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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!

In our last newsletter, we introduced a series of articles about our customer service workshops, and the five steps a business must do to provide excellent service to its customers. In the May, 2018 newsletter, we highlighted the first step of excellent customer service as “Make it Your Own”.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Having hand washing stations around your farm will help protect your visitors from getting sick, which in return will protect you and your farm.

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

KoiGreen was able to start its business and purchase many necessary items for its pond thanks to an USDA Farm Service Agency microloan. The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Value Added Agriculture Program works with farmers to provide information and education about financial assistance available through FSA programs.