So, you’ve got a small seedstock operation and a limited budget. Does that mean customers are going to ignore you and go straight to the big operators? Not necessarily.

In fact, business guru Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the Guerilla Marketing series of books, says being a small business has its advantages – such as the ability to offer personalized service and convenience.

Therefore, make being small and local work to your advantage for customer service – it may even become part of your “brand” identity. For instance, as a local, you know folks on a first-name basis; you can visit their herds and talk with them more than once or twice a year; you can support their kids in 4-H or FFA events, the list goes on.

Remember the core principle of business: People like to do business with people they like. This means people must buy you before they will buy what you are selling. So, size doesn’t always matter. It’s the people and the service that make the difference.

Also recognize that convenience is a huge value to customers. If they can drive a short distance to your ranch and/or sale and find a top quality bull that you’ll deliver and stand behind if there are any problems, you’ll have some folks who will be a customer for life because of that convenience. As a small operation use that to your brand’s advantage and cultivate those local ties.