3 ways to put a business advisor to work for you

When Boreal Heartland Herbal Products opened in 2017, manager Randy Johns knew he had his marketing work cut out for him.

The Indigenous-owned and operated tea, mushroom and herb company located in Air Ronge, Sask., about 400 kilometres north of Saskatoon, creates unique food products that most consumers have never heard of.

Over the years as the business grew, Johns identified other areas where he felt Boreal Heartland could benefit from specialized knowledge. After discussing their needs with Milton Greyeyes, FCC Senior Relationship Manager of Indigenous Lending, Johns took these three steps to set Boreal Heartland on a solid path to success.

1. Form strategic partnerships

Working with business advisors meant Johns gained access to customized advice opportunities. As a result, Boreal Heartland expanded its industry knowledge and connections and found solutions to tangible business challenges such as planning strategies, pricing structure and digital marketing.

Johns always knew he wanted to focus more on the marketing of Boreal Heartland. Advisors helped identify priorities, such as serious exploration of retail sales and ramped up online sales, to prepare to reach Boreal Heartland’s long-term goals.

2. Learn as much as you can

Boreal also benefited from product analysis and costing through an introduction to spreadsheets. The effective use of spreadsheets and tracking helped Boreal Heartlands track manufacturing costs, how they relate to pricing, and how, for example, discounts impact profits.

The skilled and knowledgeable business advisors taught Johns how to optimize spreadsheets to deliver important business financial information. Johns calls it one of the most valuable takeaways of the partnership.

3. Stay true to your values

Throughout the partnership, Johns says he maintained Boreal’s commitment to sustainability and ethics, pillars of Boreal Heartland’s business plan. They can also affect how other food processors run their operations.

Since Boreal Heartland has harvesters going into the northern forest to forage raw materials, sustainability is foundational in the business. It’s important that harvesting is done sustainably so the plants will still be there in the future, Johns explains.

Harvesters’ training includes the rule of thirds – where harvesting in a specific area means one-third of the plant is left for the animals, one-third is to regenerate, and one-third can be harvested for human consumption.

He also considers the ethics of harvesting boreal forest plants and ensures he finds a balance with the food processing business.

“Being an Indigenous organization and using plants that Indigenous people have used for thousands of years... how do you do that respectfully so you’re not stealing the knowledge from the Indigenous community for profit?”

Boreal Heartland practices Good Agriculture and Collection Practices, which are based on the World Health Organization’s standards for the use of medicinal plants. Also, many harvesters work with their small children, teaching traditional knowledge and skills of how to work in the forest.

Looking ahead

Boreal Heartland focuses on marketing to get its product out to a broader consumer base. At the same time, Johns says they plan to educate those same consumers through continued online and social media presence. Working with a business advisor helped the company expand its distribution to store shelves in most Canadian provinces and strengthen its online presence.

Article by: Richard Kamchen