It seems so obvious to us that herb businesses are special. It’s that passion we have for the plants and what Nature has freely given us that creates the need to share our enthusiasm.
But how do we convince the nonbeliever of what, to us, is so patently obvious? Or how do we share the miracles that free for the taking?
Perhaps we need to start at how our enthusiasm comes across. Do we appear welcoming to those that ask a million and one questions? Or do we take on that snobbish air of “how dumb are you?” that often comes across when talking to the newbie.
Do we take a question as an opportunity to explore together a question, or a change to vent on a subject? Your choice.
This time of year it’s expected….a pep talk on the resolutions to make….why this is a time for changes…blah….blah…blah.
My response to all this is to just make the changes you feel are necessary and get on with your life. Maybe it’s my age (almost 58), the way I was raised, or some of the friends I’ve met along the way, but there wasn’t a lot a coddling. No one wanted to hear about why you just “weren’t ready” to fix what was wrong in your life. We buy in to the “poor me” attitude too much and there’s always someone who’ll let us.
Want to change. That’s the most important first step.
Do one small thing to start. I used to drink too much. There are many who drank more, but I felt I drank too much. And I had a million “good” excuses…I lived a stressful life, how it was going to be horrid going to parties, I enjoyed it. You name it, I had a million of why I couldn’t stop. Then I read a little book by Allen Carr called “The Easy Way to Stop Drinking” and that was it. It was difficult to have an excuse after that.
And that was just one of the changes that came from not listening to the “talking heads” that allow you to be stupid.
Stop using excuses. If you’re in a rut, get out of it. If you find that people in your life are unintentionally sabotaging you, remove them from your life. Or if you can’t, minimize the time they’re around you.
And read (or reread) “Atlas Shrugged”. You’ll feel different, that’s for sure.
I can’t say much about the various types of software that are out there for editing/creating websites. OK, I admit I am a dinosaur in using FrontPage (I do have Expression but I’m too lazy to install it.) And I find Wordpress is really easy (once I read the instructions). So there really is no excuse for not being somewhat in control of your website.
I think it’s inexcusable when people say they’re being held hostage by their designer. First, make sure you’re the one who owns the domain name. You’d be surprised at how many sites I’ve helped the owner wrest control away from the “designer”. I try to make sure that even though it may be my email address that things come to (it never changes while other people’s do), they are listed as the owner. Maybe I’m still carrying around emotional baggage from the early years.
Second, make sure that you can get into your site and make changes if necessary. I spent a lot of time with clients teaching them so they could. They may never have to touch their sites, but when I had a major stroke in 2008, few people had a problem making changes and I was pretty useless for a while.
I’ve noticed a real problem with email lately. Sometimes it’s due to those ornery spam filters. A person writes you, you answer, and you think that’s the end of it. I’ve never been a fan of unnecessary email so I didn’t follow up. So, the other day, I was stunned when someone told me that they never heard back from me. And I had responded quickly.
I have found a number of reasons. First, those pesky spam filters. The person I was answering never got it. They didn’t realize that their spam filter was eating up a lot of their mail, INCLUDING orders. Second, some people were using their lack of response as an excuse. I’ve had more than 1 web designer say they never heard from me because they wanted my client and they could point out…”look, she doesn’t answer email, and I’m a good person that does”. That’s a too common thing. And some people are just overwhelmed.
So, I’ve gotten rather clever with this. If it’s a web designer with for one of my hosting clients, after 5 days I write back to them, saying this is what I said, on such and such a day. Haven’t heard back from you, did you get it?” with a copy of this going to the client. And amazingly enough, there’s a response immediately. 
I cases of general inquiries or questions about orders, people usually never got them and are grateful you followed up.
It pays to be organized and inquire a bit. It shows you care.
Why do so many herb businesses do poorly online when people love their goods at the farm or shows? I think a great part of it is due to the website.
First, many herb businesses have limited funds and decide to do the website themselves. Or have someone in the family do it. Or a friend with little experience wants to get experience by doing it. All very poor ideas. Websites aren’t just a way of showing yourself to the general public, but they should be a means of converting a visitor to a customer or better yet, a raving fan. I’m absolutely amazed when I visit the website of an herbalist who is dynamic and well regarded in their field and there’s broken links and a mish-mash of pages. No one realizes what this does to the reputation of someone that deserves better. The next post we’ll describe some of the things that can fix this.
I often go to various herbal websites and wish some information. Could be I want to include them in The Herbal Green Pages Online, could be that I’m interested in more information about an event they’re having so that I can post it in the Calendar. And they have a form. No email address. (And this is true for non-herbal sites as well.) And I get off the site in disgust shaking my head. Yes, I know you get spam. I’ve had a website since early 1996 and we get spam. But I delete it. I don’t even have to open it and I can tell it’s spam by the subject line, lack of one, or email address. But I’d never think of removing my email address and changing to a form. I don’t care how much crap I get. Seth Godin’s blog today talked about this and I answered “AMEN” loudly.
Get rid of the forms guys and if it was the site designer’s idea, get rid of them as well. They know little about marketing.
Herb folks are embracing social media at a great rate. They can tell you how their garden grows, how the kids are helping on the farm and give you their latest basil recipe. But when you ask them if their blog or Twitter increases their business, they look at you with a blank stare.
Sure all that stuff is warm and fuzzy. But does it pay the mortgage or put seed in the ground? It’s important to push your own products while you’re giving advice and teaching, in fact, you should think that way. Right now, for example, we’re offering members a free year long marketing course that’s just a bite each week. And that’s about all most of us obsessed people can handle. We’ve got to do a little each day in order for our passion to pay the bills. Check out our Marketing 101 course and do a little each day. Your business (and your passion) will thank you.
A typical scenario….you love herbs, you make your family’s medicines, or you have dozens of dip recipes your friends beg for, or your herb garden is one everyone envies. So you think why not make money doing what you love, or are very good at?
Because loving what you so is important but understanding the nuances of being a successful business are is more important. The difference between a glorified hobby and a successful business are great. You have to have a plan. One that takes you from an excited newbie to a solid entrepreneur.
You have to study successful businesses of all types to understand what makes them different. I adore herbs. They fill my life. But the only time I look at an herb book is to work on the Herbalpedia. I get several books a month and they deal with using social media for marketing or how to optimize a landing page.
And that’s why herb businesses fail…they think that if they work on non-herbal parts of their business they are somehow being untrue to their herbal selves. When it’s these nonherbal parts that make your enterprise strong enough to support your future business.
So if you’re thinking of starting an herb business, or you feel yours is floundering, write to me and I’ll send you our Herb Business Startup Guide. We sell it for $10 as an ebook, but I’d like to help those that are trying and will make this available for free for awhile for those that find our blog. And try joining the Herb Growing and Marketing Network. Many will think they just can’t afford $95 a year for membership. But that $95 gives you not only exposure on our sites, but keeps you focused on those “boring” nonherbal details that will make your business bring in more revenue during these chaotic times.
It won’t be served on a platter, but you’ll know where to go to find the information you need to grow and your business to thrive.
Last week I came back from Myra’s Annual Lavender Festival: Keep on Dancing being the theme. That is probably the secret, dancing through life. Not that we should ignore life along the way, but often the best way to keep plugging away is to dance along with things.
The first time I came back to La Paix after my stroke, I wondered how it would be. There’s not an inch of even ground on the mountain. And I fell down around my house which was adapted for me. But I coped. It wasn’t easy, there were places I couldn’t get to any more, but that was part of being handicapped. I didn’t expect everyone to adapt for my problems. Especially when I visited once or twice a year.
That’s something I’ve noticed more since I had my stroke. Some people are so intent on “being normal” that they’re determined everything should be accessible in case they want to participate. It would be nice if we all could participate. But unfortunately in life things happen which leaves us on the sidelines in such events. There are some that insist they should be able to have the chance to take part no matter what. I’m surprised that they don’t scream because they didn’t win. Doesn’t matter they didn’t do as well as the winner, they should have the “experiene” of winning. Reminds me of a quote from one of my favorite authors Tom Robbins. “….a choice without consequences is no choice at all.”
We can gripe because life dealt us a bad hand and infect all we come in contact with or we can take the hand we’re dealt and create something quite remarkable from it.
I’ll be at the 2009 West Virginia Lavender Festival this weekend (June 27) at La Paix Herb Farm in Alum Bridge. It’s a hard place to stay away from. If you believe in fairies, the place is filled with them. And as you suspend your anxieties and enjoy the remote surroundings, you’ll find out why people come back year after year.
This year the theme is “Keep on Dancing” and dance we will. The music will be there along with a gourmet luncheon from Chef Dale Hawkins. If you nothing but sit and enjoy the lectures it’s the best way to spend a summer Saturday that I know. For a lot more details visit www.lapaixherbfarm.com I hope I’ll see you there.