Partnership and Community Relations

Get out your To Do Lists!

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:10:39 +0000

No more strawberries, last week for blueberries, and all the greens have faded to memory. Sure signs we are past the halfway point for the market, and will likely be “slowing down” through the rest of the season.

But not for us Market Managers! Our slow time is 1:30 – 4 PM on a random Sunday in February! Now we have to get out that “great-commmunity-outreach-ideas-that-I-wish-I-had-the-time-to-get-to” list and see what is most essential to get done while the market is still on! There is no better time to talk about the market then when it is still going on, and now is the best time to get some notice and support for next year.

First, prioritize your list; The greatest priority for us all is money and support, and so we need to address these concerns right now as many of our supporters are starting their 2011 budget planning and we want to make certain we are included!

What about that Winter Market you were hoping to add? Now would be the time to survey your customers and vendors about their ideas and inclusion in such a venture. Maybe you cannot pull it off for this year, but planning for Winter 2011 cannot begin too soon.

How about changes to your existing market? New vendors, items, location, time…..these are all things that can be surveyed NOW while the existing market is fresh in everyone’s mind and you have a captive audience to follow up with. Yes, you may survey at anytime of year, but the response gleaned in September will be far superior to that of February both in quality and quantity. So if you have any unanswered questions, let them fly!

What about a big, old “THANK YOU” to everyone who has supported the market during this season. Sure we all love to get a Christmas Card from the Little League, but it certainly means more when you get a Thank You just after an 8 hour shift in the concessions stand! Take some time to thank everyone involved, it may just help out for 2011 as well. The conversation could start with … “Thanks so much for your support this year. We have seen increased sales and traffic at the market and we expect it to continue groing next year….” and it may end with “You’re welcome, how can I help with next year?”

How about a little mid-year report detailing what fun the market has been. Sure you can report sales and attendence if you want, but this is not AT & T Year End, this is the community market! Report on how much fun it was to have the Girl Scouts stop by or how appreciative the local Food Pantry was for the contributions or fundraising at the market. Take the opportunity to remind people how much fun the market is, and how important it is to the community, before it becomes a mid-winter memory!

So, take some time and re-work that “to do” list because although your market may be coming to a close, the community it serves will continue onward!

Produce? Is that ALL YOU’VE GOT?

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:44:45 +0000

Never lose sight of the fact that your market, just by its existence, is a valuable community resource. You are a gathering place for friends, neighbors, visitors, tourists, families, and even community leaders. As such your market is the great equalizer of the community and can serve as an “apolitical” place for the sharing and exchange of ideas, building awareness or fudnraising. In essence, your market “is” ommunity outreach by its very existence!
This is not to say that you need to put up a podium and allow any and everyone to speak their views. But it does mean that the gathering itself is a resource that others may want to tap into.
If it is truly local/regional, it is a reflection of the businesses in the community and an opportunity to organize and address this vital group and understand their needs, perspective and share or exchange stories “from the trenches”.
It is a center of commerce for not only your vendors, but for any of your local businesses who may want to distribute information or try a survey or speak to your vendors and their customers!
The Market is a place to discuss new ideas; from a local menu concept for a restaurant to a new intiative for the local businesses. It is space where local officials may choose to be visible to the community. Artists may wish to perform and “pass the hat” for payment; community groups may want to stage a cookout as a fundraiser or the local radio station(s) may see an opportunity to get greater exposure for their station by broadcasting from your market.
Now, be careful and try to build (and enforce) policies as to who and how the market may be used. It may only be applicable to non-profit organizations, but most political parties qualify! It may be businesses located or based in your zip code, or neighborhood. Maybe it is based on an association with farms or foods or such. Of greatest importence is that whoever wants to come NOT interfere with or compete with your paying vendors!
No matter the parameters, expect them to be challenged, but don;t let this scare you. You have fantastic produce, wonderful foods, baked goods, crafts, etc and a WHOLE BUNCH of local people who are themost valuable part of your market! So, be a little greedy and recognize the VALUE in your marketand guard it well! You do not have to open the flood gates and let anyone in, but those who ARE invited should recognize the benefit from the Market, and a few may just be willing to pay for the privilege of getting involved with your market!

Be well

Bob

Partnering for Special Events

admin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:16:01 +0000

Just because your market is run on Thursday afternoons doesn’t mean you can’t schedule an event or two on other days. Take advantage of your community’s events to promote and expand your market by having a “market day” along with your community event. If you can guarantee your vendors that hundreds or thousands of visitors will be coming into town for a Car Show or a 5 K run or a band competition, they will want to take advantage of the opportunity and expand the reach and impact of your market.
First, approach the organizing body of the other event with the idea. Assure them that there is no additional cost to them to host a special market day but that you expect to be part of the advertising and promotion of the event (Yodelers Car Show with Fresh Farmer’s Market, for instance). Once you have their acceptance, ask for their marketing materials. Use their posters, calendars, ads from past events to help persuade your vendors that this is indeed a “special Event” that will bring customers and business their way.
Once your current vendors buy in, approach new and different vendors; folks that turned you down for a year long contract or tried your market for a couple of weeks and then stopped may just want to give it a try for this special event. Charge them a small fee or percentage of sales for that day and stress the fact that their fees will apply if they wish to attend subsequent markets.
For instance, let’s say you charge $20 per week and $125 for a 10 week commitment for your regular vendors. If these special vendors commit to this one time event, charge them $30 and promise they can sign up for ten weeks for $95 if the event is a success and they would want to try it again during your regular market time.
Your regular vendors may come as a “freebie”, keeping in mind that you are probably asking them to give up a market they usually attend (and have paid for) somewhere else. If your event is sufficiently well known or publicized, they will see the value of participating and at no cost, all they are risking is their other market sales, which should be less because your event is syphoning off local business!
Finally, publicize the event at your regular market. This will bring in some of your regular customers to the other event and help prove to the organizers of the special event that you are committed to their success and a valuable partner in the process.
When all is said and done, survey your vendors and your partners to see what was good (and perhaps not so good) about the effort and commit to improving the process and holding the event again next year so that you can build it into your marketing materials to solicit vendors the following year.
Now, it is not foolproof and not every event is appropriate for a Farmer’s Market, but you can determine what might be the “best opportunity ” for your community and vendors pretty quickly and build an additional partnership with little additional energy!

Be well

Bob

Community and Board Relations

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 18:58:00 +0000

If you have a Board of Directors or a “friends of the market” organization, it is important to remember to have the community represented in that group. Sometimes, by the time we get past vendors, lawyers, affiliated organization membership, the City, the County and the local political preference party, we may look up and find that NO ONE on the Board lives in the community! Or worse, actually shops at your market!
This is unacceptable. I mean that all these groups or representatives are important, but without community and customers, your market has no future. Without their representation and STRATEGIC representation, there are troubles ahead!
But who to pick? Chances are the ideal candidate is already the Chair of two or more other Boards and coaching her daughter’s lacrosse team! But that shouldn’t stop you from asking her opinion as to who would make a good Board Member for you.
Also, never overlook the young people of your community. We have some very talented and mature young people who realize they need to perform community service to build their resume and their college applications. Also, we are losing young people in much of New York State because they feel no connection to their communities. Serving on your Board could be just the ticket to show them that their home town really isn’t so bad!
Also consider reaching into another organization to recruit a Board Member or two. The Rotarians, K of C, Kiwanis, Elks, League of Women’s Voters, Association of Greyhound Owners….every community is different, with their own “dominant” volunteer and community organizations. Tap into the biggest and most well known organization and get yourself a Board Member who can bring other resources (especially customers) with them!
The Board is a reflection of the Market and must act as an advisor to the Manager and help to build the markets future. Tying that future to the community’s betterment is essential for long term growth, and giving the customers ways to help that future along is essential to the Market’s health.

Be well

Bob

Health, Government & Your Farmer’s Market

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:13:38 +0000

Headline got you, didn’t it?
Well, a funny thing happened here in Seneca County the other night. Our County Legislature (which does not fund our market at all, BTW) passed a referandum that promised members would have available to them and their guests healthy snacks at each meeting.
Now you can be a cynic and say “Don’t they have more important things to do?” OR you can see an opportunity to promote your market.
Get in front of the local legislative body, be it Town, Village or even County Board and ask if they need fresh, healthy snacks for their meetings. Get your vendors to provide a bag or box of goods every once in a while and distribute them in a very public and marketing driven manner so that people will talk.
Now, there is no doubt that some will view this as a small and insignificant element, but if it is on the front page of the Local section of your newspaper, or discussed in the community blogs, you have made your impact!
Also, never underestimate the importence of putting your market out in front of the political “powers that be” at every opportunity. They may not fund your market, but they initiate and support multiple community programs including healthy eating and lifestyle programs that COULD stem from your market.
If they are aware of what you do, and see how dedicated you are to it, your market may benefit from it!

Community Property & the Farmer’s Market

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:45:33 +0000

Those of us who love Farmer’s Markets have to love some of the inventive and amazing ways they can influence the landscape of our communities and the sometimes “inventive” locations they can appear in. Sure parks and parking lots are always popular, and in urban centers, squares and “pocket parks” are a great location!
Schenectady’s Winter Market in the atrium of a century old Vaudeville Theater and the South Wedge’s winter market in a church are among the most imaginitive uses of space.
Think about your community, and I am sure that you have a property that is neglected or in some way not up to its fullest potential. Maybe they can be helped by a market? Winter or summer, there is space available at old factories, warehouses, schools, public buildings, in short I am sure that, like Seneca Falls, you have your share of well built empty structures. Structures that would LOVE TO HOLD A MARKET!
Step one; determine ownership; that’s as easy as a trip to City Hall and I don’t care if you are in midtown Manhatten or out in Roscoe, the procedure is about the same; find the tax records and you find the owner’s name and address. You may find a building that was seized by the municipality or a bank and they can’t wait for someone to take it off their hands. Also, they may be anxious to get the building some attention! Now we know you aren’t going to buy the building, but you will promise that dozens, hundreds maybe more will come to that building each week for your market, prospective buyers will see how it is a hub of your community or neighborhood and the building stands a much better chance of being sold than if it sat empty!
Of course, banks want to sell the building, not manage it, so you will need to relocate as soon as the building is sold. The good news is that banks move almost as quickly as local governments in disposing of proeprties so there is a good chance you will get 6 – 8 months of notice.
Need proof that this idea works? Take a look at Rochester Public Market, once in the worst part of town, now spurring economic development including condos, retail rentals and more! Take a look in communities across the state where often the market is in the oldest, most “gentrified” (great word for “run-down”) neighborhood and it is reviving the economy and bringing people into the heart of the city/village/town because it has value.
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF YOUR MARKET TO YOUR COMMUNITY.
Now make sure that no one else ever underestimates its value, and comes to participate. That is the BEST way to perform community outreach!

Coupons and Your Community

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:12:14 +0000

Who doesn’t LOVE coupons! Every week or so when I go shopping I clutch my fistful or coupons and seek out products I have never bought before because of the sense that I am going to get a GREAT DEAL!! Now, nine times out of ten that great deal is not as great as a “store brand” or some other competitor who is just plain better!
But they got my attention, and using couponing to achieve community outreach, greater traffic and better overall awareness of your market are attractive possibilities!
The one problem with couponing (especially when the idea comes from a manager and not a vendor) is that there IS a cost to couponing, and that cost is a burden to your vendors. Also, there is always an attitude of “They were coming to the market anyway and it just cost me $2 that I didn’t need to spend!”
Well, in the immortal words of Sargeant Hulka, “SETTLE DOWN FRANCIS!”
The hope is that the coupons do not have to cost the vendors anything and that just the effort of distributing them bolsters your standing in the community, increases traffic and increases business. Ask yourself what it would cost to do this as an ad campaign, an e-mail “blast” or a direct marketing effort? Take that money and put it towards COVERING the redemption cost of the coupons! Vendors can “cash in” their coupons at the end of the day or the following week, and the market then pays for the cost to the vendors.
Okay, how do we do that? First of all, target your coupons, DO NOT take an ad in the paper or publish it on your website where anybody and everybody can print it off and come running! That will cost you to produce as well as to redeem!
Instead, go to a local employer, or a local college or wherever you can contact a bunch of people with one contact and offer it as a “special deal” for their employees, only for one day or one week of the market. Then, ask the employer if they will cover the cost of the redemption up to a certain $$$ amount. For instance, you distribute 500 coupons to Acme Inc, employees with a one day offering. The coupons offers $2 off any purchase at the market. Simple math tells you that at 100% redemption, the coupon will cost you $1000 tops! Fact of the matter, if you get more than 5% redemption, you would make the cover of “Coupon News” because the average coupon redemption is something like 1.5% (numbers vary widely based on the type of coupon, delivery method, etc.), this means that unless you’re giving away cash, you will see between 5 and 10 coupons out of 500 come back at a total cost of about $20 for redemption. Get the employer to promise $100 in coupon support and you’re done. If redemption comes in at $20, you can do another coupon with the same employer later on!
How does this fit in community support? Well, you have now established a relationship with an HR or administrative professional inside the largest employer or group in town, are you just going to lose their e-mail or phone number? I DOUBT IT; they will get reminders and requests to circulate info concerning your market every week. That value is far greater than the cost of redemption, and think what that effort would have cost you through “regular” channels of distribution!
Another approach would be to have the coupon redemption covered by a third party as a “sponsor”. A bank, utility, local law firm may jump at the opportunity for a very reasonable cost to get their word (or just their logo!) out in the community.

Have a vendor who needs a little “love”? See if they would be willing to link to a coupon; buy a head of lettuce and get a pint of strawberries for free! But ask the vendor to give you a break on teh redemption cost since you will be helping them out.
Give it some thought, talk to your vendors and see how you can organize this “marketing effort” and gain community outreach, gain business and build awareness for your market!

Be well

Bob

Schools & The Farmers Market

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:27:48 +0000

I was speaking to a science teacher here in Seneca Falls once and she was saying how she wanted to teach her students more about Hydroponic growing since they represent a growth industry and “new” technology. I suggested a conversation with our local CCE representative and, just like that, an opportunity to learn was created and fulfilled.
The same may be said about a lot of aspects with our markets. There’s a great deal to be learned from our vendors, whether they be growers or bakers or even craftspeople. Information on running a business, managing their “inventory”, anticipating public need and interest in a product or just “gee, I wonder how your grow THAT?”
Schools can also serve as a great place to develop volunteers and partners. All the sports teams and many of the academic clubs and teams need to do some measure of independent fundraising, and your market may offer that opportunity. Maybe the soccer team will serve hot dogs one day or the foorball players will help with set up or to carry purchases for your customers or assist any disabled or elderly customers for tips.
The best part is that every student involved brings with them at least one parent, sometimes an extended family that, even if they don’t come that day are more aware of your market and may support it some other way down the road.
One word of warning; do not appraoch the schools with a vague idea; have a specific idea and a specific person (or groups) that you would like to speak to. Of course, be prepared for changes along the way but teachers and administrators have a hard time with “Well I thought we could get together and brainstorm” as opposed to “I have a program that could benefit your science curricula, sports programs or PTA”
Schools are a huge resource that are feeling more pressure to prove community value. They are open to ideas and intrigued by opportunities that allow them to get “front and center” in the community. Your market can offer that, and in return get new customers to stop by and new avenues to spread the word!
Be well

Not For Profit Partnerships

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:09:12 +0000

Don’t let the designation fool you; just because an entity does not make a profit doesn’t mean that you and your market cannot profit from partnering with them. In many communities the “non-profit” sector is a big employer or manages a number of interests which can directly benefit your market.
Our markets represent an opportunity for outreach to these groups and, as such, offer a chance for us to build customers, awareness and business. The local volunteer fire company maybe looking to recruit new members, for instance. They would benefit from a “fire prevention awareness day” at the Market and use the chance to also distribute applications, brochures and info relating to recruitment. In exchange, their members, families and supporters (maybe even influential Board Members) will come to the market and bring business!
Each non-profit poses their own opportunity for your Market depending on teh size, scope and focus of the organization involved. Hospitals can help with Health Screening or nutrition; food pantries can solicit contributions from visitors; kids sports teams can do bottle drives or car washes.
I am not suggesting that your Market gets filled with these kinds of partners. But careflly managed, with specific MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL expectations, there are any number of ways that we can help one another and the community we serve.

Be Well
Bob

Outreach and Awareness

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:32:55 +0000

Before you can partner, you need people to be, or remain aware of your market’s existence. Now, some of this will be covered under our “marketing” tutorial, but as an element of outreach, you can try a few things to raise awareness with an eye towards creating partnerships.
E Mail – While you may use e-mail to invite people in to your market each week; there are also “prospects” that could be contacted with a partnering message. Let’s say you do a weekly e-mail and announce that there is a musical group performing at the market that week (or a clown, musician, juggler….) in your “regular” e-mail you will say something like “bring the kids, friends, family and come have a good time”. In your “partnership” e-mail you could say “we are seeking sponsors for our performers. Costs as little as $50 and we’ll give you credit for your support of the market”.
Also, timing of your “partnership” e-mail may be different. If you are holding a weekend market your consumer e-mail may go out Friday afternoons or Saturday mornings, when businesses are closed or may be too busy to notice. Send your partnership message Thursday evening or earlier to catch prospects.
Signage – Anyone who is willing to hang a sign may be willing to partner. First and foremost; get those signs up in busineses and locations around your area, but don’t forget where they are! You will want to walk through those doors at some point and say “Thanks for hanging the sign, here’s another opportunity to support the market…”
Advertising – There’s nothing wrong with adding a small message to your regular ads to point out that you are seeking to partner with local businesses. I do a live radio spot the morning for our market and among the things I mentioni is that we appreciate the support of our sponsors and would welcome others any time! It’s a simple thing meant to reinforce other efforts and messages.

Be well

Bolb