If you look to the left of this

Beth,

Thanks for the intro! We share an interest in heirloom plants. Loved the Christmas cat photo! My little cat, Grace, is asleep on a pillow on my lap and I am reaching over her to type.

For marketing your stuff from the farm, have you thought of getting customers and developing an e-mail list through advertising on Craigslist and then collecting e-mail addresses of people who buy eggs, etc., so you can tell them when you have a lot or only a little of whatever, with a special deal? It also would let them make appointments to come to you to buy, and you could set the price the market will bear.

Have you thought of putting an opt-in subscription box on the Castle Argghhh!!! home page to collect names and e-mail addresses? Let people know it’s for locals who want to buy from you and how often you’ll send them e-mails to let them know what’s available and prices.

Cynthia

Thanks, Cynthia, those are good ideas. I must admit, though, I’m afraid of Craig’s List! There have been a bunch of robberies in town from people advertising on Craig’s List. I have been leaving business cards everywhere, and I’m starting to feel like a door-to-door egg saleman - LOL, as everytime I go to town, I bring eggs, and everywhere I shop, I ask if anyone needs any - and sometimes that gets me a sale, but geeze, what a lot of work for a couple of dollars!

Beth, I could tell you were doing a lot of work like that and wanted to give you an alternative because it gets heartbreaking. Never mind about Craigslist. The thing is to think of ways to get people to give you their e-mail addresses because they want to hear regular messages from you about what you sell. What can you offer them that will make them want to give you their e-mail address? A discount on their next purchase? A little pamphlet of your recipes that you print yourself? Plus, think about what will be a profitable way for you to sell—delivering to stores where people can buy, or setting times people can drop by to buy, or make an appointment to buy—and keep your clients up-to-date on that in your e-mails.

You’ve probably already thought of all this, but I’m just making sure. I’m looking forward to your tales of success and profitability.

Cynthia

Beth,

Now all you need are ‘next’ & ‘previous’ buttons for the posts for those of us who like to read all the comments. ;)