Farmers Market Business Planning:
Taking Your Farmers Market to the Next Level
This three part webinar series hosted by the Farmers Market Federation of NY and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County will discuss the importance of the business plan in ensuring the long-term success of your farmers market. Each session will cover a specific section of the business plan, explore concepts and offer insights into how each may be applied to a farmers market, no matter the size.
Farmers Market Business Plan, Part 1
This first session will cover the introduction to the business plan concept and then dive into the various aspects which make up the first part of any business plan. These include the mission statement and goals for the market, its history and organizational structure, community demographics, site selection and risk assessment.
After participation in this webinar farmers market managers, or those supporting markets, will have a better understanding of each of the components as well as how to apply these components to their individual market. Following the webinar, a set of worksheets will be emailed so markets can complete for their own market’s business plan.
Farmers Market Business Plan, Part 2
The second session of this series will address marketing and communication strategies. Someone once said, “marketing is not trying to sell whatever you make to whoever will buy it”.
Marketing starts with understanding how your farmers market is perceived by customers and how you can leverage that to increase both customer count and level of sale. But marketing is often the piece of farmers market operations which falls to the wayside due to daily energy being focused on day to day tasks. Understanding what marketing strategies are available to you as a manager, how to leverage social media and community partners, as well as putting a marketing plan in place prior to the season starting, will enable you to implement a set of marketing strategies to grow your market’s reach within your community.
Farmers Market Business Plan, Part 3
This third, and final, session, saves the best for last! Money, like politics, is something that no one wants to ever talk about in polite conversation! But the financial aspects to running your farmers market will make or break you when it comes to understanding how to set vendor fees and/or pursue sponsorship opportunities to balance the expenses of running the market.
This session will start with an overview of the various income and expense categories for a typical farmers market budget and then dive into how to set up a budget as well as a basic cash flow statement and financial projections. Participation in this webinar will give you the skills to create a set of financial documents for your farmers market to ensure profitability and sustainability.