My partner John’s phone buzzes all day with incoming emails. The volume amazes me, as does the way he shrugs it off. Most people I know curse all the unwanted email. Not John. They’re not unwanted, and he actually prefers …
On November 8, 2016, Massachusetts residents voted to legalize marijuana; and on July 1st the first retail shops (dispensaries) opened. No doubt, growing cannabis will be far more profitable than tomatoes: with huge demand and little competition, farmers can command …
The first time I provided feedback to an employee was nerve-racking. I was working as a private chef; and finding qualified assistants to work with me was difficult. Not only could I not offer full-time work, the hours I did …
A few months ago, I wrote about five reasons why farmers struggle to make more money. They focus on revenue, not profits They don’t properly capitalize They don’t know where the money goes They don’t spend enough time reviewing They …
As I learned early on in my first business (Interactive Cuisine), if you build it, they won’t necessarily come. I had some warped sense that people would hear the concept (in-home cooking demonstrations that lead into a gourmet dinner party),
How many times do you ask yourself that question? It’s difficult to diagnose problems and answer that question, if you don’t have hard data (that is, good bookkeeping records). As someone who’s mentored hundreds of farmers and food entrepreneurs, I …
Every day, as entrepreneurs and business owners, we have two focuses. First, we need to take care of day-to-day business to earn money in the present. Second, we need to make sure we have work tomorrow (through business development activities) …
Of all the problems of a launching business; explosive sales hardly seems like one of them. Who ever heard of an entrepreneur complain that sales were too great? Particularly for a newly launched business, higher than expected sales can feel …
Blair Welchel launched her heirloom grain and pasta business in 2015, and moved into a retail location in 2016. Like most start-ups, the to-do list is longer than hours in a day. From the basic operations of milling grains and …
We all have opinions… as banal as what we like to eat or movies we enjoy seeing, to more deeply held beliefs that revolve around our values, religion and work. For me, I’m adamant that farmers think about themselves …