Rent is one of those things that all retail brands have to include in their yearly budgets. It’s just a fact of life. Unless your brand is Better Barns and Sheds in Bethlehem, CT.

I had never even heard of Better Barns until Columbus Day, when my husband and I took our daughter to March Farm, which offers pumpkin picking, hay rides, a corn maze — all the hallmarks of the New England autumn experience.

In the past year or two, they’ve added a very unique playground for the kids, complete with a tractor tire sandbox, sturdy backyard style swingset, two play houses (aka sheds styled like houses), picnic area, and a mini track with toddler bikes encircling the whole area. And the whole play area is sponsored by… Better Barns.

It’s subtle, but if you look at the houses and the swingset, there are little plaques announcing the sponsorship of the playground. So families not only see the quality craftsmanship of Better Barns products up front, but also their kids laughing, playing, and interacting with those products. It’s a genius marketing move.

If you hop on the hayride or take a walk on the hayride path adjacent to the playground, you’ll pass about eight Better Barns sheds, including one “Chicken Condo” for poultry who like to live the high life. And one of those sheds (not the chicken coop) is used as a sales office. Talk about reducing your overhead.

Obviously not all small businesses are able to use the outdoors as a showroom, but Better Barns has proven that you can get creative about how and where you market your products. The first place a consumer encounters your brand can have a profound effect on their purchase decision once they’re in the market for your product. Be sure to make it a memorable experience.