Clever Crow Farms LLC | Application Preview
Clever Crow Farms LLC is seeking government grants to expand its operations and improve store efficiency. The funding would primarily support growing inventory, enhancing team capabilities, and completing projects such as a crucial HVAC upgrade to improve refrigeration efficiency and reduce electrical costs.
The business has identified several growth areas. First, there is a strong focus on the ice cream shop, particularly during the summer months, where margins are high (around 75%). Ice cream sales have risen over 50% since March, and the company is developing a working menu that creatively merges grocery items with ice cream offerings.
Second, Clever Crow Farms aims to broaden its range of local products and fresh produce to create a comprehensive shopping experience centered around local goods. After two years of building a loyal customer base, the business seeks to diversify its product selection.
Third, the company plans to invest in advertising, including radio and digital marketing, to reach a broader audience. Although they have successfully managed in-house marketing, there remains an untapped customer base in the community.
Furthermore, the business intends to implement online ordering and next-day local delivery services, leveraging prior experience from a similar delivery service they operated. Funding is needed to hire additional drivers and maintain the website.
Clever Crow Farms highlights the personal significance of the store, emphasizing the financial security it provides for the owner’s family. This strong motivation underpins their commitment to success.
In terms of competition, they face regional grocery chains like Weis and national chains like GIANT, as well as Dairy Queen for ice cream. However, their competitive edge lies in their commitment to traditional, handmade products—using glass bottles for dairy, scratch-made baked goods from local Amish providers, and hand-dipped small-batch ice cream. The personal, community-oriented shopping experience they offer sets them apart, attracting customers who value a friendly atmosphere and personalized service.
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 85-1341895
Location: LEWISBURG, PA, United States
Length of Operation: 1-5
Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees
Annual Gross Income: $250k to $500k
Annual Gross Expense: $100k to $250k
Open to Loans: NO
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Funding Usage
We would use any funding received to grow our inventory, invest in our team, and complete necessary projects to improve the store (such as our upcoming HVAC project to improve the efficiency of our refrigeration equipment and lower our electrical costs overall).
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Business Plan
We currently are focused on growing our business in a few different areas. Firstly, we are leaning in on the Ice Cream shop side of our business, especially over the Summer, due to substantially higher margins in this area (around 75%). We continue to build and expand a full, working menu, that also cross merchandises grocery with the ice cream business (for example, cold brew coffee floats with our popular locally roast Cold Brew). We have seen over 50% growth in ice cream sales since March, and it continues to grow week after week. Secondly, we intend to grow our selection of local products and farm fresh goods. Our goal has always been to make shopping for local goods more accessible to the every day consumer. We have spent two years developing proof of concept and building a loyal customer base with the items we do offer. Now we want to focus on really diversifying our collection of products and curating a full grocery shopping experience with primarily goods from small, local sources. Thirdly, we want to invest in new advertising opportunities (such as radio ads and digital marketing) to reach a broader market. We have successfully handled most of our advertising in house up until this point. We have a very active Facebook page and we are listed in most directories and search engines at this point. We do still have an untapped market, even in our community, so we want to invest in reaching them and broadening our customer base. Lastly, we want to incorporate online ordering and next day local delivery options into our business. We owned and operated a similar delivery service before having the store front, so we already have a base of understanding of that type of business, but we would need funds to hire drivers and someone to maintain the website. . This store means so much to myself and my family - it means financial freedom, and security, a future for my children. With that type of motivation - you can bet on me to work my hardest and exhaust every possible road to success.
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Self Identified Competition
Weis - Grocery (Regional) - Similar to a Giant but less of a selection, and more PA brand goods. GIANT - Grocery (National) - Big box store brands at higher costs Dairy Queen - "Ice Cream" and frozen treats from mass produced premade mixes We are old school. Our dairy is sold in glass bottles and is from Family-Owned PA Dairies. Our baked goods are made from scratch and baked fresh by the Amish each week. Our ice cream is Hand-Dipped, small batch, old-fashioned Ice Cream. Nothing we make comes from a machine. Our customers come to us because they want the mom and pop shop feel. They want an owner who cares enough about their customers to know their name and remember to ask about their kids. They want a friendly environment, a stressless shopping experience, and a purchase they can feel good about. That is why they come to us.
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