Often we look at the hard costs versus the gained revenue when we choose to add an attraction to our Agritourism Venue.  How much will it cost us to add this new attraction and how long will it take us to have it paid for by charging so much per ride, shot, or jump.  That is a smart business practice and is very important when making these decisions, especially on very large purchases.  With that said, what we are going to talk about in today’s post is whether we should be spending significant resources on activities for which we won’t directly charge.  Those activities that are either included in the gate fee or, for those with an a ’...

We receive lots of emails asking some great questions as well as others letting us know about great resources or products that have worked well. We love your emails so please keep them coming! I thought it might be a good idea to pick out some of the questions we receive along with our responses on topics that may benefit a larger audience and use them as our blog post. We don’t have all the answers by any means but we do our best to share what has worked well for us and others that we have built relationships with. Today, we are going to post Q&A that came from the blog posts Mike wrote on the topic of netting your corn maze.

Sponsors can make a HUGE impact on your bottom line, not only from a product standpoint or for the services or funds they provide, but also from the cross-promotional marketing that normally occurs.

This article will focus on those things you can do during the long off-season to keep your guests engaged and looking forward to when your doors are open again.

It is easy as small business owners to get tunnel vision or a jaded perspective on what our guests want, what is working well, and where we need to improve.  It is also easy to get complacent in areas that are not our passions or areas of expertise and since they are working “well enough” they don’t get the attention they sometimes need.  A fresh perspective from our guests can help us to see any blind spots that need our attention.  

The best way to do this is through a survey.  Today we are going to talk about the different ways to conduct surveys and what questions we should ask.

What should the survey include?

Keep it short...

It's that time of year again where we look back on what we accomplished the previous year and set some goals or resolutions for the 365 days that lie ahead. As Agritourism owners, our goal should be to improve upon our product and services every year. In this post, we will talk about some tips on how to do that more effectively.

If your venue is in a geographic location that has a cooler fall climate and you don’t offer campfire sites to rent, you are missing out!  Missing out on increased revenue from renting out the campfire sites, missing out on increased attendance from groups that come because you offer a private area for them to enjoy, and missing out on additional sales of items that your guests may need for their campfires such as hot dog or s’more kits.  Let’s talk about the details of what it takes to pull off a successful campfire offering without creating too much chaos or increased stress for you.
 

Are There Insurance Requirements?

Just like an...

This can be a tough one to navigate.  Should you charge for the 85-year-old grandmother that is just there to watch her grandchild open presents at a birthday party?  Should you charge for parents that are there to help with the field trip?  What about someone that is physically handicapped and won’t be participating in any activities?  These are all tough scenarios to navigate while keeping your customers happy but let’s talk through some of the options you have.

Insurance
First and foremost, check with your insurance carrier to see what their requirements are around this.  I have never personally run into a provider that...

Gate Fee vs. A la carte – Which one is right for your venue?

There are different ways we can charge for things we offer at our Agritourism venues from charging for each of the activities we offer, to a gate fee that includes everything, or somewhere in between.  Sometimes our property layout helps to dictate which option will work best.  Here is what we have found to be the pros and cons of each.

A La Carte

We did this with our first venue.  Anyone could come and enjoy being on our farm and never actual spend any money if they chose not to participate in our activities or eat any food.  There were a few things we offered that families...

Long lines are one of those things we consider a “good problem to have”.  Unfortunately, long lines can be a frustration for your guests and not a good way to start their fun day at the farm.  Here are some tips to keep those lines moving.

1. Good Signage

Be sure you have easy-to-read signs at your check-in area.  Not just at the cash register but in several places that can be easily seen from the lines so customers can be more prepared when it is their turn to pay. 

2. Limited Options

Keep it Simple.  Don’t have too many combo packages or options.  Studies have shown that limiting options to 3 or less is the sweet spot in situati...