasonal customers. If you find out what your customers do, where they go, and what they buy when they typically aren’t visiting you, you might just be able to tweak your services and products to cater to their needs and wants a few extra weeks out of the year.
• Keep the cash coming. Offer some buy-now- save-later specials before your peak business period begins. Perhaps with discounts as incentives, encourage your loyal customers to pay in advance for things they’re sure to require later.
• Use the phone. Provide the personal touch by calling your customers. Ask them how you can help them or about the quality of service you’ve provided recently. Tell them about the new merchandise you’re bringing in. Promote an open house or other special “storewide event.” A customer who wasn’t thinking about patronizing your business before the call might visit you afterward.
• Market your expertise. As a business leader, you’re gutsy and you’re confident in what you know and what you can do. Put yourself on the market for trade shows, seminars, and workshops,
and sell that expertise. And don’t
forget: Promote your trade
with cards, brochures,
samples, and links to
your Internet and
social media sites.
by BAXTER TROUTMAN
BIO: Baxter Troutman is founder and chief executive officer of Labor Solutions, a staffing company with offices in Bartow, Winter Haven, Lake Wales, and Arcadia. A citrus grower who served in the Florida House of Representatives, Troutman understands the challenges and concerns of today’s farmer.
8 | CFAN
FEATURE | a g r i b i z
IAGRITOURISM
Public Enjoying Life on the Farm—From
Tours to Weddings
by CHERYL ROGERS
I N A N E R A of increasing urbanization, farmers and ranchers are finding people still love the outdoors and the nostalgia of country living. As they look for creative ways to increase revenue, they are turning to agritourism, by hosting wedding receptions in their barns, letting the public pick fresh produce, and inviting groups to their farms for corn or crop mazes, field trips, tours, and photo shoots.
“When the housing boom went bust, the sod business went right along with it,” explains Donna Smith, who along with husband Ted and sons Colt and Dakota run the Smith Family Ranch in Lakeland. “We had to look for ways to diversify.”
The Smiths set up a corn maze four years ago, and the event has been attracting thousands to their ranch at the edge of the Green Swamp ever since. They have expanded their offerings to include a Christian rock concert, hayrides, zombie paintball, outdoor movies,
Update
country Christmas celebrations, and even weddings. “We had an existing barn. We made it bigger, put in bathroom facilities and dressing rooms for brides and grooms,” Donna explains.
Angela Slappey, who owns S Bar S Ranch with her husband Billy, began hosting weddings about a year ago in north Lakeland. “They love the flatlands,” she says. “We do find even if there’s something going on inside the barn, people want to be outside.”
Brides and grooms are opting to marry beneath the Slappey’s majestic oak trees. Decorations may include old wooden tools or Angela’s great great grandpa’s saddle. They also can see palmettoes and registered cracker cows descended from the original cattle brought to Florida in the 1500s. Fall weddings are especially popular and brides and grooms should book a year in advance. “It’s old Florida,” she adds.
Mary Beth Henry, a small farms extension agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) in Polk County, says farmers and ranchers are finding some people “like to have an agricultural experience for entertainment.”
“It’s a good chance for the public to learn about agriculture,” Henry says. “It’s more prevalent if you’re driving up Interstate 75 (I-75).” She has begun organizing group tours designed to show people where their food is grown and how it is handled. The first tour included picking blueberries, eating at a blueberry winery, and visiting a blueberry packinghouse. A second trip is planned this fall centered around honey. “What we’re trying to do is help farms,” she says.
The goal is to charge visitors enough to provide some income to the hosts. “They [the guests] will probably expect to feel like they’re having a special experience that isn’t available otherwise,” she says.
continued on PAGE 24
“THEY LOVE THE FLAT- LANDS,” she says. “We do find even if there’s something going on inside the barn, people want to be outside.”
FloridaAgNews.com