Sunday Solopreneur

Read on my website – Read Time: 5 Minutes

This past week, I shared a new YouTube video on why service-based businesses are a smart move for small farms. If you missed it, you can watch it here.

In the video, I talked about the why; Why offering a service can lower your costs, diversify your income, and sometimes be more profitable than selling products alone.

But today, I want to drill down into something even more important:

How do you know if your farm service idea will actually work before you invest your time and energy?

The answer:
👉 You test the idea first. And you can do it for free.

Here’s exactly how.

Step 1: Build a Quick, One-Minute Survey

You don’t need anything fancy.
Use a free tool like Google Forms or Typeform to create a simple, fast survey.

Important:

• Keep it under a minute to complete.
• Limit it to no more than three questions.
• Use multiple-choice answers whenever possible (people don’t want to type).
• Offer an “Other” option with a text box only if they want to share more.

Here’s a sample layout you can copy:

1. Would you be interested in [your service idea]?
   • Yes / Maybe / No
2. If yes, how likely would you be to sign up?
   • Very Likely / Somewhat Likely / Unsure / Not Likely
3. Would you like early access if we launch?
   • Yes / No / Maybe

Optional: Add an “Other thoughts?” box — but make it optional, not required.

Step 2: Send it to Your Email List

This is where having an email list becomes critical.

You can technically post your survey on social media, but here’s the truth:
​Social media won’t give you good data.

Algorithms, low reach, and random followers will water down your results.
An email list gives you direct access to your true customers, the ones mostlikely to buy from you.

Not building your list yet?

Start now. It’s the best free marketing tool you have as a small farm. Kit is FREE under 1000 subscribers and it’s what I used to generate this email.

(And if you need a farm website with email list capabilities built in, that’s exactly what we offer at Homegrown Hosting.)

Step 3: How to Word Your Email

You want your message to be short, casual, and non-committal for the reader.

Here’s a template you can steal and tweak:

Subject: Quick One-Minute Survey – We’d Love Your Input!

Body:
​Hey [First Name],

We’re thinking about offering a new service at the farm, and we’d love your opinion.

Would you take one minute to answer three simple questions?

There’s no commitment — we’re just seeing if there’s interest before we decide anything and you’d be helping the farm in a big way.

[Take the Quick Survey]

Thanks so much for your help and support,
[Your Farm Name]

Step 4: What to Do With the Responses

Once the responses roll in:

• If you get 20–25 “yes” or “maybe” responses?
  🎯 You have real proof of demand.

Then you can:

• Move forward with offering the service
• Start taking deposits to reserve spots if you want
• Confidently invest your time knowing people are interested

And if there’s low interest?

That’s fine too. You saved yourself a lot of time and energy by asking first and you now have a template for the next thing to try. next

Final Thoughts

Testing your service idea this way saves you from guessing and wasting time (and money).

You don’t have to build the whole thing first.

You don’t have to spend weeks preparing something that might flop.

You simply ask. And you let your customers guide what you build next.

Best of all, it costs you nothing but a few minutes to set up.

P.S.

If you’re still thinking about ways to add a service-based income stream to your farm, check out my latest video here:
▶️ How to Start a Service-Based Business for Your Farm​

Thanks for reading and we’ll catch you next week!

with my appreciation,

Jason

Aka: The Part-Time Farmer​

​homegrownhosting.com​

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Missed a newsletter? Don’t worry! Access all past issues packed with practical tips and strategies to grow your farm business.

See Them All Here!
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