This past weekend we took a family trip out to Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm for some fall fun. I love the smell of fresh apple pies baking, the caramel apples, the miniature stream train that winds through the walnut orchard, and the 67 acres of pumpkins… I look forward to this outing every year!

We usually end up there at least two or three times before Halloween, so I guess you could say Bishop’s has become a yearly tradition. Each year, the Bishop’s Farm re-invests in the business, adding new attractions and improving old ones. And, each year, we come back excited for the traditional train ride, petting zoo, pig races, caramel apples, and to see what’s new!

This year I noticed something different.

This year was the first year we went on the weekend. $10 for parking, $10 per kid for face painting (check out my little pirate and butterfly!), $4 per person for the coyote mountain slides, $4 per person for the train… and with pony rides, the corn maze, food, and buying pumpkins, you could say they have truly embraced marketing and the power of a captivated, emotion-driven, tradition-loving audience to turn a profit.

In the final quarter of this year, I encourage you to follow the lead of Bishop’s Farm and evaluate your business. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Why do people work with you, hire you, buy your products, or invest in your services?
• What emotions do you evoke with your business, products and services?
• Why do customers come back? And, why do you want them to come back?
• What makes their experience with you and your business special or memorable?

And, for your future success and continued growth and profitability, here are few more of the most important questions to answer:

• What can you do to IMPROVE your business next year?
• How can you make repeat customers feel special and get excited?
• What NEW things can you add to your business?
• How much are you going to RE-INVEST in your business and your future success?