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Local Marketing - Is it for you? | |
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From the Sept 16, 2009 Issue of Agri-News | |
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| | Alberta local marketers or those considering starting or expanding their business and looking for direction may be interested in training sessions being offered by The Business Link. These sessions are part of the small business brown bag presentations which The Business Link offers across the province. The sessions are offered free on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. at The Business Link in Edmonton and Calgary and various locations around Alberta via video conferencing.
These brown bag sessions are a great way to extend business development training to Alberta's rural communities. The 2009-10 fall line up has eight streams areas ranging from general business, human resources and succession planning. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development is sponsoring the agriculture info stream which includes the following topics on the last Thursday of the month:
- Getting Started In Farm Direct Marketing - September 24, 2009 - a farm direct marketing enterprise may be just the thing for those planning to add value to an existing agriculture operation or those who are new to the industry. Selling direct to consumers takes a special person and provides unique benefits including a long-term trust relationship with your customers, unmatched return rate and immediate feedback on new items. This session will uncover the latest trends and drivers in the local market, discuss what it means to be market focused and investigate the step-by-step development of a farm direct marketing business.
- How To Sell To Restaurants And Institutions - October 29, 2009 - selling to restaurants or institutions is a natural step for many farm direct marketers. Learn how to access the foodservice market, find out what chefs are looking for, determine the service chefs need and explore practical strategies for adding a foodservice profit centre. Hear what works and what others have learned from their experience.
- Ag Tourism Clusters: Marketing Collaboratively For Success - November 26, 2009 - discover the success of collaborative relationships through the cluster development process. Farmers and ranchers who partner with operators in their local area can stretch marketing dollars and increase business profile and profits. Working together can have a bigger impact and attract more tourists to rural sites through driving route events, discovery maps, operator familiarization tours, and regional cuisine dinners. Create experiences for people by reconnecting them with their country roots and helping them learn where their food comes from and get a sense of stewardship with the land.
- Discovering Alberta Local Markets - December 17, 2009 - food that is grown, processed, and prepared in Alberta is good for consumers and enhances profit at the farm gate. In this session, learn what is happening in the Alberta local market, who's involved, how to access local food experiences and understand the scope of the local market opportunity. Go outside your box and eat, shop and experience local food.
To learn more or to attend one of these brown bag sessions, visit The Business Link's website at www.canadabusiness.ab.ca/brownbag.cfm
The 2009-10 line-up and all the location options are also posted on the website. Call the regional site prior to the session to check availability and to reserve seating. For additional information on developing your business, contact one of Alberta Agriculture's New Venture Specialist by calling toll free 310-FARM (3276).
Contact:
Ag-Information Centre
310-FARM (3276) |
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Lee Anne Bateman.
This document is maintained by Rita Splawinski.
This information published to the web on September 16, 2009.
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