This month we’re excited to welcome marketing experts The Apple Cart Co., CreativeMktGroup, and By Jacqui Photography to guide us in the basics of creating and implementing a marketing plan. Your marketing plan is a mix of activities that increase sales. Creating the plan simply starts with identifying what work needs to be done. Often, marketing tasks fall to the bottom of the pile because there are more pressing issues that pop up every day in the life of a business owner. Learn how to set revenue goals that are realistically actionable, and assign the task work needed to reach those goals. No matter your business or organization marketing should always be at the forefront of your thinking!

RSVP HERE!

About our speakers:

• The Apple Cart Company

  The Apple Cart is “Your food mentors, candid taste testers, process enthusiasts & strategic brunchers - they help food businesses grow!” In 2010, Barb Upchurch and Stephanie Ganz met at a Richmond-based non-profit dedicated to helping people start small businesses. There, Barb was the Director of the Women’s Business Center, and Stephanie managed the Breadwinners program–a grant-funded initiative designed to help women create food-based businesses. The two were an instant match, sharing a love of food, travel, and enterprise development; and from there The Apple Cart was born. In 2019, Barb purchased the company from Stephanie as she expanded her writing career. The agency continues to grow with a team of strategic partners who can provide solutions at all stages of business development. Read more about Barb HERE. Follow the @applecartco

• CreativeMktGroup

  CreativeMktGroup began as a start-up business on $0 capital in January 2016 and has since continued to grow organically. Founder, Natalie Toalson McNamara, determined a gap in the marketplace for small businesses, providing the quality, simple marketing support they so very well deserve. Furthermore, it seemed the only options available were top marketing agencies which are certainly stellar in quality, yet not typically affordable to small businesses. As the CMG client base has grown, so has the team. And along the way, it has been challenging, but important to remain lean and process driven, in an effort to be most efficient and to, again, provide a simple marketing resource to clients. Today and continually moving forward, CreativeMktGroup commits to finding a way to support start-up and small businesses. Follow them @creativemktgroup

• By Jacqui Photography
  

  Jacqui Depas Schlosser is a second generation photographer with over 18 years experience in her photographic craft. In her early years she worked alongside several top D.C. and NYC photographers where she honed her editorial style. While in New York, she took a brief hiatus to serve as the General Manager for a bakery-cafe which cemented her love of the food industry. It was then that she knew she wanted to blend her two passions. She began refining her ability to build food & beverage branding through commercial photography for various 5-star hotels and Michelin-star restaurants such as Blue Duck Tavern in D.C. Over the years she has found the greatest personal reward in helping fellow small business owners launch their own brands. Since her time in Richmond she brought her photography to AR’s Hot Southern Honey, Birdie’s Pimento Cheese and Brenner Pass to name a few. She is adept at food styling and creating lifestyle imagery which encapsulate each brand’s personality to take them to the next level. Follow her at @byjacquiphoto

  Thanks to our sponsor New Oak Insurance! We’ll taste samples from River City Flame and Garth’s Gourmet Goodness and enjoy coffee from the Cafe @ St. Stephens.