Combined Inventory means your Farm store can offer a single item --- regardless of price(s), unit size(s) and / or price sheet (retail, private or wholesale) --- and ensure it pulls from the same inventory. Your inventory counts per item can now update automatically, accurately across multiple sizes, regardless of amount paid or type of Buyer. Combined Inventory works across both in-person and online purchases.

To sell more products and meet Buyer expectations, your Farm must provide a simple and easy shopping experience, online and in-person. Your Farm must be accessible from a variety of avenues to serve a multitude of Buyers. Offer convenient fulfillment options that will serve Buyers with a range of routines and schedules.

As an Independent Farmer, the capability to seamlessly serve your Buyers online and in-person is crucial. Your online and in-person sales must be fully synced to allow for a streamlined ordering process, avoiding any confusion or loss of profits or product. You will miss out on Buyers when they are not given multiple ways to shop. Not every Buyer will have cash to pay for your products at your Farm stand, nor will every customer have a credit card on hand.

The most successful Independent Farms offer their products for Pre-Order ahead of season, to capitalize on market demand, simplify their harvest schedule and to increase cash flow. There are some simple steps to help your Farm sell out before harvest. To begin with, you must build a base of local Buyers eager to pre-order your goods, market to them regularly to stay top-of-mind, and offer an easy ordering system - online and in-person.

As a Farm business owner, it is important for you to have accurate reports on your Farm finances to know what parts of your business are profitable, and what is not. It is crucial to analyze the profitability of your Farm operations, breaking down income and expenses, and setting goals for different lines of your business.

Farms selling Direct-to-Market find success in offering convenient pick-ups and home delivery options to local Buyers. This can spur purchases from busy customers, attract new Buyers through word-of-mouth marketing and reinforce their support of local businesses. Farm delivery day does not have to be a stressful ordeal. Simplify your delivery day routine with systems designed to prep all orders in advance.

In 2020, Joe made the switch to Barn2Door’s software built for Farmers. Instead of using analog records or a horizontal ecommerce solution (formerly Shopify), he moved the business to an order management solution, designed to support Retail (consumer) and Wholesale (restaurant) buyers. While Joe has seen other Farms constrained by commodity prices, he has maintained premium prices for his products by selling Direct-to-Market.

There are time-saving automations you can deploy to bring ease to your marketing efforts, without adding hours to your current workload. Having a set schedule each month to plan efforts and using automated software will give your Farm the ability to market to more Buyers without added stress.

Julie and Michelle joined forces in 2019 to bring sustainable Farm products to their community in Texas. Now, Veteran’s Liberty Ranch serves Buyers throughout central Texas, with in-person and online sales.

Every Farm is different, selling varying products, serving different markets and establishing their own, unique business plan. However, to scale and increase sales for your Farm business, it is important to implement tactics that have proven successful across the country.

In 2021, Benoit Family Farmstead made the decision to partner with Barn2Door to expand their reach to access new Buyers with Farm eCommerce and streamline their operations. The Farm has been able to add more products and serve their community, without having to spend extra hours in the office.

We’ve captured a quick synopsis of how your Farm business can leverage Barn2Door to accelerate your growth, recapture your initial costs, and build a more resilient and profitable Farm business.

With email marketing, you will have the ability to communicate with Buyers straight in their inbox. You can tailor your message depending on the type of Buyer, actions you desire and current events on the Farm. Independent Farmers ‘own’ their customer base, so it is essential you know how to effectively market and communicate to encourage loyalty and purchases.

Independent Farmers have more freedom in their business. Instead of relying upon auction houses to purchase products at commodity prices, they have full control. When selling direct, you determine the prices and packaging, meaning you can optimize your profit margins (and still move all your products).

Though every Farm business is unique, it is helpful to gain insights from successful Farmers who have been in your shoes. Ensure you are prepared to start your business, by taking crucial steps to organize your Farm operations and grow strategically. Trying to change too quickly may result in failure, while avoiding all risks may put your Farm in a box. Rachel Shenk recently shared how their Farm started and successfully scaled in a matter of years.

There are two things you cannot avoid in life: death and taxes. As a business owner, taxes are always in the background of every purchase and sale you make. Finances are an inevitable part of running a Farm. We recently spoke with Taylor Bridges, a Quickbook Pro Advisor that works with Farmers across the country. She shared her advice for tax preparation, and a checklist to ensure your Farm is in control of its finances.

Farm Marketing is important for building your businesses’ brand. Buyers have to know your Farm exists before they purchase your products. While there are tools to improve your marketing efforts and give you tips to implement, it is important to understand that you ‘own’ your marketing.

If your Farm sends more than 5,000 emails from your domain on any given day, then read carefully! Google and Yahoo announced stronger guidelines against unwanted emails to better protect users, which could significantly impact the ability of your Farm to send email to your customers.

2024 is here, and it is important to reevaluate the Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy for your Farm. Many Farms are eager to increase sales, access more customers and save time, while achieving their growth goals in the new year. When determining how you plan to run your business this year, consider products, software and innovations that will make operations and sales streamlined.

The Direct Farm Podcast hosts successful Farmers and Barn2Door partners, sharing tips for Farms looking to save time, increase sales, and access more customers. Each week, product updates, marketing tactics and Farmer spotlights are shared, to highlight successful Farming practices and stories.