How did a butcher shop’s side project turn into “the best snacks in the world” — and $500,000 in sales in their first year?
And more importantly, could you apply the same strategies to help local businesses take their products online?
This story features Dustin Riechmann, a long-time Side Hustle Show listener. He has a blog called EngagedMarriage.com, and with the online marketing skills learned there, started a new consulting business to help other businesses build their online presence.
One of his clients was a local butcher shop. Impressed by one of their products–a higher-end, clean-ingredient meat stick–Dustin felt there was an opportunity to reach a lot more customers online.
So, he made Ryan — the owner of the butcher shop — a low-risk offer to partner and launch the product online.
What followed was a series of wins across multiple marketing channels and through a number of innovative promotional tactics.
Tune in to hear:
- How Dustin approached Ryan with a win-win partnership.
- The marketing channels and techniques they used to sell more than $500,000 worth of FireCreek snacks in their first year.
- How they got their product into 50+ Walmart stores.
- And how anyone can apply the same online and offline marketing strategies into their own business.
From Consultant to Partner
Dustin was doing some consulting work for Ryan Hansen, the owner 3 brick-and-mortar butcher shop locations. He loved their products and saw the potential for much wider distribution.
At the end of 2018, Dustin proposed a performance-based deal where he would earn 5% of gross sales.
(As his role — and sales — increased, so has his take. Dustin ended up buying an equity stake into the company.)
“It’s been a really great business marriage. Ryan had an awesome product, he already had everything ready for market,” Dustin told me.
Dustin said it’s been the combination of having a great product, Ryan’s wholesale experience, and his online marketing skills that made this such a success.