I often am asked, “What does Zoo in a Jungle Marketing mean?” While I certainly do like animals, there’s a deeper philosophy to the name. My company name is inspired by author Peter DeVries when he said, “Life is a zoo in a jungle.”

Life is a zoo in a jungle. This quote sums up two keys to small business success: personal responsibility and seizing opportunity. Everyone lives with constraints to their freedom, much like zoo animals live in cages. Some of these constraints are internal. We worry if we are capable, smart, creative or likeable. Others are external, like regulations, competitors or the weather. Often, these constraints keep us from fulfilling our greatest potential and highest ability.

Successful businesspeople take personal responsibility for the constraints that surround them – both internal and external constraints. Less successful people make excuses instead. You may say that it’s not your fault that the economy is bad, or that you would be successful if only circumstances were different. The fact remains that external constraints are facts you may not be able to change, but you will have to work with them. (People who make excuses for their own internal constraints should consider leaving the path of entrepreneurialism- it might be too dangerous for them.)

If you heed the internal constraints and ignore the impact of the external ones, you will remain in your cage, afraid to venture out into the unknown world. But it is in this jungle where opportunity resides. Once you take responsibility for your constraints, you can seize opportunity and uncage your potential.

To hear more, listen to the interview on my small business marketing philosophy below:

Download the small business marketing philosophy MP3 file here. (1.2MB)

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The inspiration for their farm came from Jessica’s father, Jim Misiniec. Paul remembers, “Jim told us Boer goats were the next up-and-coming show animal. Jessica thought he was a nut. She had grown up showing hogs. He kept on us, and he finally convinced me.” Jim’s influence extends to their farm even today, “Our farm name, Legacy Farms, comes from the legacy that Jim left us. He taught Jessica the skills and work ethic that we are passing on to our children today.”

I next asked Paul to tell me his favorite part of owning a small business:

“What I enjoy is our family time. It’s not your typical small business.  We travel, show, care for the animals and make buying decisions as a family. It allows us to do things together. It’s not all fun, but it’s valuable time. The work ethic I’ve been able to teach Brett and Allie is that you get out of life what you put into it. In Allie’s first year she was the Junior Showman. In her second year, she was the Intermediate Showman at the Indiana State Fair. I’m proud of that.”

Paul and Jessica credit their faith as being the biggest reason for their success. Paul says, “We try to pray about every decision we make and try to put God first and foremost.”  He also credits Jessica with having “a great livestock eye.” She has developed that from years of being part of the livestock industry.

They also emphasize the constantly changing environment inherent in the livestock business. Paul advises, “It’s not so much luck as learning and applying that knowledge quickly. You have to be able to change your business plan very quickly.” He explains that standards and trends change each year, as new animals are named Grand Champion at the fairs and shows. It is of utmost importance to track those trends to stay ahead of them.

Legacy Farms approaches its marketing from an interesting angle. Their animals are their advertising. As they travel around the country, each show or fair presents an opportunity to increase the value of their farm and animals by how they place. This model can work for any livestock farm. Paul says, “We try to update the website every 2-3 weeks with photographs and animals for sale. But for the most part, you have to be seen. I could have the best animals in the country, but if no one sees them, it doesn’t matter. If you go to the shows and consistently place in the top, then people take notice of you.”

As we parted, Paul wanted to give some advice to livestock entrepreneurs thinking of starting out with Boer goats or other livestock:

“Start small. Ask a lot of questions. Livestock people are very willing to help. They have a very good work ethic and are all about the children and growing the industry. Pay attention to the market. When we got into it, we bought what we thought was pretty. We wasted a lot of money that way, and it took me two years to sell off the original livestock we bought. Learn what you’re buying. And don’t put yourself into a position where you can’t take care of the animals that you purchase. If you only have room for three goats, don’t buy five– no matter how much of a bargain it seems.”

The American Boer Goat Association is having their National Show in Louisville this year from June 7-12. There will be 1,200 head of animals represented by 400-500 exhibitors. Anyone interested in Boer goats is encouraged to attend. Call (325) 486-2242 for more information.

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Laura starts by telling us what she enjoys about owning her own business:

I love the freedom I get from owning a business.  I have full creative control over all my work, so I’m free to try new techniques and experiment with new ideas.  I’m also able to work at my own pace, set my own hours, and choose my own assignments.

But all small business owners discover challenges as they grow. For Reflected Spectrum Photography, Laura was already an experienced photographer, but running the other aspects of the business, such as sales, marketing and finance, was difficult at first. Since her core competency was photography, she sought advice:

I continue to learn as much as I can about these fields to improve my knowledge and skills in those areas, but I have also benefited greatly from the help of good consultants, such as Zoo In A Jungle Marketing and Andrew Technology. Having expert advice available has been extremely helpful to give my business a head start.

As with most successful small businesses, Reflected Spectrum Photography focuses on the customer experience and building relationships. Relationship-building is easier for small businesses than with large ones, which is a key competitive advantage of being small. Laura agrees and adds, “I really enjoy building relationships with all my clients. I find it very rewarding to be present at the most special moments in my clients’ lives, and to see how their children have grown at each new portrait session.”

Laura realizes that satisfying her clients involves more than delivering beautiful photographs, so she ensures they have a great experience during the photo shoot as well:

I try to help my clients feel relaxed and get them excited about having their pictures taken. If my clients are enjoying themselves, that allows me to capture special moments as they happen and preserve them as art, and I hope that they will be treasured for years to come. The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the expression on my clients’ faces when I’ve captured the perfect expression of happiness on their child’s face, or caught a spark of real emotion from their wedding day. If my customers enjoy the experience and love the results, they are likely to hire me again in the future and refer me to their friends.

As for building her customer base, Laura has employed a very successful web marketing strategy and client referral network. She says, “Before you can make a client happy, you first have to actually get some clients, so well planned sales and marketing strategies have played a key role in my success.”

As a successful small business owner, Laura parted with the following advice for aspiring entrepreneurs:

Before you start to focus on selling your products or services, build a solid foundation for your business to grow on.  Once you become successful, you may be too busy with your clients to focus on building a good web site, formulating targeted marketing initiatives, or finding a record keeping system that works for you.  If you need help with any of these things, don’t be afraid to ask!  Help is out there in many forms.  Books, forums, internet articles, and expert consultants are all available to help you get your business off to the right start.

Contact Info:

Reflected Spectrum Photography
Laura Poland
http://www.reflectedspectrum.com

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The idea for Sugar came late in 2008 when Krista and her family were in Delaware for Thanksgiving. They stopped by a cupcakery in Washington D.C., and she thought, “This would be a really fun business to have.” From there, the plan was set into action. She credits Karla for the creative energy behind Sugar Cupcakery’s design.

Karla, a photo stylist, develops the recipes and designed the trendy, colorful interior of Sugar. She explains that one of the challenges to effective design is creating a good plan and sticking with it, even in the face of contrary opinions. “Don’t listen to naysayers if you know your plan will work,” she advises.

Small business marketing focuses on relationships

Krista knows the importance customer relationships play in small businesses. She says,

“People who have never been here before are surprised by what they get. We deliver an experience with our cupcakes. It’s more than a take out place where you get a cupcake on a napkin. Our menu is very vague because we want to talk to people, and we want people to ask questions. We have a relationship with our clientele.”

Because they get to know their customers, Krista and Karla are able to help people with special dietary needs. They’ve worked with parents to create special recipes for children who’ve never had cupcakes—letting them share in the same birthday fun other children enjoy. They also offer special-order vegan and gluten-free cupcakes. Krista notes, “We only need a day’s notice for special orders. Just call us, and we’ll work with you.”

Social networking is a key marketing strategy

In an environment where many small business marketing departments can’t make heads or tails of social networking, Karla attributes Sugar’s success to two factors: location and social networking. She elaborates,

“Everyday, I post on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. I try to link them all together. We get a lot of feedback. Social networking enables our customers to tell us what they think. It’s so rewarding because customers come in and say, ‘I follow you on Facebook! I know what your specials are!’ We try to get people to share their pictures. You just have to know how to tag everything, so that it links back to who you are. Always make sure to include the city, state and name of the business.”

Developing social networking and local relationships together have allowed Sugar to expand its influence to other opportunities. They have several corporate accounts, including with PNC Bank. Recently, Sidewinder Coffee in Northside starting carrying their cupcakes.

Among their cupcake and tea offerings, they also have a private room for parties or meetings. It holds between 20-40 people, has a patio and a flatscreen television for presentations or slide shows.

As with all small business endeavors, it hasn’t been easy to achieve success. In the beginning, obtaining cost-effective, fresh and organic ingredients was a challenge—sometimes they had to settle for what they could get. But through much research, networking and negotiating, they finally have suppliers that meet their demanding standards and still leave room for profit.

In their final comments, Krista and Karla leave us with advice for entrepreneurs just starting out:

“Save your money and be patient. It’s a lot of work. You have to do all the work yourself at first. You have to make sure you’re really organized, motivated and know what your business plan is. You really have to plan and outline. It’s less overwhelming if you plan.”

Sugar Cupcakery is a great example of a small business that understands marketing, customer relationships and how to use technology to get closer to their customers (instead of further away from them). They realize that having a great product isn’t enough to ensure success– although I can attest that their product is amazing.

Contact Details:

Sugar Cupcakery
32 Main Street
Milford, Oh 45150
sugarcupcakery.com
513-340-4166
sugarcupcakery@gmail.com

Hours:

Tuesday – Thursday 11am – 7pm
Friday and Saturday 11am – 10pm

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