A Practical 30-Day Launch Plan for Local Agribusiness Sales

How to Use This 30-Day Launch Plan

This chapter turns your earlier decisions (products, costs, pricing approach, packaging options, labels, and sales channels) into a realistic 30-day execution sequence. The goal is not perfection; it is a controlled launch that produces real sales data and customer feedback you can act on.

Operating principles for the month

• One change at a time: test one variable per week (price, pack size, display, channel), not all at once.
• Small batches first: aim to sell out and learn, rather than overproduce and discount.
• Track daily: capture sales, waste, and comments while they are fresh.
• Two selling events minimum: you need at least two real-world trials to see patterns.

What you need before Day 1

• A short list of 1–3 launch products (already chosen earlier).
• Your current cost baseline notes (ingredients/inputs, packaging, labor estimate, transport, stall/fees if applicable).
• Two likely sales channels (example: farm gate + one market day; or one market day + one wholesale test).
• A simple tracking method (paper sheet, spreadsheet, or phone notes).

Week 1 (Days 1–7): Finalize Product Selection and Cost Baseline

Milestone: You will lock the exact launch products, define “what a unit is,” and confirm a cost baseline you trust enough to price and produce from.

Step-by-step

1) Define your launch units (Day 1)

Write down the unit you will sell for each product. Be specific so your costs and pricing match reality.

• Example units: “1 bunch (250–300g)”, “1 bag (500g)”, “1 dozen eggs”, “1 jar (250ml)”.

2) Freeze the product specs (Day 1–2)

Create a one-paragraph spec for each product so you can produce consistently during the month.

• What goes in (inputs/variety/grade)
• What “acceptable” looks like (size range, ripeness, defects allowed)
• What happens to seconds (discount bin, processing, animal feed, compost)

3) Confirm your cost baseline with a “one-batch costing check” (Day 2–4)

Do one small production run (or harvest pack-out) and capture actual quantities used. You are not re-learning cost tracking here; you are validating that your baseline matches reality.

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• Record: units produced, packaging used, time spent, and any losses.
• Note surprises: extra packaging, longer washing time, higher loss rate than expected.

4) Set a minimum viable inventory plan (Day 5)

Decide how many units you will bring to your first selling event. Keep it intentionally modest.

• Rule of thumb for first event: bring enough to sell out within the event window, plus a small buffer (10–20%) for unexpected demand.

5) Build your Week 1 “production calendar” (Day 6–7)

Map the tasks that must happen before selling: harvest, wash, pack, label, chill/store, transport, setup.

Week 1 deliverables (checklist)

• Final list of 1–3 products with exact unit definitions
• Validated cost baseline notes from one-batch check
• First-event inventory target per product
• Production calendar for Week 2 test

Week 2 (Days 8–14): Confirm Pricing and Packaging Tests

Milestone: You will choose your launch price points and packaging format(s) based on quick tests, not guesses.

What “testing” means this week

You are not running a full market study. You are running small, controlled checks to reduce obvious mistakes (wrong pack size, confusing offer, price too high/low for your target buyers).

Step-by-step

1) Choose one pricing question to test (Day 8)

Pick a single decision to validate. Examples:

• Should eggs be priced per dozen only, or also offer half-dozen?
• Is the premium pack worth it, or does it slow sales?
• Will customers accept a higher price if the unit size is clearer?

2) Set up a simple A/B offer (Day 9–10)

Create two versions that differ in only one way.

• Packaging A vs B: same price, different pack size or container.
• Price A vs B: same pack, two price points tested on different days or different channels.

Keep the test ethical and practical: do not confuse customers at the same table with two prices for identical items. Instead, test across two time blocks or two locations.

3) Define success metrics before you test (Day 10)

• Sell-through rate (% of units sold)
• Gross margin per unit (based on your baseline)
• Waste/returns/damage rate
• Customer friction (questions asked, hesitation, complaints)
• Speed of service (bottlenecks at checkout)

4) Run a “micro-test” without a full event (Day 11–12)

Use one of these quick methods:

• Farm gate mini-window: 60–90 minutes with a small set of units.
• Pre-order message: send two offers to a small list and compare responses (same delivery day).
• Store/cafe buyer check: show two pack options and ask which fits their shelf/portion needs.

5) Lock your launch price + packaging (Day 13–14)

Decide what you will sell in Week 4 events. Write it down as a “no-changes” rule for the first event so you can evaluate fairly.

Launch decision record (example) Product: Cherry tomatoes Unit: 500g bag Packaging: vented clamshell inside paper band Price: 4.50 Baseline unit cost: 2.10 Target margin: 2.40 Notes: keep seconds for sauce pack

Week 2 deliverables (checklist)

• One completed pricing/packaging test with results noted
• Final launch price and packaging format per product
• Defined success metrics you will track in Week 4

Week 3 (Days 15–21): Prepare Labels, Checklists, and Sales Materials

Milestone: You will be operationally ready to sell smoothly: correct labels, a repeatable packing workflow, and simple sales materials that reduce questions and speed up transactions.

Step-by-step

1) Build a “packing day checklist” (Day 15–16)

This prevents last-minute errors that cause lost sales (missing labels, wrong counts, forgotten change, no cooler).

• Harvest tools + crates
• Cleaning/sorting supplies
• Packaging quantities (counted)
• Labels (printed and packed)
• Cold storage plan (ice packs, cooler, thermometer if used)
• Transport items (tarp, straps, bins)
• Sales kit (cash float, QR code, receipt book if used)

2) Create a “sell-day setup checklist” (Day 16–17)

Write the exact setup order to reduce stress and improve consistency.

• Table/stand placement
• Product grouping and price visibility
• Sampling tools (if applicable) and hygiene items
• Queue and payment flow
• Restock plan (what stays under table, what stays chilled)

3) Prepare your label set and batch identifiers (Day 17–18)

Even for simple local sales, you need a way to identify what was packed when, so you can trace issues and compare batches.

• Add a small batch code field (date + product code is enough).
• Decide where the code lives (sticker corner, stamp, or marker).

4) Create three core sales materials (Day 18–19)

• Price list: one clear sheet with units and prices.
• Product card(s): 1–2 sentence “what it is + how to use/store” to reduce repeated questions.
• Order/reorder card: a simple slip or QR link for customers who want weekly pickup.

5) Build your “end-of-day reconciliation” routine (Day 20–21)

After every selling session, you should be able to answer: What did we start with? What did we sell? What is left? What was lost? What cash/transactions occurred?

End-of-day quick check (template) Start inventory (units): ____ Sold (units): ____ Remaining (units): ____ Waste/damage (units): ____ Discounts given (units/value): ____ Total sales ($): ____ Payment split (cash/card/transfer): ____ Notes: top 3 customer comments + 1 operational issue

Week 3 deliverables (checklist)

• Packing day checklist (printed or saved)
• Sell-day setup checklist
• Label set ready + batch code method
• Price list + product cards + reorder method
• End-of-day reconciliation template

Week 4 (Days 22–30): Run Two Selling Events and Evaluate Results

Milestone: You will complete two real selling events, capture comparable data, and decide what to adjust next month.

Event design: keep it comparable

To learn quickly, keep the offer stable across both events:

• Same products, same unit sizes, same packaging
• Same prices (unless your test plan explicitly changes one variable)
• Same tracking metrics

Step-by-step

1) Plan Event #1 (Day 22–23)

• Confirm date/time/location and any fees or requirements.
• Set inventory targets per product (based on Week 1 plan).
• Assign roles (selling, restocking, handling payments) even if it’s just you.
• Print/prepare tracking sheets.

2) Execute Event #1 and record live observations (Day 24–25)

During the event, capture quick notes between customers:

• Which product got attention first?
• Which question was asked most?
• Where did the sales flow slow down (change, bagging, explaining)?
• Any packaging failures (leaks, bruising, condensation)?

3) Do a 30-minute post-event review (same day)

Do not wait until later in the week. Use your end-of-day template and add:

• Top 3 improvements for next time
• One thing to keep exactly the same
• One hypothesis to test at Event #2

4) Make one controlled adjustment (Day 26–27)

Choose only one change for Event #2, based on the biggest constraint you observed.

• If you sold out too fast: increase units by a set percentage (e.g., +20%), not “as much as possible.”
• If you had leftovers: reduce production or add a planned secondary outlet for remaining stock.
• If customers hesitated: improve price visibility or product card clarity (without changing the product).
• If service was slow: simplify the display or pre-bag more units.

5) Execute Event #2 and track the same metrics (Day 28–29)

Run the same tracking so you can compare Event #1 vs Event #2. If you changed one variable, note it clearly at the top of the sheet.

6) Compare results and decide next actions (Day 30)

Capstone: One-Page Operating Plan + Review Routine

Your capstone deliverable is a single page you can print and use weekly. It should be specific enough that someone else could help you execute it, and simple enough that you will actually update it.

One-page operating plan (fill-in template)

ONE-PAGE OPERATING PLAN (Local Agribusiness Sales) 1) Products (launch set) - Product A: __________ Unit: __________ - Product B: __________ Unit: __________ - Product C: __________ Unit: __________ 2) Unit cost baseline (your current best numbers) - Product A unit cost: $____ - Product B unit cost: $____ - Product C unit cost: $____ 3) Selling prices (by unit) - Product A price: $____ - Product B price: $____ - Product C price: $____ 4) Packaging + handling rules - Product A packaging: __________ Storage temp/notes: __________ - Product B packaging: __________ Storage temp/notes: __________ - Product C packaging: __________ Storage temp/notes: __________ 5) Channels (where you will sell) - Channel 1: __________ Days/times: __________ - Channel 2: __________ Days/times: __________ (Optional) Channel 3: __________ Days/times: __________ 6) Weekly schedule (repeatable) - Mon: __________ (ordering/inputs/admin) - Tue: __________ (field/production) - Wed: __________ (harvest/pack prep) - Thu: __________ (pack/label/chill) - Fri: __________ (sell/deliver) - Sat: __________ (sell/deliver) - Sun: __________ (restock plan + review) 7) Tracking metrics (minimum set) - Units produced per product: ____ - Units sold per product: ____ - Waste/damage per product: ____ - Revenue per channel: ____ - Notes: top 3 customer comments: ____

Weekly review routine (15–30 minutes)

Schedule this at the same time each week (for example, Sunday evening). Use it to adjust based on actual sales and customer feedback.

• Step 1: Update numbers (5–10 min): units produced, sold, remaining, waste, revenue by channel.
• Step 2: Identify one constraint (5 min): supply too low, demand too low, service too slow, quality issues, packaging failures, unclear offer.
• Step 3: Choose one adjustment (5 min): change inventory target, improve display/price visibility, tweak pack-out rules, adjust production timing, refine reorder process.
• Step 4: Write next week’s hypothesis (2 min): “If we do X, we expect Y.”
• Step 5: Lock the plan (3 min): update the one-page operating plan and commit to running it for one week before changing again.

Optional: simple KPI thresholds to trigger action