Smeaton Farm
Richard and Sarah Jones took over Smeaton Farm in Pillaton, near Saltash, in March 2006.
It has been an extremely busy few months, with broadband playing a pivotal role on helping drive the business forward.
With the help of £1000 funding from actnow, Smeaton Farm has set up an eCommerce website to sell its produce and is encouraged by the results so far.
As well as selling their meat online, the website is used to promote the new B&B business and also their Maize Maze.
Richard says “Within four weeks of opening the Farmhouse B&B, we had had visitors from every continent, so that just shows the power of the worldwide web. We registered with around six online accommodation portals and were amazed by how quickly this created awareness for the business. I would say that all our business has been generated online. As well as the B&B side, we have had a fantastic level of enquiries about the Maize Maze from people who have seen it on the Internet.”
With advice from actnow, Smeaton Farm installed wireless broadband. “Wireless broadband is brilliant!” says Richard. “Because we have installed wireless broadband, we are able to offer guests a wireless connection in their rooms, which is another selling point to businesspeople who bring their laptops with them.”
All the ordering and purchasing for Smeaton Farm is now carried out online. “We buy absolutely everything over the Internet” says Richard. “Because broadband is so fast, we also use it a huge amount for research. It is invaluable for the latest thinking on everything from cattle health through to accommodation issues to information on organic farming.”
Richard continues “We are undergoing conversion to organic and we expect that we will be able to maximise future sales through the eCommerce website. Broadband has already helped get our new venture off to a flying start and we are looking forward to the future with confidence.”
