Mike's Berries, Vegetables & More
Mike Miller & Doug Miller, Co-Owners
17686 Whitehead Road
Lagrange, OH 44050
Telephone: (440) 355-4927
Website | Profile | Email |
| What products and services does your business offer? |
| Mike's Berries, Vegetables & More offers fresh, all-natural produce without the harmful effects of chemical-processing. |
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| Who are your target customers? |
| Mike's target customers include both local and surrounding-area residents who are interested in healthy living. |
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| What's unique about the business? How is it different from the competition? |
A unique quality of Mike's Berries, Vegetables & More is that they do not use conventional farming methods or any type of chemicals or pesticides on any of their produce. All produce is planted and harvested by hand, and even the bugs and weeds are removed with manual labor.
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| What challenges does the business face? |
| The biggest challenge that Mike's Berries, Vegetables & More faces is Mother Nature, and all of the unpredictable weather that she brings. |
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| What opportunities does the business see? |
| Mike's Berries, Vegetables & More sees opportunity in the business being family-owned and operated. They are able to keep their prices competitive and create a family-friendly atmosphere. Mike's Berries, Vegetables & More aims to be more than just a vegetable farm or a strawberry patch. They hope to become a friend to the community and offer a diversion from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. |
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| What is the vision for the future of the business? |
| In the future, Mike's Berries, Vegetables & More hopes to expand its product selection and create a larger volume of its existing produce. They hope to expand into selling their products at local farm markets and also have their products reach retirement communities. |
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| How and when was the business started? |
| Strawberries have been a part of the Miller family for generations. Mike's father had a strawberry patch in Elyria and his grandchildren would help him pick. Mike bought a dairy farm in 1973, but after the farming meltdown of the late 1980s, the Miller's were lucky to even have their land left. Mike later retired, he and his family began brainstorming ideas of opening an all-natural fruit and vegetable farm. In the Spring of 2006, they decided to jump in and start planting. Their vision has now become "Mike's Berries, Vegetables & More!" |
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| Is there anything about the business that most people don't know (that you would like to share)? |
| Mike's Berries, Vegetables & More would like individuals to know that they do exist and are an excellent choice for fresh produce! They would also like to let customers know that there is a substantial difference between produce that is harvest using pesticides and chemical compared to all of their products which are harvested naturally. |
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| How has technology and the Internet changed the business and/or industry? |
| The Internet has helped Mike's Berries, Vegetables & More draw in business from all over Northern Ohio and helps customers locate a business that specializes in naturally, home-grown products. |
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| What advice would you provide for someone starting a new business? |
| The best advice Mike's Berries, Vegetables & More would give is "Slow and Simple". Establishing your own business is always an uphill battle, but don't give up. If you work hard enough, it will all come back to you. Some say that "Bigger is Best", but Mike says that "Better is Bigger"!
Interview Date: June 30, 2009 |
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