June 2019 - Agritourism Monitor Farm

Branding Your Business

Posted on June 13, 2019

Lesley Wood an experienced brand and marketing consultant is working with the Lennox family (West Central Agritourism Monitor Farmers) undertaking a brand workshop. Some of the challenges which require to be addressed are – - Multiple names for different areas of the business – are they separate offerings to the market place or one offering? - Multiple websites/social media channels with duplication of effort and diluting followers and google ranking impact - How do the family best use the iconic Loch Lomond brand to their best advantage - What should the overall name for the business be? Should it be one brand or two/more? Listen to what Lesley and Kay Wilson (West Central Monitor Farmer) hope to achieve for Shantron and Shemore farms at the end of the workshop and come along to the next West...

The Right Staff Are Key To Your Business – John Sinclair, Craigie’s Farm Shop

Posted on June 13, 2019

in Agritourism

by Agritourism

In 2007 John Sinclair and his wife Kirsteen diversified their farming enterprise to include an Agritourism element – Craigie’s Farm Shop. Initially starting out as a small farm shop selling produce from their farm, the business developed exceptionally quickly driven by public demand and today consists of the following areas; • Farm Shop o Gifts, deli, home baking etc. • Butchery o Including buffalo meat from the nearby buffalo farm as well as a selection of Scotch Beef & Lamb • Activities o ‘Pick your own fruit’ o Native kids trail (farm walk) o Tasting/cookery demos and workshops • Meeting rooms available for hire • Farm business John shared his experiences of recruiting, training and retaining staff for the past 12 years with the 30+ Scottish business operators who attended the East Central meeting on Wednesday 5th June 2019 to gain...

East Central Meeting Two Report – Recruiting, Training & Retaining Great Staff

Posted on June 13, 2019

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The second East Central Monitor Farm meeting was held on Wednesday 5th June 2019 at DRIFT café, with the theme 'Recruiting, Training & Retaining Great Staff'. Over 30 businesses from across Scotland attended the meeting which focused on how businesses should manage staff in order to create a welcoming and workable environment for employees, employers and visitors who come to a business. The meeting included advice from guest speaker John Sinclair who owns Craigie's Farm Shop. John spoke about his journey from an employer starting out, to employing a team of over 60 people. He focused on how he attracts great people to work for him and how he maintains a happy and productive workforce. Click here to get access to the full report from East Central Meeting Two. ...