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Ending the Year with a Bomb (Cyclone)

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Dreaming of a White Christmas? We got it (and more). The good news is, following those frigid temps, gusty winds, and drifts of snow, came the sun. And a glorious sunshine it’s been!

Hang In There!

In many ways small businesses are dealing with their own end-of-year storm. COVID, worker shortages, supply chain disruptions, high inflation are all challenges entrepreneurs face. But the good news is, people are sticking together and helping one another.  

I’m thankful for another year working with an inspiring network of people. Many are clients. Others are cohorts. They have helped me in a multitude of ways and I’ve been honored to be there for them. We’re hanging in there.

And here’s the most optimistic news of all: Small businesses everywhere are finding success. The sun shines after a storm. Hang in there! 

LET’s WORK TOGETHER
Commerce Street Brewery Hotel, Mineral Point, WI

What I’m Working On This Week: Nothing!

They say the week between Christmas and New Year’s is when you don’t know what day it is, who you are, and what you’re supposed to be doing. Yep, that’s us. And, for the good word, Commerce Street Brewery Hotel is a delightful mid-week getaway!

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. Maine’s tree tippers: A generational tradition of trimming trees and making wreaths.
  2. What is cozy, really? With January in the coming, this is something you may want to know.
  3. Covid came quickly but the vaccine did not. How scientists developed the mRNA Technology inside Covid vaccines. Not as rushed as some of us thought.
  4. Infinite Ellipses of Ritual and Flavor, a tasty read on beans. Plus a recipe.

However you celebrate the holidays, God’s blessings be with you.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

5 Marketing Trends to Consider for 2023

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Let’s talk fire cider—horseradish, jalapeño peppers, garlic, and all manner of knock-your-socks-off fortification for the cold months ahead. This year my concoction carries additional terroir because I used cider made from our bountiful peach crop. You could say I’ve been planning for winter for the past six months. I’ve been making other plans as well—my 2023 marketing plans. As I research small business and consumer trends, I’ve found interesting ideas that have me thinking outside my box. Maybe you too?

Might these trends fortify your business?

  1. Cryptocurrency is gaining ground
    Crypto cuts through credit card hassles for small business owners. It offers lower fees and instantaneous fund transfers. Hey, even my church accepts crypto donations. 
  2. Short-form video marketing captivating social media 
    Social media prioritizes video, making it highly visible and sharable—essentially free advertising. Maybe you can do a tutorial for your product? Or a tour of your farm? 
  3. Subscription marketing brings new/repeat customers
    With subscriptions we often think of CSA food or Amazon Prime. But any product that involves replenishment, curation or access can be sold via a subscription. 
  4. “Personal” is the buzzword
    From iPhones to Misfits Market, personalization has become essential to customers who expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations.
  5. Customer Experience (CX) is more important than ever
    It’s always the year of the customer, but CX in 2023 could be even more important (some might say demanding, see #4). Here are a few suggestions.
LET’s WORK TOGETHER

What I’m Working On This Month

I’m studying maps and guides for a new poster project. Watch for it in 2023. In the meantime, check out my current shop for the outdoor adventurers in your life!

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. Mark Bittman interviews Alice Waters: they’re both champions for good food. Alice takes it further and teaches children of food and democracy. 
  2. It’s Cranberry Season! Ever wonder why fields are flooded for harvesting? Learn a little more about Wisconsin’s state fruit. 
  3. Returning the Gift, by Robin Kimmerer. We can never revisit this too often. Perfect for Thanksgiving.
  4. The Ski Jumpers, by Peter Geye. A favorite author’s latest novel, all the ingredients of a captivating story.

What I Wish For You

God’s blessings on your Thanksgiving. May your upcoming holidays be meaningful, however you celebrate!

What’s Your Niche? Who’s Your Target?

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Happy Halloween! Can you imagine exploring this Shining-esque hotel for spooks and spirits?! 

This happens to be the Red Rock Inn in Ontario, Canada. We stayed here recently while on our Lake Superior Circle Tour and the local landmark was everything that excites us—historic architecture, eclectic decor, and friendly owners with fascinating stories. On top of that, our room was spotlessly clean and cozy.

Here’s the thing, not everyone would share our opinion. Not everyone is comfortable with the unpredictability of non-chain hotels. Not everyone is enamored with history. Not everyone has a desire to meander off the beaten path. And that’s okay because there’s something out there for each of us. 

What it does say to business owners—small business owners especially—is that you can’t be all things to all people. You need to have a niche. You need to target a specific audience. And both have to match who you are as a business. 

Red Rock Inn regularly hosts Ontario bands and local events.

5 Hints for Choosing Your Niche and Target Market

This article by Entrepreneur magazine is spot on. However, I’m going to reword it based on my own opinion, which is based on my own experience. Take it or leave it.

  1. Identify Your Passion and Skills
    Choosing a niche within your passion and skillset makes work more enjoyable. You’ll have greater credibility, communication, and problem-solving.
     
  2. Like Your Target Market
    Your target market are people you work with every day. Make sure you enjoy them and their demographics. 
     
  3. Research Your Competition
    Knowing your competition helps you brainstorm ways to be unique. It also reveals the profitability of a market—no competition equals no profit.
     
  4. Determine Profitability
    You have to make a living. If your niche or target market have no profit, expand one or the other, or both.
     
  5. Be Flexible
    Remember the Pandemic Pivot? When innovative change was necessary for survival? Always practice that open-minded living.

Want To Learn More of Who You Are?

What I’m Working On This Month

Each year I design a poster to commemorate our Octoberfest Brewery Tour. It’s good exercise for my creative brain and I’m accumulating quite the collection! 

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. Politics of School Food: My granddaughter’s school served pizza every day in September (thankfully, she packs her own lunch).
  2. Must-reads from Milkweed Editions. Earlier this month we celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day. Here’s a list of Native authors.
  3. How Fermented Foods Shaped the World, a new book by Julia Skinner. Food history is fascinating.
  4. The Barred Owl Who Came To Visit, beautifully told by Heather Swan. God sends us what we need.

Equinox and Moons: Reaping What We Sow

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Wrapping up September is always a transition. Last week we celebrated the autumn equinox and this week we’re waxing in a new moon. It’s the time we reap what we’ve sown, as the Good Book says, and we plan for the winter months ahead. 

Speaking of transitions, Mother Fools Coffeehouse in Madison, WI, recently unveiled its new mural “Dissolve,” by Audifax. Since 2001, this arts-focused cafe has hosted a rotating graffiti wall. Isn’t this piece beautiful?!

Our Marketing Harvest: 3 Months Out

In the same way we’re now harvesting abundance from the garden seeds we planted in spring, so goes our marketing. Studies show the average time to see results from marketing efforts is 3-6 months (depending on the industry, that timeframe can extend up to nine months). This means the marketing we do now determines our outcome for the holidays and upcoming months. 

Need help sowing your marketing seeds? 

LET’s WORK TOGETHER

What I’m Working On This Month

Adunate is wrapping up a web design project for HUB Waukesha, a group of non-profit organizations working together to reduce health barriers and promote the well-being of the Hispanic community in Waukesha Co, WI.

I’m privileged to work with such caring people! Check out their website here.

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. Sauerkraut! This was a good year for cabbage and fermentation guru Sandor Katz shares a recipe.
  2. Is Plastic Waste the Cost of Eating? Everyone needs to read this, everyone needs to do their part.
  3. 3,000-Year-Old Canoe Found, Wisconsin’s second ancient dugout.
  4. Farm/Art DTour starts this weekend in Driftless Wisconsin!October 1-10. Rolling farmland, art installations, cows, puppets, music, fall colors, poetry and food, food, food! A must-do for autumn.

Gathering Has More Payoffs Than Solo

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Aren’t birds fascinating this time of year? Every August, barn swallows gather on our electric wires and chatter, chatter, chatter. People in the know call this staging, but I like to think of it as networking for the migration ahead. We’ll soon start to see turkey vultures, sandhill cranes and Canada geese staging by the thousands in nearby woods and wetlands.

Birds don’t fly solo. They fly farther and more efficiently when they gather.

Adobe Stock

Entrepreneurs Need to Gather As Well

This past weekend a board on which I serve gathered for its annual retreat. We had the option of attending in person or via Zoom. I chose Zoom. I claimed it was because of my schedule, but if I’m honest it’s also because more and more I find myself reclusing.  

In bird talk, COVID, technology and working from home have enabled us to fly solo. But is this always the best? Are we missing opportunities to fly farther and more efficiently? Zoom worked well enough for my board retreat, but it didn’t pick up the in-person discussions. It didn’t cover gathering for dinner and social hours. It didn’t allow me to fully get to know my peers and interact with them. 

Opportunities for Gathering

As summer comes to an end, we find ourselves hunkering down for winter. Hunkering is fine, reclusing is not. Here are three easy ways to gather:

  1. Conferences, perfect for networking
    Depending on your industry, August-October and January-March are considered conference seasons. Now is a good time to get online and find one that relates to you. 
  2. On-site meetings, how quaint and old-fashioned
    I’m wrapping up a web design project and will soon tutor my customer for managing the site. We could do this via Zoom but meeting in person will be more efficient and productive. 
  3. Coffee, nothing more personal
    When is the last time you’ve simply gone out for a chat with a business peer or customer? What’s new with them? How have the past two years affected their life? 
LET’s WORK TOGETHER
Cover by Tracy Harris, Cricket Design

What I’m Working On This Month

August was a big wrap-up of the Farm/Art DTour event guide by Wormfarm Institute. Want a preview? Check it out page by page!

A big kudos to Tracy Harris of Cricket Design Works for the stunningly gorgeous front and back covers. If this doesn’t bring you to your senses, gee, I don’t know what will. I love collaborating with talented professionals!

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. Please, not our TP. Sadly yes, PFAS have even been detected in our toilet paper.
  2. Selling in festivals or markets is an art and a science. Here, here and here is a 3-part series of good advice.
  3. Intimate portraits through 60 years of marriage, photography and artistic devotion. 
  4. Should you do a newsletter? Yes, newsletters and social media marketing have long-range returns, but here’s why they pay. P.S. I can help you with both!