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Do You Know the 5 Steps to Excellent Customer Service?

How can you add value to your business so customers will select you over others? What differentiates you from your competitors? The first step for any business is to make it YOUR OWN. Begin by defining your business’s unique customer service culture. Many businesses skip this step – but it is the most important! Everything you do for your customers should result from the business culture you strategically decide to create. This is not your mission statement, nor your marketing plan; but it influences both of those. Your customer service culture is the impression you want in a customer’s mind the instant they hear your business name.

Promoting Your Agritourism Destination

Now that we have entered Spring, being outdoors and enjoying the warmer weather is the top priority on our list. Families have begun to gather ideas on how to spend their spring and summer weekends. As an agritourism destination owner or operator, have you thought about how you will promote your destination so yours makes the list of potential visitors?

An attractive advertisement or an inviting social media post are sure to catch the attention of visitors. The more promotion and information you have readily available for interested visitors, the more likely they are to add your destination to their go-to list! To help you get started on the right foot when it comes to promoting your farm, we have compiled ideas about what you can do to get the word out about your agritourism destination.

Plan Now for Donating Excess Produce

Most gardeners anxiously await planting season and often get over zealous. Either the garden ends up larger than planned or more tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchini are planted than are actually needed. It is similar to going to the grocery store when you are hungry – you end up with more than you intended. Another situation may arise that the crops over performed, also leaving gardeners with a surplus. Although some of the excess may be shared with neighbors, friends and family, much goes to waste. According to AmpleHarvest.org, the amount of garden produce that goes unused in the United States could feed 28 million people. Make this year one that you intentionally plant extra and/or plan to give your surplus to help feed the hungry in your community.

Expanding Your Business’s Brand

Marketing Illustration Branding is a key component of a business’s recognition and reputation. The use of names, symbols and designs can help customers and clients identify your company’s products and services. Branding can build an expectation about a company’s products and can encourage the company to maintain or exceed that expectation, thus, bringing better products and services into the market place.

Expanding your brand is an essential marketing strategy to improve your business’s success and status. There are several marketing activities that you can establish, enhance or maintain to advance your overall branding outlook.

Tourism Consultations Offered Throughout Iowa

Professional Development Tour on Farm Iowa tourism is a growing business. According to 2016 research released by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, state tourism revenues exceeded $8 billion, with communities and businesses across the state trying to carve out a piece of the pie for themselves. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is ready to help. Tourism specialist Diane Van Wyngarden serves all 99 Iowa counties.

Agritourism - Reaching Out to A Potential Market

There is a growing Latino and Hispanic presence in Iowa. With regard to the business model of Agritourism, is it a potential market that hasn’t been capitalized on? Many Latinos originate from a rural setting. Capitalizing on the niche market opportunity to help Latinos reconnect and acquaint their younger generation to their heritage can be done with the help of a Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG). To learn more click here.

AgMRC Resources for Agritourism Destinations

Screen shot of AgMRC website One of our main goals for the Visit Iowa Farms Program, and all of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, is to help connect your needs with Iowa State University research and resources to help you make sound business decisions. The Visit Iowa Farms Program is a project of ISU Extension and Outreach Value Added Agriculture Program. The Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) is also housed under the ISU Extension and Outreach Value Added Agriculture Program umbrella. AgMRC is a national information resource on value added agriculture and has a wealth of resources that are useful to your farm and agritourism businesses. Click here to learn about a few of our favorites.

How to Use Facebook Effectively to Improve Your Business

Screen shot of Visit Iowa Farms Facebook page Google is primarily the first place people look to find information about a business or company. One of the first links to appear is the Facebook page. Facebook is the primary social media platform that is used to promote a business, so it is important to keep your information up-to-date. Here are five tips to help you maintain the performance of your Facebook page.

Marketing Tips

Utilize these tips to improve the marketing strategy for your business or agritourism destination.

How to Create a Hand Washing Station

Handing washing stations are crucial on an agritourism operation. Having hand washing stations around your farm will help protect your visitors from getting sick, which in return will protect you and your farm.

Build Your Own Hand Washing Station.pdf

Safety Protocols- A Must for Agritourism Destinations

Little boy feeding a goat Whether you are gearing up for a busy fall season or are open other seasons of the year, it is always a good time to be thinking about safety on your agritourism destination. Establishing proper safety protocols can help ensure that you are doing all you can to protect the visitors on your destination.

Farm Business Used FSA Loan Opportunity to Startup

Kiogreen The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Value Added Agriculture Program (VAAP) has teamed up with the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to create outreach and education about financial assistance through FSA Programs. With the help of a FSA microloan, KoiGreen Produce and Pond Supplies was able to startup their business as well as purchase many necessary items for their pond.

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