Marketing 201: Getting Your Products Off the Shelf- Registration now OPEN!

small-food-processors2013-2014 WI Local Food Business Seminars: This year’s seminars are presented monthly by DATCP and University of Wisconsin-Cooperative Extension. Check below for scheduled workshops and the webinar archive.

Marketing 201: Getting Your Products Off the Shelf

March will focus on branding and marketing your product. Tera Johnson of Tera’s Whey will discuss the following:

1)     Local food business models that work.   Many local food businesses prove to be unsustainable because they had an underlying business model that could never work despite having great products that consumers liked.  There are, however, business models that do work.  Learn how to shape your business into something that can be successful.

2)  Who should I be selling to and how? Learn how to identify your best target consumers and sales and distribution channels that can get your products to them.

3)  Market-based pricing.  Learn how to marry your cost of production with what consumers are willing to pay to arrive at pricing that will work for your business.

4)  Your brand is more than your products.  Learn what it takes to create and sustain a valuable brand over time, and how integrated marketing communications and promotions affect both your sales and your brand.

Dates and Locations

Tuesday, March 4th 2014, 8:15AM – 1:00 PM – Register Online
Agriculture and Energy Resource Center
68760 State Farm Road
Ashland, WI 54806
Cost: $15, $10 per person for additional business registrations when registered together.
Lunch is included in the registration cost.

Wednesday, March 5th 2014, 8:45AM – 1:30 PM – Register Online
Jackson County UW Extension
211 S 11th St
Black River Falls, WI
Cost: $15, $10 per person for additional business registrations when registered together.
Lunch is included in the registration cost.

Thursday, March 6th 2014, 8:15AM – 1:00 PM – Register Online
Brown County Culinary Kitchen
2900 Curry Lane
Green Bay, WI
(Use the main entrance of N.E.W. Curative Rehabilitation.)
Cost: $15, $10 per person for additional business registrations when registered together.
Lunch is included in the registration cost.

Friday, March 7th 2014, 8:15AM – 1:00 PM
DATCP – Register Online
2811 Agriculture Drive
Madison, WI
Cost: $15, $10 for additional business registrations when registered together
Lunch is included in the registration cost.

The Madison workshop will be available via webinar, and you can attend free of charge. Contact Teresa Engel at Teresa.engel@wisconsin.gov for further information.

*If you register for the webinar, you will receive the webinar directions via email a week before the workshop. Limited spots available via webinar. All Friday seminars will be archived for future viewing.

**Locations are subject to change.

For more information…

For more workshop information, visit: http://datcp.wi.gov/Business/Buy_Local_Buy_Wisconsin/

Email: Teresa.engel@wisconsin.gov      Phone:608-224-5101.

If you missed the November and December seminars you can check out the webinar archive by clicking on the links below.

November 2013:Put Your Local Food Business Idea to the Test
Carl Rainey of DATCP took participants’ business ideas from inception to product launch. The seminar discussed practical strategies for testing your business idea in the marketplace, covered examples of other local food business start-ups and included principles of lean business strategies.

December 2013: Understanding the Legalities of Your Business
Rachel Armstrong of Farm Commons and Courtney Berner from the UW Center for Cooperatives covered the legal issues involved with starting and running your own food or farm business in an interactive setting.