Food Chain Wars

Increasing your AOV (avg. order value) not only increases revnue and margin, but it also reduces your operational headaches... Why? Because every order you receive comes with a similar level of overhead and risk. Basically as your order count increases, so increases: customer complaints packing mistakes no-shows & restocking failed deliveries declined payments bad checks ... Shall I go on? This simple lesson is easy to overlook, and it's the inspiration behind this week's episode – Two EASY ways to increase AOV by next week!

It's something rarely talked about, but your brand name and logo does have an impact on the future of your business. Fun fact, Steve Jobs paid the renown designer Paul Rand, $100k to create the logo for NeXT, Inc. Now, I'm not saying you need to drop a large % of your startup capital on your logo, especially in the freelance-art world we live in today. However, it is important that you get the basics right because a bad name and/or logo, can be a ball and chain for a new farm-to-fork startup... In this episode, Blaine and I share past stories of old logos we've since moved on from, and how to make that transition if your business could use a rebrand.

A common killer of healthy businesses is poor cash flow. This is like a predator that always strikes when you're not expecting it. It doesn't matter if you have a great product, happy customers, or even healthy profit margins... It only takes one bad cash crisis to cause it all to fall apart. The good thing is that you can protect yourself from this fate! In this episode, Blaine and I break-down the most common mistakes that create cash flow disasters and how to avoid them.

To ship, or not to ship? 8 years ago, that's the big question Blaine and were battling with at Seven Sons... Up to that point, we had built a very successful buying club model, delivering to 50+ pickup locations throughout our region. Shipping always felt WAY too expensive, and a bad value proposition for our customers. Fast-forward to today, and we've closed all 50+ pickup locations and now exclusively ship door-to-door. What changed, and is a buying club program something you should even consider today? Those are the question we answer in today's episode: Shipping vs Curbside!

Retail vs wholesale... Which is most relevant for you in 2023? The short answer is that it depends! In this episode we unpack the pros & cons of both channels in order to help you determine where both fit into your 2023 strategy. Click for website & show notes

There's a lot of power in understanding your customers' buying psychology... Without a subscription, your customer has to let your know when they want their next order. With a subscription, your customer has to let your know when they DON'T want their next order. It's amazing how much value is tied up in that subtle, but distinct difference. Catch this episode to learn more about the tips, data, and pitfalls of this innovative strategy. Click for website & show notes

Are your priced stay profitable in 2023? According to the USDA, consumers paid 12.4% more at the grocery store in Oct, 2022, vs Oct, 2021. As we continue through a season of unpredictable inflation, the consequences for neglecting price corrections has never been higher. At best-case, unsustainable pricing suffocates your ability to invest in growth. Maybe that's how you feel now... We've all been there. The good news is that it doesn't have to be this way. In today's episode of Food Chain Wars, Blaine and I unpack the thinking & systems we use stay on top of profitable margins! Click for website & show notes

With season 2, we're relaunching the show under a new name (Food Chain Wars). Our vision is to grow the show into the most valuble free resource for farm2fork marketers (regardless if you use GrazeCart or not). We're here to help you climb the value-chain and reclaim your rightful market-share from big-ag and greedy 'greenwashing' corperations. That's what this show is about! Sound interesting? Catch the trailer to learn more about what to expect out of season 2!

Want to generate more engagement, clicks, and revenue with every email you write? We've brought Chad Graue (Director of Digital Marketing for Seven Sons) back on the show to help you do just that! In this episode, Chad will share three tips you can use to improve your email copywriting. Each tip is simple enough, you can put them to work in the very next email you write!

In the 'expert interview, you'll hear from Chad Graue (Digital Marketing Director at Seven Sons) share three proven promotion strategies that you can use to drive revenue growth this quarter. If you're looking for growth strategies, and have yet to offer your customer the occasional promotion or incentive to buy, then I guarantee you're leaving low-hanging fruit on the tree.