Small Business Course
by Mary @ Five Marys
find all the latest info at
www.m5entrepreneurs.com
FUTURE WORKSHOP DATES TBD
We are so excited to launch our three-part Small Business Course! It's jam packed with so much education, information and inspiration for starting, growing, branding and building a successful small business... because YOU CAN DO IT!
Before we officially release the e-course in the coming months, we are offering Small Business Workshops at our Guesthouse in Fort Jones with Mary to work through everything offered in the course with the opportunity to jumpstart your business branding from the ground up in person. We cover everything from starting with a great name and logo, formation, branding, marketing, insurance, pricing, creative funding, using social media to grow and sell, working towards a profitable business quickly, employees, ecommerce, shipping and SO MUCH MORE. It’s a lot of information and a very busy weekend, with so much to cover we’ve extended the course an extra day!
The Workshop will include all aspects of the course including the three main modules:
1) Social Media from Scratch
2) Small Business from Scratch
3) Selling and Shipping Products & Perishables
Plus you will receive an all-access seat in our eCourse and private Mighty Networks small business community!
We are hoping for a small, intimate group of like-minded women to gather together for our first sessions - so we are asking interested attendees to answer a few questions so we can better determine if this workshop will meet your needs the best, or if it might be better to have you wait for a future workshop! (APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED SOON)
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
(Thursday-Sunday)
*limited to a small group of 12-15 women
To apply : fill out the questionnaire online and tell us a little about your business and yourself.
For our workshops, we like to bring together a group of women at a similar place in business so we are asking interested participants to fill out a short questionnaire to tell us a little about your business and yourself!
If we think you are a great fit to get the most out of this workshop, we will then send you a link to reserve your spot in the Workshop or let you know that we think you might get more out of your investment by waiting for another workshop in the future or if the ecourse is going to be better suited for you (releasing soon!).
What to bring:
Laptop computer
Any current business materials (brochures, marketing materials)
Access to your website etc if applicable
Attire:
E-course working clothes: comfortable! sweats and slippers totally acceptable :)
A nicer outfit for dinner out at The Burgerhouse if you’d like (but it’s casual!)
A get dirty outfit for a ranch tour and chores with mud boots
Travel:
You are responsible for getting yourself to Fort Jones but everything is included once you are here and you shouldn’t need a vehicle. We help participants connect for carpool options as many fly into Medford at similar times.
Closest Airport is Medford, Oregon (MFR) 1.25 hours north. Alaska and United fly in frequently. Rental cars are easy, we can try to help guests coordinate carpooling after flight arrangements are made.
Second closest airport is Redding Airport (RDD) 2 hours south, United
Third closest is Sacramento, CA (SAC) 4 hours south, but has lots of flights on Southwest.
Lodging:
Lodging at Five Marys Guesthouse in Fort Jones - a 2,000 sq foot historic Craftsman home and grounds
Stay in shared Loft Bunkroom with individual twin beds (8 beds in 3 alcove areas) and bathroom // or in downstairs bedrooms twin beds and 2-3 guests per room. If private bedroom is preferred, there is a lodge in town that is an option to rent on your own - but part of the fun will be the camaraderie with other like-minded women! Mary and Megan from #teamfivemarys will be at the house as well to facilitate and make sure you get the most out of your time here!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SCHEDULE
Thursday
Arrival to in Fort Jones anytime after 5pm
Meet & Greet Cocktail Hour & Dinner at Five Marys Burgerhouse 5-8pm
Introductions
Tell us your story
Setting your goals for the weekend
Check-in at The Guesthouse and get settled!
Friday
7am ~ *Morning Chores at the ranch with Brian (optional!)
8am-9am ~ Breakfast at the Guest House
9am-12pm Workshop 1 : SMALL BUSINESS from Scratch ~ Part A
INTRO & Mary’s Story
STARTING YOUR STORY
THE FUNDAMENTALS
12-1pm ~ Lunch Break
1-3pm Workshop 2 : SMALL BUSINESS from Scratch ~ Part B
BUILDING BLOCKS
GROWING
RESOURCES
3:30pm ~ *Ranch Tour & Afternoon Chores at the ranch (optional!)
5:00-7:00pm - Workshop 3 : Branding Module (Adobe Illustrator Tutorial)
7:00pm - Cocktails & Social Hour or continue working on websites!
7:30/8pm - Dinner at The Guesthouse and continuing conversation on Small Business
9:30pm - Fireside Chat Q&A w Mary at The Guesthouse (*optional/if we aren’t too tired!)
SATURDAY
7am ~ *Morning Chores at the ranch with Brian (optional! 6-8 spots)
8:00-9:00am - Breakfast at the Guesthouse
9:00am-12:00pm Workshop 4 : Social Media from Scratch ~ Part A
THE BASICS - GETTING STARTED
NUTS & BOLTS
IG TOOLS
12:00pm - Lunch break : Patio Picnic at the Guesthouse
1:00-3:00pm Workshop 5 : Social Media from Scratch ~ Part B
HOW TO
CONTENT & ENGAGEMENT
CONCLUSION
3:30pm ~ *Ranch Tour & Afternoon Chores at the ranch (optional!) or continue work on individual modules
4:00-6:30pm - Workshop 6 : Website Module (Squarespace & Volusion Tutorials)
6:30pm - Cocktails & Social Hour
6:30-8:00pm Workshop 7 : How to Organize and Implement a Plan of Action!
8:00pm - Dinner at The Burgerhouse and continuing conversation on Small Business
10:00pm - Fireside Chat at The Guesthouse - How to Balance it All (*optional)
SUNDAY
8:00am - Breakfast at the Guesthouse
9:00am-11:30am Workshop 8 : Selling & Shipping Products
Tour and Module at Five Marys Farm Store - focused on ecommerce, inventory, product links on social media, web hosts pros and cons, fulfillment, different carriers, third-party automation, branding, packaging, shipping frozen or temperature sensitive products (ie meats) with emphasis on packaging options, dry ice versus cold packs, fulfillment strategy, UPS vs FedEx vs USPS vs others, marketing perishables, customer service when a shipment goes wrong, recovery options, etc
12:00pm ~ Closing Review, Exit Interview & Group Photo!
Optional ~ between 12-4pm *only 4 spots available*
Add on a 1-on-1 focus session with Mary to workshop your business and individual plan for success. Includes website review and implementation plan, logo and branding review, sales channel plans and suggestions, social media review and plan of action to implement at home.
WHAT’S COVERED
*The building blocks and basics to creating a small business business from the ground up
*Helpful guidance on the nitty-gritty like entity formation, sales and use tax and insurance
*Building a website, either starting your own from scratch at the workshop or working on your current one
*Using Social Media to grow your brand authentically, with proven tips on beating the algorithm and using social to sell a product successfully
*The ins-and-outs of being growing a loyal following on Instagram
*eCommerce & Fulfillment - how to build an ecommerce website to charge customers when they buy
*Photography & Video - using your camera phone to it’s potential, you don’t need more than a good phone!
*Customer Service, Maintenance and Growth - how to rate A++ on the customer service scale without giving up profits
*Swag - where to order and what to use for marketing versus sales
*Finances & Funding - including grants and creative funding options
*How to know when to hire help and what to hire out first
*Employee management, payroll, handbooks, rules and regulations
*Tips and Tricks to save money in small business including discounts from some of our favorite partners
*Influencers vs Brands - where you fit and how to work it to your advantage even as a micro-influencer with 500-10,000 followers
*Branding and Design - 101 beginner course on doing it yourself including the tools to make it happen today
*Shipping and specifically, shipping perishable products including access to group shipping rates to make shipping affordable for a small business!
….and so much more!
Testimonials from past participants
What course participants are saying:
"I had spent a good deal of time on my own learning about business formation and growing my business idea, but attending Mary's business course was the best investment in the business I've made. I bet the course will save me hundreds of hours and frustration trying to figure out various details on my own AND it provided a peer-to-peer learning network where I can learn from other talented women who are also ag entrepreneurs. I left the course feeling inspired, supported, and ready to take my business to the next level."
“Felton Angus Beef, Montana
Mary is the reason we can ship beef from our Montana ranch! After months of research, hundreds of questions and thousands spent on packaging, we shipped our first box of beef. It was a disaster. I reached out to Mary at Five Marys Farms for help. She graciously offered her knowledge and expertise. Solved our shipping issues in one short conversation. I am forever grateful for her willingness to pay it forward and share her secrets.
Mary is blazing a trail in small business success. Her shipping solutions alone are worth far more than the investment in “Small Business from Scratch”.
When Mary offers insider guidance and instruction on social media, selling and shipping products and perishables, be the first in line! Mary’s success speaks for itself and yours will too.”
Hannah at
Ballerina Farm, Utah
This was my second event at Five Marys and as always it exceeded my expectations. I was surprised and impressed with the pace of the course and the quantity of relevant content, this is what made the investment more than worth it. Not a “retreat” for those looking to relax and spend time shooting the breeze, an intensive is a good description!
Mary has an energy and passion for agriculture and small business which fueled us all during the course. Not only did we cover everything a small business owner in agriculture should know, there was an immediate sense of camaraderie within the group.
Now that I am home I not only have the course in my back pocket, but also Mary and 14 other women who are willing to help me figure it out!
I feel prepared and ready to take Ballerina Farm to the next level as a successful business!
- Hannah
Farm Stoehr Goat Dairy
Scurry, Texas
The “You Can Do It” course was an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone looking to start or take your agricultural business to the next level.
Starting my business the right way the first time was very important to me, and I can’t thank Mary enough for providing the right tools for Farm Stoehr Goat Dairy to thrive.
- Kelsey
High Sierra Sheep Company, CA
Mary's Small Business from Scratch eCourse is the perfect way to jump-start your business. I always knew I wanted to be a small business owner someday but never had the tools or knowledge to say GO... after this class I can say I now have what I need to go all in!
Mary's teaching style and kindness helped me feel comfortable to ask the questions and participate in all of the discussions (and boy were there a lot of them!).
Her passion for small business and small business owners shined through in every way. I will be forever grateful to Mary and her A-team for my weekend spent in Fort Jones.
Eddie & Niki Hammerich at High Sierra Sheep Co
Wendy at AX BAR Ranch, Tumtum, WA
Wendy came to the first workshop full of spunk to turn her 4th generation family into a direct to consumer powerhouse. She and her husband had started but with the workshop we were able to refine the brand name, create a new logo and logo variations, get her started with a new product website and identify a pricing structure and creative ways to get off the ground selling their beef.
They will be shipping soon and selling all of their beef direct to customers as AX Bar Ranch.
I’m so proud of Wendy, it was a pleasure to work with her and seriously kick start their business in a weekend!
eCourse REGISTRATION BEGINS ~ February 15, 2019
eCourse START DATE ~ April 19, 2019
From Mary:
A lot of people ask me for tips and advice on how to successfully start a business
on a shoestring and make it work.
There is no short answer.
And it’s different for everyone’s situation and depends on their business idea, goals and desire or ability to hustle to make it happen
So while I can’t offer the magic bullet, what I can offer are some tips and advice on how to actually make a living by starting and running a small business from scratch - without hiring designers and assistants and without getting funding.
And be prepared to WORK HARD.
There are no shortcuts in ranching or farming. You will have lots of obstacles and hardships and blood, sweat and tears. But it’s worth it.
It’s worth it for a being your own boss and waking up everyday excited to work and create and push into the forward momentum of your own company.
It gives you a deep satisfaction and fulfillment to build and run your own successful business - no matter how big or small.
And as we know well -
“Nothing is Easy! If it were , everyone would do it.”
It won’t be easy but it WILL be worth it.