To Market

I've been attending a "To Market, To Market" class through my local Cornell Cooperative Extension office in Hamden. It's a good opportunity to look at your existing products, a prototype product, or future products and see how to best market those items. It's really been a lifeline for me. I've known for some time that I need to reevaluate my products and possibly let some (or all) of them go. I've also known for some time that I need to write a marketing plan and a business plan and this class has given me the push to do just that.

I've been spending a lot of time recently doing all these things: reevaluating products, working on plans, and still continuing to book classes, festivals, etc. Chicken Librarian really started from a class at the cooperative extension some 2 years ago. I attended a "Women in Agriculture" workshop and met the fabulous ladies of CCE and local business women. There were farmHers, growHers, shepHERds, and people like me who had an idea but no real plan. It was a catalyst for me to really start Chicken Librarian and figure out what my products were and what I wanted to do with my business. There were some growing pains and it took up until this past spring to really figure it out. I'm still learning but I think I have a good direction now.

So fast-forward to this year. I started booking classes, writing classes, blogging, selling at markets, attending workshops, and just generally trying to promote Chicken Librarian. But I felt like I was lacking a good, solid plan. I needed to stop and take inventory. And when I did I saw some things that just weren't working: mostly the products I'm trying to sell. So when I learned about the To Market, To Market workshop, I knew it was something that I needed and could really participate in. When I attended the Women in Ag workshop I didn't have a clear idea so I wasn't able to fully utilize the information. I'm using it now, but 2 years ago not so much. Although I did meet some wonderful ladies (I'll tell you all about them below).

I've been asking people for feedback and when I ran the numbers on what each product and class costs I realized that I need to let some things go. And I wouldn't really have known that had I not attended the marketing workshop (it's a series of 3 and we have 1 more class left, but last week's class was really about evaluating and getting feedback). I spent the previous week running the numbers. I know how much each product and class costs me down to the labels I put on each item. I'm not doing bad--my profit margin is right where it should be but one thing I lack is promoting my items. I give a lot of things away but I don't follow up and ask people to give feedback or share their experience via social media or a review here on the blog. I have a hard time self-promoting but the only way this is going to work is if I self promote. I think one of the hardest things for me is that I want to support other people via my social media so where is the line between sharing what I'm doing, promoting my business, and still supporting my peeps? That's been hard for me.

I think it's important to dive into these kinds of details and to know when something isn't working. I've been struggling for far too long with trying to sell the products that I originally thought were a good idea. So I've decided to not restock the salves, balms, and photos. Instead I'll continue to offer classes and I want to start selling kits. It will be a kind of 'take this class in the comfort of your own home'. Or 'you can't make it to one of my classes? Well, never fear! I've got just the thing for you!'. I've priced the kits so there is room for maneuvering. I'll start with beeswax food cover kits and see how it goes, rather than jumping in feet first with everything and then having a surplus of items just sitting.

I've also gotten much, much better about approaching people and letting them know who I am and what I do. Maybe it will lead to a partnership somehow. Or a class. Or even having my products in a new shop. And from the marketing class I've had some of my fellow business folk promoting my products. I need to get on promoting theirs (this past week has been filled with getting my next classes squared away, but now that they're finalized I can get back to my schedule). But I'm very grateful for the promoting that everyone is doing on my behalf!

And while you're in blog reading mode, go visit the fabulous ladies that I've met through these workshops. There's Angela with Mountain View Dairy Farm. Elizabeth (you've heard about her here before I'm sure. She's become a close friend over the past 2 years) from Elsewhere Farm. And Carla from the CCE, but wears many different hats. All of these ladies are entrepreneurs at heart and I stand to learn a lot from them.

I'm still working on my business plan and will continue to do that until it's where I need it to be. I'll also include a marketing plan and an 'action' plan, i.e. now you know what you're selling, doing so how do you put this plan into action? I'm looking forward to it. I'll be adding some classes to my repertoire in the near future and start promoting the kits (they aren't quite ready yet, but should be by the weekend so if you are just dying for a kit, contact me and I'll tell you all about them!). I feel good about the future of Chicken Librarian.

What do you struggle with when it comes to your homestead or business? Every one of you has a business even if you don't know it. Got a blog? That's your business regardless of whether you make money from it or not. Got a homestead? That's your business no matter how big or small it is. How do you need support? Can I do something to help you? Let me know! Is there anything else you want to know about my little business? I'm pretty much an open book so I'll pretty much answer any questions that you have.