Category: Business Blog

Agriculture has long been an industry that has hidden in the shadows. It has always been something that people rely on, but not something they would be willing to invest in. This is largely because the costs associated with the agricultural world are high. It’s not unlikely to spend several million on a farming project, only to see a fraction of it (usually around 2-3% percent of your investment) return in profit each year. The time in which it takes you to recuperate your losses is far higher than most other industries, hence why it’s such a daunting prospect.

In addition, the agricultural industry is a completely different beast to tame. There aren’t many people in the world that could comfortably say they are experts within agriculture as many of the techniques and secrets are passed down from farmers. Without that kind of knowledge, it takes a lot of time and effort to examine the soil and make good judgments on what type of crops you should be planting.

Yet, as with most industries in the world, technology has slowly been creeping into the agricultural industry and it has transformed a once difficult sector into one full of innovation and technology integration that has made it easier than before to become a part of. Although it’s still not an easy industry to get an entrepreneurial breakthrough, the doors have been left wide open and there is plenty of room for daring entrepreneurs. But what exactly makes agriculture such an appealing prospect in 2018 and beyond? Let’s examine a couple of the biggest points that you can take advantage of as an entrepreneur.

It’s not just farming anymore

When we talk about agriculture, one of the biggest talking points is usually farming. Yes, there is plenty to be done when it comes to buying land, planting crops, harvesting them and selling them. In fact, it’s the most common way of getting involved with agriculture and starting your first business in the industry. Sadly, as mentioned before, it takes an extreme amount of money to even get started and far too many years to start breaking even unless you’re incredibly frugal and smart about it. It’s simply not a practical choice for most people. Luckily, there are other types of business that will allow you to get started in the agricultural world that doesn’t involve farming or even going out into the countryside.

There are now software developers that are using their skills to develop tools for the agricultural industry. One good example is a program known as ProducePay. It’s effectively a cash flow solution that is tailored specifically for farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to use ProducePay as not just a cash flow solution, but also a trading platform to buy and sell larger quantities of produce. The idea behind ProducePay is to bridge the gap between harvest seasons and gaps in income. Farmers can receive advances in payments before the harvest even begins, and this can be used to pay for equipment and other similar investments. Farmers can also monetize 50% of their harvest crop as soon as it is harvested, and up to 80% of their invoice immediately after the produce has been shipped.

It’s innovations like this that allow the agricultural industry to thrive and accept new technologies. Although it may be new territory for the agricultural industry itself (and thus its farmers) there’s no doubt that the sector as a whole is maturing and accepting new technologies. With so much potential for innovation and growth, it’s completely possible to consider yourself part of the agricultural industry even if you’ve never stepped foot on a farm and your office is located in the heart of a major city. With help from technology enthusiasts and companies that are primarily focused on the technical side of agriculture, the industry can grow exponentially and there are still plenty of opportunities to capitalize on.

Of course, if you’d like to get up close and personal with farming yet still create an innovative startup, then why not consider doing something similar to what BrightFarms has done. Even in major cities, the demand for local fresh produce is high. The shipment and harvest times can take a while and it can compromise the quality of the produce, which is why BrightFarm have decided to create hyper-local produce in the form of urban and suburban farming areas. These are essentially massive greenhouses that are partnered with local supermarkets, enabling them to offer extremely fresh produce for a fraction of the price and with less logistical concerns. This startup idea hopes to bring the joys of freshly grown produce to urban environments and creates more usable farming space with the help of technology.

As you can see, agricultural startups aren’t always about farming in the countryside. Thanks to demands for fresh produce and innovative technologies to assist farmers, it’s possible to become a part of the agricultural industry using your current skill set. This enables you to tap into the potential of the industry without requiring you to study several years for a degree in agriculture.

Seeking the right assistance for an agricultural startup

Of course, if you want to get involved with the agricultural industry then it’s important to get the right assistance. This is especially important if you plan to actually grow crops. Ideally, you’ll want to seek help from companies such as MKC Coop that specialize in agronomy services. They can help you get the most from your farmland (if you do choose to specialize in the farming side of things), but they can also help you with other aspects of farming if all you need is information.

It’s important to understand that agriculture is an entirely different industry to what you’re likely used to. There’s a reason why most people study for years at a university before they get involved in anything related to agriculture. Although it’s possible to learn as you go, there are far too many complex systems to keep in mind that you won’t even begin to understand until you’ve studied them thoroughly.

If you’re planning to skip the entire study and learning process then you need to ask for help. Always consider hiring a team of advisors and listen to what they have to say. Their advice is extremely valuable and will help your startup grow. They’ll also be able to offer ideas and assistance with any new innovations that you have planned, but you do also need to keep in mind that many farmers are indifferent when it comes to adding technology to their workflow. Many farmers like to keep it simple and use the same processes to grow their crops that they’ve used for the past several decades. As a result, you’ll be hard-pressed to find farmers that are willing to test your new technologies unless you have the right contacts.

As with any business or industry, networking is an extremely effective and necessary method of building contacts and making it further in the industry. Even using the internet to learn about farming and trends is a great way to get in touch with figureheads and well-informed individuals that are capable of teaching you how farming works, the type of innovations that are needed in the industry and where the market has space for your ideas.

Plenty of untapped potential for adventurous entrepreneurs

The agricultural industry is ripe with opportunity. From using drones and thermal imaging to increase harvest yield to growing fruits and vegetables without even using soil, there are plenty of startups already drawing in lots of attention from the agricultural industry.

The fact is; food is always something that we will need to consume. Until we develop some high-tech food that is capable of sustaining us without the need for fresh fruits and vegetables, we will always need farmers. In addition, the demand for organic, fresh produce is surging thanks to healthier diets, vegetarianism and a spike in veganism. With all of these factors combined, the agricultural industry isn’t going to slow down anytime soon.

With so much room for growth and innovation, it’s only a matter of time until the industry fills lucrative new ideas and becomes a difficult nut to crack. If you’re willing to invest in the agricultural industry and be at the forefront of innovation, then there’s a lot of money to be made and many business opportunities. Just remember that the agricultural industry isn’t all about farming. There’s a technological side to it that is ripe for innovation–all it needs is someone willing to tap into that potential and make good use of the technological advances that we’ve experienced in the past few years.

Content marketing is one of the best forms of marketing that you can do, but it is possibly one of the lesser used techniques compared to others such as social media. Social media is just so accessible and cheap that it’s obviously going to be the better option price wise. But is it effective? Not as effective as content marketing is. Content marketing works by creating content to be used on things such as vlogs or blogs, that is not directly promotional, but it does prompt the reader to investigate further. So let’s have a look at the basics of content marketing.

How To Do It

Content marketing is pretty easy if you know what you’re doing. The key thing you need to focus on is having quality articles or videos produced for you. This can either be done by a team that works for you, or it can be outsourced. If you’re going for a team that works for you, we recommend they take a look at something such as the writer’s workshop to make sure they’re producing the best quality work they possibly can for your purposes. Because the whole effectiveness of the process relies on the content, and there are certain ways of writing it to get better results. One really effective use of content marketing is by using infographics. Infographics are a long vertical graphic that displays facts, images, charts, statistic etc. It gives you the chance to get really creative with how you display the image and the information that you need displaying. Using blogs posts is also effective if the content is written well. With this, it might be best having the content pre wrote by yourselves, then asking the blogger to publish it. That way you know it’s going to be exactly how you need it to be.

Effectiveness

Content marketing is highly effective, but only if done right. It helps to raise awareness of a company without actually having to be risky with marketing, because some techniques truly are risky. It ultimately helps a customer go through a period of querying the content, thinking about what the content meant, researching, then hopefully ending up at your company. With content marketing that’s posted on a blog post, there’s usually going to be a link to your company within it, and naturally, so that customers just have to click a keyword and it’ll take them to your website.

Downsides

The only downside to content marketing is that it can be hard to sort, but you can always outsource this bit so it isn’t too much of a worry. If your budget is tight, some extensive research will enable you to do it yourself, and make sure it’s done right. There’s also the risk of it being completely pointless if some terrible content is created, hence why it is better to leave that side of things in house! Whether outsourcing or keeping it all inhouse, it is still a very expensive form of marketing. But then again, so are most marketing techniques, this just so happens to be one of the better.

There is no doubt that big businesses have a host of advantages over their smaller rivals. They can enjoy established reputations, media attention and a large following of brand-loyal customers. And while it may seem like competing with the commercial giants is impossible, you need to remember that they were all in exactly the same position as you once. While you are out achieving your goals, there is nothing wrong that making your small business appear that little bit bigger to gain a sense of trust and respect amongst your customers. So, let’s examine in more detail just a few of the ways that you can achieve this feat.

Create a Good Website

There are still plenty of small businesses out there operating without a website, and if you fall into this category, now is the time to make a change. Even if you are not directly selling on your site, there are so many advantages involved in having a website including looking professional, showcasing your work and displaying customer testimonials. A website can also be a relatively inexpensive investment, but the rewards that you receive could be huge.

Rethink Your Brand

If you think about some of the biggest businesses in the world – Coca-Cola, Google, Amazon – you can instantly picture their logos in your mind. So, if your brand is not currently up to scratch and generating the attention that you deserve, it could be time to make a change. There are plenty of graphic designers out there who don’t charge a great deal but could create something for you that is truly great.

Make a High-Quality Video

If you have not yet created a video for your company, the time has come to consider doing so. You can convey a great deal of information to your customers in a short period of time, and you are also playing a big role in making your business seem professional and forward-thinking. While customers may not be willing to read a blog post, they are much more likely to turn their attention to a video.

Hire a Virtual Assistant

Even if you are running the business all by yourself, having a virtual assistant gives your company a sense of being a larger entity than it actually is. Besides this, a virtual assistant also helps to free up some of the time that you would normally on admin to concentrate on bigger things involving your business. So, take a look at Virtual HQ if you are considering getting one. You never know what advantages you may receive from taking this step.

Develop a Social Media Presence

A small business can create a much bigger reputation simply by increasing the number of social media followers that they have. While setting up accounts is the easy part, increasing the number of followers is inevitably going to be more challenging. Make sure that you post regularly with content that is both interesting and informative. Nothing looks worse than a social media account which hasn’t been active for a long period of time. And you should also try to encourage comments and interact directly with the social media users.

Start a Content Marketing Program

Just as active social media accounts make a business look bigger than it is, so too does a great blog page. Once you have set up this page on your website, you need to create a plan of the type of content that you are going to fill it with. Just like your social media accounts, you should also have a clear timetable so that you are not left for weeks or months without making a post. Make sure that your blog is used in close conjunction with your social media accounts. So, when you write a new one, remember to share it on Facebook, Twitter, and all the other channels that you have open.

Get a Prestigious Business Address

Even though you may be running your business from home, your customers don’t have to know this as well. So, you could invest in getting a virtual office to give you somewhere more prestigious to put on your business cards and other marketing materials.   

These are just some of the techniques which you can use to make your small business appear bigger. Use a combination of them and you are likely to create the best impression amongst your customers. In time, hopefully, your business will be big enough to create the right impression all by itself!