Module 1 Know your customer and market 4 hAnalyse
Every sound business in microgreens farming begins with one clear customer and one clear problem. In São Paulo and the wider state, demand is real but crowded, so a small, well-described customer group wins before a broad one.
- In microgreens farming: Chefs buy by freshness and consistency; ask for weekly volumes and delivery times.
- Write the customer in one sentence: a restaurant or home cook. Add the place, the moment of need and what they use today.
- List five rivals or substitutes within reach. For each, record price, strength, weakness and how people reach it.
- Interview at least eight real customers with open questions. Record exact words, not your summary.
- Count the market in units: how many trays could one area buy in a month? Use two public sources and your own count, then take the lower figure.
- Choose one first segment and say why the others wait.
Worked example. Weak: 'Everyone needs a tray of young salad greens.' Strong: 'Our first customer is a restaurant or home cook within 8 km of the centre, who today pays R$ 20 per tray and complains about delay. We target 420 trays a month by month three.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: ten customers are interviewed for microgreens farming. Seven say price, two say speed, one says trust. Question: which first message do you write, and which interview record backs it? Model answer: lead with the tray price and speed promise, keep trust proof as the second line, and cite the seven price answers by date.
Activity. Write the one-sentence customer, a five-row rival table and eight interview records. Share them with a peer for a challenge round.
Standard to meet. Define a specific customer, build a rival table with prices, and trace every claim to an interview or a source.
Module 2 Rules, registration and data duties in Brazil 4 hUnderstand
Brazil asks every trader to be visible and accountable. Know which register, tax regime and sector rules apply before the first sale, and check each against the current official text.
- In microgreens farming: Small producers register the business and follow food safety guidance for fresh produce; keep a water source test.
- Choose a legal form: micro-entrepreneur (MEI) only if your activity appears on the official MEI list, or a company registered with a CNPJ. Regulated activities need their sector authorisation first. Check the current limits and lists on the official portal.
- Learn the tax regime that fits your size and write down which taxes you will collect and pay, and when.
- Find the sector rules for microgreens farming: licences, inspections, professional registers. List each with the office that issues it and the renewal date.
- Personal data of customers falls under Brazil's data protection law (LGPD). Collect only what you need, say why, keep it safe, and name who answers questions.
- Consumer law gives buyers clear rights on information, returns and complaints. Put your terms in plain Portuguese.
Worked example. Checklist for a new microgreens farming trader: 1) legal form (CNPJ, or MEI only if your activity is on the official list); 2) city operating licence; 3) sector licence or register; 4) tax set-up; 5) privacy notice; 6) written terms. Each has an owner and a date.
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a neighbour says registration can wait until the first R$ 90 of sales. Question: what do you do? Model answer: do not delay; write the compliance table first, confirm the register, tax and sector licence with the official office, and start only where the table shows no open blocker.
Activity. Build your own six-line compliance table for your first location. Mark what is done, what is pending and who confirms it.
Standard to meet. Cite an official source for every line, assume nothing, and date every pending item. Local law always wins over this course.
Module 3 Design the offer 4 hCreate
An offer states what the customer gets, how well, by when and at what price. For a tray of young salad greens, the offer must make the quality visible and the next step easy.
- In microgreens farming: Offer a weekly standing order of defined tray sizes, three varieties, and a sample.
- Describe the core offer in three lines: what is delivered (a tray of young salad greens), the standard it meets, and the time it takes.
- Add one proof for each promise: a sample, a test result, a guarantee or a customer record.
- Price from cost upward and from customer value downward, then pick a price inside both.
- Write a simple one-page terms sheet: what is included, what is extra, how to cancel.
- Create two options at most, so choice stays easy.
Worked example. Offer: 'A tray of young salad greens, delivered within agreed time, checked against a written standard, price R$ 18 per tray. Proof: a dated record the customer can check and sign. Changes or cancellation by written agreement before work begins.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a customer asks for a discount from R$ 18 to R$ 16 per tray. Question: decide with numbers. Model answer: contribution falls from R$ 11 to R$ 9 per tray; offer an extra of value (for example faster service) before cutting price, and accept only if the lower contribution still clears break-even.
Longer notes. Pick two or three crops, such as radish, sunflower and pea, and grow a test tray of each to learn days to harvest, yield and flavour. Prepare shallow trays, clean growing mix or mats, food-safe water and seed sold for sprouting. Write a weekly sowing calendar so a harvest is ready on every delivery day. Cut, weigh and pack 50-gram boxes, label them with the harvest date and keep them cold. List possible buyers: restaurants, market stalls and households. Calculate the cost per tray from seed, mix, packaging and water. Ask the local health office whether selling packed greens directly needs a registration, and what the label must say.
Extra worked example. A restaurant buys 40 trays a month at R$ 18 per tray, a worked-example order, so the income is 40 x R$ 18 = R$ 720. Seed, mix and packaging cost R$ 7 per tray, or R$ 280, which leaves R$ 440, or R$ 11 per tray (61,1%). Against R$ 3.500 of fixed cost a month for room, light and electricity, break-even is R$ 3.500 / R$ 11 = 318,2, so 319 trays. You would need about eight such restaurants, since 319 / 40 is roughly 8.
Activity. Write the offer card, the proof list and the terms sheet. Test them with three customers and note every point where they hesitated.
Standard to meet. Check that promise, proof and price are consistent, fit the terms on one page, and record three customer reactions.
Module 4 Run the work step by step 5 hApply
Good operations make results repeatable. For microgreens farming, write each step so a new person could follow it on their first day, and measure each step.
- In microgreens farming: Cycle: soak, sow, blackout, light, water, harvest in 7 to 14 days; record each tray.
- Map the process from first contact to paid and closed. Typical stages: enquiry, quote, preparation, delivery of the tray, check, payment, follow-up.
- Name the key resource at each stage: a clean rack room with light and water. Note what happens if it is missing.
- Write a one-page standard procedure per stage: who, what, tool, time, record.
- Choose three measures: speed, quality (errors per 100) and customer rating. Review them every week.
- Fix the cause of a defect, not the symptom. Ask 'why' five times and record the answer.
Worked example. Stage record: 'Prepare. Owner: lead. Time: 30 min. Tool: checklist. Record: signed sheet. Defect found on 1 of 175 trays last week; cause: missing check on a clean rack room with light and water; fix: add check at start, review next Friday.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: of 700 trays last month, 42 had a defect traced to a clean rack room with light and water. Question: what is the defect rate and what is your first action? Model answer: about 6 defects per 100; stop the cause (add a check at the start), correct affected customers, log the cause, and re-measure next week.
Activity. Draw the process map and write procedures for the two riskiest stages. Run each once and time it.
Standard to meet. Write procedures a stranger can follow, record weekly numbers for each measure, and trace one defect to a root cause.
Module 5 Safety, quality and risk 4 hEvaluate
The most serious risk in this field is mould or poor seed. A calm, written risk routine protects people first and the business second.
- In microgreens farming: Mould and contaminated water are main risks; use clean seed, airflow and sanitised trays.
- List ten things that could go wrong. Score each for how likely (1 to 5) and how serious (1 to 5). Multiply and sort.
- For the top five, choose a control: remove the hazard, replace it, guard it, train people, or use protective gear, in that order of preference.
- Write who does what in an emergency, and rehearse it once a quarter.
- Keep an incident and near-miss log. Near-misses are free lessons.
- Check that insurance and legal duties match the risk you actually carry.
Worked example. Risk row: 'Hazard: mould or poor seed. Likelihood 3, severity 5, score 15. Control: written check before each tray, trained staff, log sheet. Owner: site lead. Review monthly.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a near-miss occurs: mould or poor seed nearly happened but no one was hurt. Question: what do you do in the next 24 hours? Model answer: make safe, record the event, ask the five whys, add or tighten one control, brief the team, and set a review date; near-misses count as lessons, not blame.
Activity. Build a ten-row risk register and a one-page emergency plan. Run a ten-minute drill with a peer and note two improvements.
Standard to meet. Rank controls by preference for the top risks, run the drill, and start the log. Where a regulation applies, follow the official rule.
Module 6 People, skills and service 4 hApply
People deliver the promise. Define roles, train to a standard and give feedback in the open.
- In microgreens farming: Train staff on hygiene and a harvest quality check.
- Write a role card for each person: purpose, five tasks, the standard for each, and who to ask for help.
- Train by showing, doing with support, then doing alone with a check. Record sign-off per task.
- Set service rules for answering customers: reply times, tone, how to apologise and fix.
- Hold a ten-minute team check each day: yesterday's problem, today's plan, one risk.
- Build a growth path: what a new person can do in week 1, month 3 and month 12.
Worked example. Training record: 'Task: process a complaint. Shown 2 May; done with support 4 May; done alone 8 May, checked: apology, fix, follow-up call. Signed by lead.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a new hire completes training but a customer complaint shows a skipped step. Question: whose gap is it? Model answer: first the system: check the role card, the training sign-off and the checklist; then coach the person and fix the document so the step cannot be skipped.
Longer notes. Plan the daily rhythm of helpers: soak seeds, sow, mist, move trays to light, harvest, pack and wash. Write each step on a card with photos and the number of trays. Teach hygiene first: wash hands, clean scissors, sanitise benches and keep animals out. Show how to tell mould from root hairs and discard a tray when unsure. Ask helpers to write temperature and sowing date on a clipboard. Split tasks into morning and afternoon so harvest happens just before delivery. Test understanding by having each helper run a full tray cycle while you watch. Pay for the training hours.
Extra worked example. A part-time helper works 100 hours a month at R$ 20 per hour, both worked-example figures, costing R$ 2.000. Fixed cost rises from R$ 3.500 to R$ 5.500, and break-even moves to R$ 5.500 / R$ 11 = 500 trays. At 700 trays, profit falls from 700 x R$ 11 - R$ 3.500 = R$ 4.200 to R$ 2.200. The helper pays off only if you can sell 182 more trays a month, since R$ 2.000 / R$ 11 = 181,8.
Activity. Write two role cards and a training plan for one new hire. Role-play a hard customer conversation twice and review.
Standard to meet. Write role cards with measurable standards, show the sign-off steps in training, and write the service rules in plain words.
Module 7 Money: cost, price and break-even 5 hAnalyse
A business lives or dies on a few numbers. Know your contribution per unit, your fixed costs and the volume you need.
- In microgreens farming: Compute cost per tray including seed, medium, power and labour; check yield per rack.
- Contribution per tray = price minus variable cost. Fixed costs are paid whether you sell or not.
- Break-even units = fixed cost divided by contribution. Plan to pass it by a safe margin.
- Make a 12-month cash plan. Cash timing matters as much as profit: customers may pay late, suppliers may want money first.
- Keep money for business and money for the owner apart.
- Test the plan: what if sales fall by a quarter, or cost rises by a tenth?
Worked example. Worked example, all figures in reais: price R$ 18, variable cost R$ 7, contribution R$ 11 per tray. Fixed cost R$ 3.500 a month. Break-even = R$ 3.500 / R$ 11 = 318,18, so 319 trays a month. At 700 trays a month, profit = R$ 11 x 700 - R$ 3.500 = R$ 4.200. These are teaching figures that belong to this example only; later examples and the case study use their own figures. Use your own.
Second worked scenario. Scenario: sales fall to 525 trays a month. Question: what is the monthly result? Model answer: R$ 11 x 525 - R$ 3.500 = R$ 2.275; compare with break-even of 319 trays and decide whether to cut fixed cost or raise volume first. Teaching figures only.
Activity. Build your own table: price, variable cost, contribution, fixed cost, break-even and a downside case at 75% of sales. Show it to a peer or mentor.
Standard to meet. Calculate correctly, give every figure a source or mark it as an assumption, and show a downside case.
Module 8 Grow, measure and renew 4 hEvaluate
Growth should follow proof. Measure, learn, then add; and keep returning to the customer.
- In microgreens farming: Grow by adding shelves before adding rooms.
- Pick one growth lever at a time: new customers, a higher repeat rate, a better price, or a new offer.
- Set one measurable target for 90 days, such as 'raise repeat customers from 20% to 30%'.
- Ask each customer how they found you, and record it. Spend more where the record shows results.
- Review monthly: numbers, defects, complaints, cash. Write three decisions each time.
- Plan the renewal of licences, equipment and skills a year ahead.
Worked example. 90-day plan: 'Lever: repeat customers. Action: follow-up call after every tray. Target: repeat rate from 20% to 30%. Check: weekly count. Review date: day 45 and day 90.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: you can add 140 trays a month by one of two levers: a follow-up call to past customers or a price rise of R$ 2 to R$ 20. Question: how do you choose? Model answer: test the cheaper reversible lever first (the call), measure for 30 days, and only then try the price change, so you can tell which one worked.
Longer notes. Compare crops and customers by margin per tray, not by sales alone. Record weekly trays sown, trays discarded and boxes sold, then calculate waste as a share of trays. Test a larger shelf only after two months of low waste. Rate each buyer by orders per week and payment time, and drop those who return many boxes. Trial a new crop on two trays before adding it. Plan an extra light and shelf from saved margin and work out how many weeks it needs to pay for itself. Keep a sheet of fridge temperature and delivery times.
Extra worked example. In this worked example you sow 700 trays and discard 35, so waste is 5%. A new shelf costs R$ 2.200 and holds 60 extra trays a month at a margin of R$ 11 each, adding 60 x R$ 11 = R$ 660 a month; the shelf price and the extra trays are invented numbers. The shelf pays for itself in R$ 2.200 / R$ 660 = 3,3, so 4 months, if every tray sells. Treat this as a test, since sales can fall.
Activity. Write a 90-day plan with one target, three actions and a review date. Present it in five minutes and take questions.
Standard to meet. Set a measurable, dated target, break the actions down small enough to start this week, and put the review date in the calendar.
