Author: bzsuper

Changes Coming in August

BAXYL® BOOST GETS A NEW NAME

Baxyl® Boost will change its name to Baxyl Sport later in August, as inventory depletes and as the labels and new packaging are updating. The rebranding reflects the addition of Astaxanthin, an added antioxidant that assists in soft tissue health and muscular recuperation. The combination of MHB3® and Astaxanthin is the perfect combination for athletes, therefore the name Baxyl Sport.

Baxyl Sport is part of the Baxyl® line of products and is a completely hydrated, oral, liquid supplement which allows for quick absorption and maximum efficacy. Baxyl is created with MHB3 Hyaluronan and is the most researched and proven joint relief supplement on the market from Cogent Solutions Group, LLC. Cogent Solutions Group is a subsidiary of BioZyme®️, Inc.

To place your order, call Mackinze Gray at (816) 366-7026.

AMAFERM® PELLET BAG SIZE CHANGED

The Amaferm® Pellet has been reduced from a 50-pound bag to a 40-pound bag. The price will be adjusted accordingly.

CRAFT YOUR OWN BAG!

At BioZyme, we believe in delivering the best possible customer care and evolving to meet the demands of the current times. That is why – for the first time ever – we are excited to offer our dealers a discount and lower minimums on custom blends.

Order by August 14 to receive a 12% discount on calculated price, or by August 18 for a 10% discount.

Terms & conditions:

• Minimum order size: 6T per item-Mineral or pellet products only (no premixes, proprietary products, blocks, tubs, liquids, gels)-

• Orders will be produced between August 21 and September 1.

• Orders are subject to other established BioZyme terms & conditions.

• Orders from subdealers will be turned over to distribution via BioZyme for pricing and logistics.

Changes Coming in July

AMAFERM® PELLET BAG SIZE CHANGING

The Amaferm® Pellet will be reduced from a 50 lb bag to a 40 lb bag, starting in July. The price will be adjusted accordingly.

SURE CHAMP® SPARK® DISCONTINUED

Due to the continual decrease in sales over the past four years, Sure Champ® Spark® will be discontinued once inventory of the products and buckets has been depleted. Customers who have relied on Spark can receive many of the same benefits and more from Sure Champ Extreme with ClariFly®, available in 25- and 40-pound bags.

Changes Coming in June

SURE CHAMP® SPARK® DISCONTINUED

Due to the continual decrease in sales over the past four years, Sure Champ® Spark® will be discontinued once inventory of the products and buckets has been depleted, likely later in June or early in July. Customers who have relied on Spark can receive many of the same benefits and more from Sure Champ Extreme with ClariFly®, available in 25-and 40-pound bags, especially through the summer months.

AO-BIOTICS® EQE ADDED TO BACKYARD BOOST® DAILY ESSENTIALS

AO-Biotics® EQE will be added to the Backyard Boost® Daily Essentials, in addition to Amaferm®. EQE is the first-and-only postbiotic designed specifically for layers using patent pending technology. The addition will help enhance egg quality, number of eggs and egg mass. This will be a rolling change as inventory of the current stock is sold.

AMAFERM® PELLET UPDATE

Beginning in July, Amaferm® Pellet will be reduced from a 50 lb bag to a 40 lb bag. The price will be adjusted accordingly.

Letters from Lisa

At BioZyme®, one of our corporate goals is to produce products that meet or exceed our customers’ needs and wants. We call it safe, accurate product. This goal has always been very important to me, as I believe our end customer is the animal, and animals have always been my heart throb. My mother could tell you numerous stories about how many wild animals I tried to “save” and how many dogs I brought home that “found” me.

The responsibility of quality is to ensure all products are free from defects, the process reduces waste, and the product meets the customers’ expectations before it leaves the manufacturing facility. The pursuit of quality must be everyone’s responsibility at each stage of the process.

This pursuit at BioZyme includes the following:

  • Reliable products – From a business perspective, consumers favor products that are reliable.
  • Safe products – Perhaps the most critical element is that we must ensure our products are safe to use.
  • Compliance – There are many rules and regulations we must adhere to, and compliance is a key issue of quality to prevent delays in production and avoid fines.
  • Consistency – All products must meet the same standard of excellence.
  • Waste reduction – We lower costs when material resources are conserved and used wisely in the production process.
  • Minimizing risk – A rigorous QC process identifies root causes quickly when there is a problem.
  • Continuous improvement – Quality is about always improving the process to create a better product.

Once you have these standards defined and implemented, then you must decide how you will know they are working. At BioZyme we wanted to be very specific about our safe, accurate product goal. That started with defining safety and accuracy.

Those definitions are outlined here:

  • Safety refers to all factors that impact the health and well-being of the manufacturing employees and the products they manufacture.
  • Accuracy is the degree of conformance to the known standard when it comes to the quality and performance of a finished product.

Next, we worked hard to define our versions of each.

BioZyme Safe

  • Produced under safe, clean conditions.
  • Free of harmful, foreign substances.

BioZyme Accurate

  • Labeled appropriately, legibly and truthfully.
  • Consistent in look where look is defined as color, smell and particle size.
  • Consistently palatable.

And finally, in true Lisa style, we outlined how we would measure if it was really happening by defining these metrics:

  • 0 worker accidents
  • 0 animal deaths
  • 0 pounds of off-spec product
  • 100% of product produced is without a product integrity customer concern.
  • 100% of finished product tested matches its tag.
  • 100% of product hits parameters set for the color spectrometer and particle size analyzer.
  • 100% of product contains formula tested amount of flavor.

After defining, outlining and documenting all the above we began upgrading all that we do at BioZyme to ensure we walk the talk.

Below is a list of what we have done to date:

  • Installed an Industrial Dehumidifier
  • Perform Monthly Leg Camera Scoping
  • Installed a Feed Cleaner Just Before Bagging
  • Installed More Magnets, a Magnet Drawer & Metal Detection
  • Implemented AI Camera Pictures of Every Bag with Alarms
  • Ensured FIFO Monitoring
  • Implemented an Employee Safety Program
  • Added Sampling & Testing of All Inbound Ingredients
  • Added Sampling & Testing of a Statistically Significant Amount of Finished Product
  • Ensured Full Team is PCQI Trained
  • A PCQI is an individual who has successfully completed adequate training to implement a food safety plan. A PCQI manages important aspects of the food safety program and ensures that preventive controls are effective and proper records are maintained.
  • Implemented 100% Automated Checklist Use with Alarms when a NO is Clicked
  • Ensure Dust Control Content Analysis
  • Implementation of Automation in All Processes Except Drug Hand-adds
  • Employed Two Full-time Sanitation Employees at each Facility
  • Track & Manage Moisture Variation in Amaferm Drying
  • Implemented QC Bag Screening on First 10 Bags of Every Run
  • Hired a Certified, Professional 3rd Party Pest Control Program
  • A 3rd Party Audit at Each Facility for Quality Certification
  • Added an Equine Safe Manufacturing Line for our Vitalize Line

Is safety and accuracy really worth all this effort?

According to the National Institutes of Health, interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support and boost human mood.

Yep, it’s worth it

Changes Coming in May

INGREDIENTS UPDATED TO SELECT PRODUCT LINES

In April, we added an antioxidant to the granular VitaFerm®, Gain Smart® and DuraFerm® product lines, to improve quality. Dealers and customers could see some added ingredients listed on the label. We continue to provide the highest-quality ingredients to ensure the best shelf life.

HYALURONEX® AND TRIXSYN® PRODUCTS NOW PART OF VITALIZE® FAMILY

Hyaluronex® and Trixsyn® joint health products are officially part of the Vitalize® brand. The products that many equine, dog and cat lovers have come to know and trust still consist of the same great formulas, but now are labeled under the Vitalize name and have a new label and look.

PERSONNEL CHANGES & ADDITIONS

We have made some changes and additions to our staff that you should be aware of including the following. Please note the new titles & responsibilities:

  • Brandon Barlage, Inside Sales Representative – New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
  • Alison Brunner, Animal Health Sales Manager
  • Hardy Goodman, ASM – Florida, Georgia
  • Wyatt Marshall, Industry and Events Support Specialist
  • Jenette Masarie, ASM – Colorado, Utah, Wyoming
  • Morgan Weinrich, ASM – Missouri

The Importance of Testimonials – How to Snag ‘Em and Ways to Use ‘Em

Word of mouth marketing is one of the most important marketing tools you can use in any type of marketing vehicle: social media, website, sales letter, advertisement. 

According to socialfresh.com, “customer testimonials have the highest effectiveness rating at content marketing at 89%.” In other words, testimonials are 89% better at increasing conversion rates than other forms of marketing.

At BioZyme®, we love to earn customer testimonials, and we use them frequently. The hashtags #TestimonialTuesday or #FeatureFriday are a great way to showcase what customers are saying about the products on social media, and as you will read below, there are other ways to showcase testimonials as well. 

However, it isn’t always easy to get customers to share what they like about a product. 

“I usually find that if I start the conversation asking about their animals and their goals, they will be more open. I ask what challenges they were having and what led them to using the particular BioZyme product. Then, I ask them specific questions about the results they saw. What was their overall conception rate? How many more lambs did they wean? How many more pounds of gain did they experience with the Gain Smart mineral? Our producers are typically very data driven and keep great records and those are the stories we want to share,” said Shelia Grobosky, BioZyme Content & PR Manager. 

Below are four types of testimonials you can use in your marketing. 

  • Quote Testimonial:

The most common type, it is exactly what its name implies, a simple quote. You can get these over the phone, via email or in person, and use these a variety of ways. These are often the most read and most effective. The audience can read these quickly, and the quote gets right to the point.

  • Longform Testimonial: 

This might be a five-minute testimonial. You might record a conversation with a customer (always ask for permission before recording), and he or she has a great story. You can transcribe this for your website or even ask permission to post the entire audio to your website, as some people will prefer to listen to it over reading this long paragraph. These will also typically show more emotion, and emotion sells. 

  • Social Testimonial: 

This is another effective testimonial where you ask your customer to post their own review of a product on their own social media account, perhaps with a photo of the product. 

  • Video Testimonial: 

Like its name implies, this is a video of a customer telling you and your audience why he or she likes the product and the impact they have seen with the product. This is often the most beneficial since there is no reading involved, and the viewer can see and hear the emotion in the speaker’s voice. 

Testimonials are a great marketing tool. We encourage you to use them in your marketing, and if you have a great testimonial to share with our team, reach out to Grobosky at sgrobosky@biozymeinc.com. 

How Appreciation Helps Sell Product

Care that comes full circle can start with little acts of kindness that help grow sales. But first you need to know your customers and understand what their passion points are.

Every single person has a passion point or hot button. Once you find that for particular customers that are willing to invest in the goods and services you offer, remember that hitting those passion points in a genuine way can often boost sales.

There are several ways to show appreciation for your customers. One of the most effective ways is to host a producer meeting, where you might serve a meal or appetizers while educating the customers about the benefits of the product you offer. Everyone looks forward to the camaraderie of the event, and many look forward to the meal; however, most will remember that XYZ Dealer took the effort to plan, invite and host the event and talk to the producer group. Make sure you use the Marketing Resources in the Online Dealer Center to help secure invitations and a speaker from BioZyme®.

With sale season in full swing, another way to show appreciation is to attend your customers’ production sales. Put on a logoed cap or jacket and make an appearance at a customer sale. Bring along a stack of VitaFerm® gloves or some ink pens so the buyers can pick one up – it’s also good promotion. Be sure to say a quick hello to your customer to let him or her know you are there if any help is needed, but don’t be a nuisance. Remember, this is the big pay day for them.

Sponsor a livestock show. Spring jackpot shows are right around the corner. Chances are you have customers with children or grandchildren who participate in local stock shows. It doesn’t take much financial investment to sponsor an award or back tags in return to get your name and business recognized. Your customers will be happy to see you participated in a way that gives back to the youth, and they should be more willing to invest back into your business. Community outreach and giving back can pay dividends.

Be present. Sometimes just showing up is enough to show you care. Showing up at church, the local spring concert and home opener baseball game are the little things your customers are looking for to know that you are invested in the community and there for them. When a customer knows you are invested in the community, they are more likely to keep their local business rather than drive a distance to purchase similar products.

Show your customers some appreciation and be a part of their passion points. Be present in the community.

Watch your business grow.

Letters from Lisa

Care that comes full circle is a philosophy that postulates if you truly care for someone or something, that care will eventually, naturally come full circle back to you.

Naturally meaning if we take care of the animals, they will take care of us by ensuring we get to eat or feel unconditional love. Naturally meaning if we take care of our customers, they will remain loyal, which allows us to continue to have the resources to research new technologies for them. Naturally meaning if we take care of our vendors by communicating and staying loyal to them, they will help us during challenges. And last but certainly not least, naturally meaning if we take care of our employees by being understanding, good communicators and fair, they will passionately fuel the care throughout the company.

Care that Comes Full Circle. Those five words are the value statement that drives BioZyme® Inc. each and every day.

How can you embody care that comes full circle into
your dealership?

A fair question after every minute of every day statement is, if something takes this much energy, is it really worth it? If you Google “care that comes full circle,” you will either find items about BioZyme (which made me quite proud), or you will find items about caring for an aging parent. So, at first glance I guess it doesn’t really have a role in business where money usually tends to be the main driver. However, think of this well-known statistic: “A customer who has had a good experience will tell two people, but a customer who has a bad experience will tell 12 or more people.” This is true of vendors and employees as well. I like to refer to vendors and employees as internal customers. They deserve the same care as external customers. Care starts and ends by embracing the four items below and yes, they apply to a chicken and horse as well as a human.

  1. Listen
    Make yourself available to hear with as many touch points as possible. Take a genuine interest in what the other person or animal seeks to deliver to you.
  2. Respond
    Hearing is one thing, responding is another. Be an ally, putting the other person’s needs first. Ensure emails are followed up with in a timely manner; phone calls are answered; waterers are full, feed stays consistent, and time and attention are given where they are needed, when needed.
  3. Resolve
    What good is a response if it doesn’t make something better?
  4. Follow Up
    Seek and be ready to hear honest feedback, and then remain committed to making whatever it is better, happily remembering that this is a cycle that never ends.

Care – we know it is an important component of life, but we often forget one of the simplest principles: to show we care is to find out what people or animals need and then deliver on those needs. Getting started is a matter of holding yourself accountable to the above four actions. If you take the time to do this, I promise it will come full circle.

Letters from Lisa

Don’t put all your eggs is one basket is a proverb that dates back at least to the 1600s. There are several stories concerning the origin of the expression, but it may have been inspired by the real-life experiences of poultry farmers who used wagons and baskets to take their eggs to market. If all of a farmer’s eggs were placed in one basket, it would only take one unfortunate accident along the way to ruin his entire investment and opportunity.

By not putting all your eggs in one basket, you reduce the risk of having nothing to offer at the market by pinning all your hopes or future goals on one and only one option. In business, we refer to this as diversification.

Diversification
Diversification is a foundational principle of a sound, long-term plan. One of the key benefits of diversification is that it makes for a smoother ride on the path to achieving one’s goals. In short, we are vulnerable if we rely too heavily on one species, one major customer or one region. Diversification is about developing new products, exploring new markets and taking new risks. None of this diversification lingo is not new information. So why don’t we diversify?

We Intentionally Say No
I’m as surprised as anybody, but Crocs’ all-purpose footwear is still going strong long after their 2002 debut. They’ve come a long way since then; their initial batch of 200 pairs sold out immediately, but they now weigh in as a $880 million company, just in the U.S. And still they remain singularly focused on their flagship product. Michelin is another company that notably stuck to its guns – or, in this case, tires. Although they’ve dabbled in manufacturing things like road maps and rocket components, Michelin keeps coming back to the product that made them famous: tires. They were the first radial tire company to span the globe, and today they’re one of the most recognizable names in the automotive industry.

We Don’t Like Risk
Keep in mind that the path toward diversification will be decided, at least in part, by how much of a risk we want to take – and how much money we have available to take it. If one is risk averse, they tend to not diversify, which in the end is sometimes very risky.

We Don’t Have the Right Expertise
When you do one thing, you can train your staff and use their expertise to execute, unlike when you offer dozens or hundreds of products that require additional expertise not currently possessed by your staff.

We Don’t Have the Right Mindset
Diversification must be a purposeful mindset to influence the future of the company. For many, this mindset is just not an option. Having the openness to hear new ideas, and the flexibility to act on tactical diversification opportunities that can ultimately serve you better than sticking strictly to your original strategy takes an open, visionary mindset. Note that only 3.2% of Americans are visionary so this is difficult.

Diversification can mean something different to every single business. It takes effort and its own kind of focus, so it’s important to first assess whether it’s something your company is striving for, and if so, then examining and perhaps also trying different avenues that may suit your business and your company mindset.

But remember, for diversification to be an option in the first place, openness and willingness to change is the most important criteria.

Letters from Lisa

A new year means a fresh slate. Many people say it is a good idea to start the year with a fresh perspective and focus on how to put your best foot forward. 

There’s a Buddhist parable called The Second Arrow. The story explains that in life, things that don’t go the way we desire is inevitable. This is likened to being shot by an arrow – an instance which is outside of your personal control.  

The option of pulling out that arrow and then complaining about the event is entirely on you. This is referred to as the second arrow. Here are a few tips to help you with that second arrow so you start the year with a clean slate as opposed to leaving remnants of those first arrows. 

Practice Gratitude 

Being truly grateful assists you in fresh perspective and putting your best foot forward. 

Make a No “What Ifs” Rule 

Spinning on what might have been keeps you from moving forward. Your thoughts may seem to circle back again and again to the things you think you could, or should, have done differently. When you catch yourself thinking a “what if,” just recognize that you didn’t, and move forward. 

Get Physical 

Take a weightlifting or yoga class or give one-foot barn cleaning or ballroom dancing a go. When you choose an activity that requires your focus to balance or to learn a sequence of motions, your brain will be busy doing something other than ruminating on arrow one. I really need to get this incorporated into my life in 2023.  Stay tuned for how that goes. 

Make a To-Do List 

Having a plan for today keeps you from feeling ungrounded. If you fill your day with meaningful tasks, you will have something to keep you from focused forward and grounded. This takes time, but the payoff is seriously worth it. 

Remember, Happiness is a Choice 

In every moment, you have the choice to be happy. Victor Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who survived the Holocaust and founded the Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy, is said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” If you are choosing your old perspective as a pattern, consciously make the decision to replace it with a fresh perspective. 

Start with a Mantra or Affirmation 

If your day begins with a thought like, “Today is the first day of the rest of my life,” or “I’m excited for what today will bring,” it keeps your focus on the present and future. Choose a positive affirmation to start each day. One of my favorite gifts during the last year was a set of Daily Prayer cards given to me by a friend who lost her husband too early as well.  Each card is a very short Bible verse focused on the good God provides.  I would say those cards have helped my perspective each day more than anything. It does work. Try it! 

Perspective – yours, mine and others – are all equally important. Take the time to know them all so you can ensure yours is fresh.