Pricing, Ease-of-Use and Square Integration Drew Fourth Generation Farmers to SimpleTix
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Way back in 7th grade, my English teacher Mrs. Gildard told me I should be a writer. That advice stuck in my head, and eventually I followed it. In the winter, expect a few OOO while I snowboard. The rest of the year, I finish work early so I can go hiking or just hang out with my family, friends and dog Marley.
In 2021, fourth-generation farmers moved from their large family farm in Maryland to a smaller one in west Texas, pumpkin cannon in tow. Brandon and Taylor Huffman’s goals were threefold: Simplify, downsize, and create a community-oriented experience.
Twenty-two years of running a popular pumpkin patch came in handy. They created the springtime Sunflower Festival and fall-time Pumpkin Festival. As Western Belle Farm took shape, they talked about how to streamline sales operations to maximize profits and make their busy lives easier.
“This is a true passion for us, and there is nothing we love more than brainstorming new activities for children to play on, growing specialty crops for guests to enjoy, and overall creating a truly ‘fun’ place for our community to come spend a day.” – Taylor Huffman
Western Belle Farm found the ideal ticketing platform in SimpleTix
At the top of their ticketing platform wishlist was Square integration for seamless online and in-person sales. They also wanted reasonable processing fees and an easy-to-use platform that makes ticketing simple.
Like many farms, they didn’t want to be locked into a two-year contract with a ticketing platform whose feature-set is four years behind. In other words, they wanted a Ticketspice alternative.
“When we first heard about SimpleTix, we were really excited about their pricing,” Taylor Huffman said. “We were also impressed by their customer service and the small company feel of having the owner directly involved. After the demo, I felt the system was so easy that even a new admin could learn it and build out tickets.”
SimpleTix helps farms maximize profits
Lower processing fees per ticket has a ripple effect. It translates to lower ticket prices, even with sales tax included, and still allows Western Belle Farm to make a reasonable profit per ticket.
Having the ability to upsell also supports farm profits, which is why we added the Square Upsells feature to the platform.
Customers can easily add the purchase of animal feed, drinks, and more to their ticket order.
Meanwhile, farms can track inventory through the SimpleTix platform, ensuring that those items are always in stock.
Redeeming those upsells is super easy, too. Customers simply have their ticket re-scanned when picking up animal feed, and the system will mark it as redeemed.
SimpleTix does not charge any service fees for this feature.
“I wish I would’ve switched sooner and saved myself some headaches!” – Taylor Huffman
… And avoid unnecessary charges
All payment processing platforms charge fees for issuing refunds to customers. For an outdoor attraction that is weather-dependent, the bulk cancellation of tickets due to a severe weather event can lead to hundreds or even thousands of dollars in fees for a farm – and sharply cut into their profits.
SimpleTix is working on a feature right now that will circumvent this.
If a customer needs to change their ticket day and/or time slot, they won’t need to cancel the existing tickets and purchase new ones. Instead, they will easily make that change within the SimpleTix platform, thus allowing the farm to avoid paying refund fees. If tickets are being switched from an off-peak pricing level to peak pricing, the customer will be charged for the difference.
If the farm has to bulk-cancel an event due to a severe thunderstorm alert, they can let all ticket holders know through the platform. And, they can offer other dates to their customers or convert the ticket price into a gift card for future use.
We want to support your farm’s long-term success
The SimpleTix team is dedicated to working hand-in-hand with farmers and adding new features every year that will support their success. If you’d like to see the platform in action – and better understand how it can help your farm maximize profits – schedule a demo today!
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