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 F

Agritourism burnout can not only impact the success of your business, but all areas of your life. It is important to take steps to ensure that you have enough “fuel in your tank” to make it through the season with a smile on your face (even if it is fake sometimes). When burnout sets in, the negative impact will be felt all the way down to the guests that visit your venue. Here are some tips to help avoid Agritourism burnout. 1. Delegate Menial Tasks It is tempting to sav

As Agritourism owners we find ourselves in a wide variety of stores for a wide variety of reasons. Even though price is a big determining factor for whether or not I frequent a store, there are other factors that are equally important. If you were to ask me my opinion about the 3 local hardware stores that I visit the most, I would most likely evaluate them based on price, inventory and customer service. And based on those things there is one store that stands out and one I w

This topic is fresh on my mind as my oldest daughter, Elizabeth, was married this last Saturday at our farm. She, like many other brides th

For many of us that run fall agritourism businesses, we have discovered the significant impact that selling pumpkins can make to our bottom line. In this article, we'll talk about the reasons that you should be selling pumpkins, selling & pricing strategies, growing vs. buying, and more. Why should I sell pumpkins? Attendance: Pumpkins are something that potential customers associate with a fall agritourism venue and blends very well with most other fall related farm agrito

I am a big believer in the power of a good Agritourism haunt to add another revenue stream to your business. Most of us however do not have

Our website continues to be that anchor point to a successful marketing campaign. Guests need a place to go to get detailed information about your business. You may use things like Social Media, paper coupons, digital billboards, email campaigns, and more to get the word out about your business but nearly all of your marketing efforts will be done with the intention of driving that traffic back to your website where they can get all the information they need. It is critica

1. Clean & Plentiful Bathrooms The reality is that most Agritourism venues with heavy seasonal crowds don’t have enough indoor bathroom facilities to keep up with the demand. That means we have to resort to the dreaded Porta-Potty. This is the worst nightmare of germaphobes’. Your guests may be on their way to having an outstanding customer experience (see our blog post from last week) and a dirty bathroom or Porta-Potty may be the lasting memory that sticks longer that a

1. Trained Staff I believe the first step in providing an OUTSTANDING customer experience is a thoroughly trained staff. I believe there are 3 key areas of training: Product Training, Operational Training, and Procedural Training. PRODUCT TRAINING. Providing an outstanding customer experience requires a staff that is educated about your “product” and can answer questions from your guests. If you are a farm that offers organic food, they should know why your farm has chosen

1. Experienced Drivers Be super selective in this critical safety area. Just because the minimum age requirement by your liability insurance carrier may be 21 years old doesn’t mean that any 21-year-old that has driven a tractor “will do”. This is probably the last place you want to try to save on payroll expenses. First choice is always family or friends that you know have the experience and the personality that is critical to this position. If you don’t have family and