Eco-Biz Creation & Permaculture Innovation for First Time Entrepreneurs
So I discovered permaculture & got inspired – found a permaculture community & have been scribbling business ideas in notebooks ever since. The innovation just keeps on coming – I am overflowing, to the brim! So what do I do now? To answer this question, I’ve been doing a little research. I’m currently studing the book “Don’t Dream It, Do It – Making Money from New Farm Ideas” by Greg Cahill (a big thank you and hat down to you, Greg!) I’ve found it so practical & to the point – I thought I’d share my notes…
BUSINESS OFFICE ESSENTIALS:
- Business cards
- Stationery
- Business phone (outgoing calls)
- Business phone number (incoming calls)
- Website
- Mailing address (ie. PO Box) – secure & confidential
- Site address
- Property map
- Emergency contacts
- First aid safety
- Fire safety plan
- Facebook page
- Online location of the PDC courses (+ other business ventures)
- Hardcopy of business plan
- Computer & internet connection
- Printer, ink & paper
BUSINESS PLAN:
Be ultra clear and specific – just like aims in scientific research.
Do a life-cycle analysis (LCA) on the product/service to clearly define all aspects.
Identify key players in the business & maximize their efforts:
– permanent contributors/temporary contributions (with dates/times when available)
– skills, talents, interests (be specific)
– place each player in a position which best serves the project & stabilizes it’s future
FEASIBILITY STUDY (aka. MARKET RESEARCH):
This is part of market research and should be completed first. Use the info:
- to perfect product/service design.
- to guide business (in business plan).
Market research means to ascertain if there is a real demand for a product/service.
Questions the study should answer:
- Is there a demand for the product/service?
- If yes, what do the customers want of the product/service and how do they want it delivered?
- Can I supply my product/service at a competitive price?
The advantage a small business has it that it can target a more specific market (as opposed to large business which is more broad). It is better to be specific and target “real customers”.
A feasibility study collects data, with the aim of determining if there is a place for a product/service in the industry. The more data collected, the more realistic the feasibility study market research will be – the more accurate to the market the business plan, the less work in product/service adjustment & the more successful the business is likely to be.
Data to be collected focus’ on:
- Product/service.
- Potential clients.
- The industry.
- Competitors.
Data can be sourced from anywhere, but a good start is:
- The industry itself.
- ABS – Australian Bureau of Statistics.
- Local tourist authorities.
- Phone books – white pages, yellow pages.
From industry:
– Contact others in the industry (start with the key players such as founders or those of a paradigm shift).
– Use a market research questionnaire to compile relevant info.
ABS: They have many records (including imports, exports, production records, registrations, population numbers etc) – collect anything related to the product/service.
Local tourist authorities have records of:
- how many tourists per season.
- when they visit.
- where they come from.
Researching customers:
– Understanding what is required to satisfy potential clients (what the customer wants/would like) is the most important aim of market research.
– Contact select clients and find out exactly what they would like/don’t like, and what quality.
– Find clients from: phone book, events/meets, relevant locations
– Ask existing/old customers what they would like and how they like it delivered via a questionnaire: upon payment/booking, after course completion/delivery & follow up contact (ie. 2 months after).
Questionnaire:
– Do a life-cycle analysis (LCA) on the product/service to clearly define all aspects.
– Brainstorm on the various methods (and combinations of) delivery methods, teaching styles, content, handouts, assessment & take home outcomes etc.
– Cover as much detail over widest range possible (to get the most out of the output).
– For products, samples can be sent out.
Research the industry:
- Know who is in the industry.
- How the industry works.
- Understand pitfalls.
- Identify opportunities.
Methods:
– Join producer organisations to establish contacts.
– Contact as many people in industry as possible.
– Sign up for newsletters, product/service updates.
– Join member groups, follow groups etc.
Aim: To select the best features from all others….
By….
– Identifying strengths/weaknesses of each aspect.
– Identify info gaps which can be exploited/addressed.
– Check out overseas market industry & how they operate.
Research competitors:
– Keep up to date with standards and movements (changes in direction, popularity in aspects/topics) within industry.
– Establish an advantage in some way to be able to compete. This may be in: quality, service, price etc.
– Identify gaps and establish a unique niche.
– Start an industry group, newsletter, reviews etc.
– Check out regulations & legalities specific to industry.
THE PRODUCTION PHASE:
Quality:
- Offering unique qualities may give an advantage – being the only operator with a provision.
- Assess the term quality (in the industry) and define the terms “top-”, “medium-” and “low-quality”.
- …Small business needs to be top quality to succeed.
- …Lower quality aspects can be turned into another product/service.
- Think big, start small. Allow to evolve by adjusting and directing:
- …tend to most significant aspects in relation to joining industry “standards”.
- …allow market to guide directions and meet market demand as it forms.
- Actively seek out constructive criticism & negative feedback.
- Be flexible & adapt – take steps to change directions where alternative outcome is desired.
- Expect plans, budgets, strategies etc to be changeable and evolve. Thus,
- …Do not put too much time & effort into one strategy.
- …Allow a basic business structure/skeleton to form, from which variations and trends can be delivered.
- …make sure effort equates to relevant and strong changes.
Plans & strategies:
Data management:
- business plan/model
- data entry programs
- apps.
- life cycle analysis
- records
- stats.
- reviews
- templates
- questionnaires
- calendars
- workbooks
- websites/blogs
- timelines
- newsletters
- emails
- advertisements
Methods:
– utilize one tool to serve many functions
– always present professionally, so info can be transcribed and reused (as needed and for various purposes)
Expansion:
The business should be kept fresh and up to date by continually upgrading and launching new product/service lines. The timing of these should be managed for effectiveness.
- increase in numbers (more of existing products/services)
- new product/service lines
- modifications to online sites (websites, blogs etc)
- increase in land parcel size (business address)
- additions to transport
- increase in employee numbers
- increase to available time (via increasing efficiency of data management)
- continually be on the lookout for improvements/modifications/new products/services.
Questionnaires:
– feedback from clients should ask what improvements/new products/services they would like to see.
Cultural icons:
All products/services can be continually upgraded/updated to keep it fresh. The only products/services that this does not apply to are cultural icons such as Coca-Cola & “Permaculture – A Designer Manual” (By Bill Mollison). Cultural icons can be added to only – but should never be changed. Such changes should be clearly visible and the integrity of the original kept sound.
Financial plan:
– A solid record that can be relied upon to observe business dealings. Shown as a business cycle with sidelines of products/services.
– Detailed diagram of business skeleton from which product/service lines branch from.
– Product/service lines are complete and thorough – including future possibilities and additional product/service lines that may result from this.
– Record of all contributions to the business product/service lines (incoming and outgoing). This includes money transactions, donations, goods & services, people etc, etc.
– Each line can be viewed solo with stages of development (on a timeline).
– Not for profit lines, educational line, saleable goods line, research lines etc, etc.
THE MARKETING PHASE:
This is the most important aspect of the business cycle and determines whether or not a business will succeed or fail.
Marketing:
- selling
- research
- packaging
- promotion
- display
- distribution
- public relations
Advertising & Promotions.
Media:
– newspapers
– radio
– TV
– magazines
FREE ADVERTISING:
Reasons why media may cover a story on the business for free:
- Different/unique is interesting. (especially to media types who’s focus is different/unique).
- Human interest stories.
- Success stories.
- Statewide/national media may pick up from having had local media coverage.
- Attend events that have best media coverage (widest audience, greatest number people).
- Enter competitions that are highly covered by the media, especially where there are follow-up stories.
Tour groups:
– Local tours
– Tour groups that tour by a theme (ie. Organic gardening)
Location:
– Use property to hold meetings, events, festivals etc.
– Run a competition
PAID ADVERTISING:
Choose the media provider (TV, magazine, radio etc) which has large numbers of the target audience. Advertising to a small media provider with a small audience may be cheaper but it still costs – don’t waste time and money on cheap advertising.
