The Rural Voice, 1990-10, Page 28WHEN YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY
BE SURE OF 4 THINGS.. .
1. Quality
2. Reliability
3. Service
4. Getting the
best deal
in town
HUSQVARNA
50 SPECIAL
(15")
REG. 519.95
395:
li
/14fl,
iHusqvarna
#1 Choice for the Pro Cutter
Available at:
TAYLOR
SALES & SERVICE
Hwy. 21 N., Kincardine
396-2883
CANADIAN
CO-OPERATIVE
WOOL GROWERS
LIMITED
ACCEPTING
WOOL CLIPS
ON CONSIGNMENT
JIB' •'.�~y/li'lj�.��'��YM1>ICV .
* Skirted Fleeces
* Well Packed Sacks
For more information contact:
RIPLEY
WOOL DEPOT
John Farrell
R.R. 3, Ripley, Ontario
519-395-5757
24 THE RURAL VOICE
"So I phoned up another company and
said, `It's like a chocolate box but it's
going to have jam in it.' The man told
me, `Don't worry, lady, I know
exactly what you want.' And he did!"
The process of establishing their
business was long and involved,
calling for thorough research that took
in every possible source of
information. When Colin and Trish
took time out for a vacation, they did
it with business in mind. Their
destination was British Columbia, and
the drawing card was the international
food show in Vancouver. "That really
helped us," says Trish. "We looked
things over and got a feel for the
industry. And we got a lot of
information that I still read through
from time to time.
"But it doesn't matter how much
help somebody has when they're
With the popularity of their
product on the rise, Trish and Colin
now have two part-time employees on
staff to make and package the
jambrosia, while they turn their
attention to expanding sales. In
addition to placing their gourmet
foods with a wide variety of
establishments, the Neilsons are also
attempting to launch a mail order
campaign, primarily targeting the
Christmas season. Advertising has
become an important activity,
including not only local radio and
newspapers, and magazines such as
Harrowsmith and The Rural Voice,
but also participation in trade shows
and other large events. Colin
estimates that some 600 people visited
their booth at the Emo & District
Agricultural Fall Fair last month,
where the Neilsons served over 1,500
"Marketing is the big key. When you buy a business, you've
already got established customers. Marketing is an uphill battle.
You have to do something; it doesn't just jump off the shelf."
starting up," she continues. "If they're
not willing to slug it out and use the
information that's available, they're
not going to be in business for very
long. What this experience has taught
me is commitment."
Ten days before Christmas 1989,
the Neilsons were ready to put their
product on the shelf. From those first
sales, their enterprise has grown to
close to 75 business clients, with
plenty of individual customers
besides. The product holds a lot of
appeal for local people wishing to give
visitors a taste of the district. In that
respect, jambrosia's reputation as a
specialty of the Rainy River district
could become on a par with that of
maple syrup in eastern Canada. When
the Rainy River Federation of
Agriculture held a conference last
spring, their guest speakers were
presented with a gift box of jambrosia
produced by The Rainy River
Preserves Co. Tourists take home the
product as a souvenir of their stay in
the area. Still others find it an ideal
all -occasion present. There are many
folks who buy jambrosia as a treat for
themselves.
samples of their jambrosia flavours.
"Advertising means direct
contact," he says. "Word-of-mouth
counts for a lot."
"I've found people in this district
to be really supportive," adds Trish.
"Once they see the product, they want
to buy it. Marketing is really the big
key. When you buy a business,
you've already got established
customers; when you're just starting
out, you've got to make your own
customers. Marketing is an uphill
battle. You have to do something; it
doesn't just jump off the shelf."
The Neilsons have other advice
for those who might be considering
diversifying their farm operations into
other enterprises. "Don't do it unless
you're ready to spend a lot of time at
it," says Trish. "Everyone thinks it's
money that stops you from doing
things. Money helps, but with this
kind of project, you also need a whole
bunch of time.
"Another suggestion," adds Colin,
"is if you're going into a business that
is heavily government -regulated,
make sure you get all the up-to-date
information."