Financial Coordination Guide

Understanding LocallyGrown's basic financial tools and how to coordinate payments and financial management for your market.

Overview

LocallyGrown provides tools for payment processing and order tracking. Markets handle their own financial management independently, including grower payments and tax reporting.

Market Independence: Each market manages its own finances. LocallyGrown provides the platform and reports, but does not handle money, pay growers, or manage market finances. Markets set up their own Stripe accounts and handle their own payments.

Payment Processing

Accept online payments through Stripe (when enabled) and track cash/check payments

Order Tracking

View basic order summaries and payment totals through the admin panel

Market Control

Markets independently manage grower payments and financial operations

Payment Processing

Stripe Integration

Markets set up their own Stripe accounts and connect them to LocallyGrown:

  • Create your own Stripe account at stripe.com
  • Add your Stripe API keys in market settings
  • Configure your payment settings and fees
  • Payments go directly to your Stripe account

Payment Flexibility: Markets can choose to accept online payments via Stripe, or operate with cash/check only. This is entirely up to each market.

Alternative Payment Methods

Markets can accept various payment methods:

  • Cash: Collected at pickup
  • Checks: Made out to market or individual growers
  • Account Balance: Pre-loaded customer accounts
  • EBT/SNAP: Where available and configured

Basic Order Tracking

LocallyGrown provides comprehensive tools to track orders and payments:

Available Information

  • Order summaries: View orders by customer and total amounts
  • Payment status: See which orders are paid vs. unpaid
  • Payment method tracking: Track cash, check, credit card, etc.
  • Basic totals: Sum payments by type and time period

What You Need to Handle Manually

The following tasks are your responsibility as a market manager:

  • Distributing payments to growers (amounts are calculated for you)
  • Tax reporting and 1099 generation
  • Creating custom financial reports beyond what's provided
  • Reconciling payments with bank deposits

Typical Market Workflow

  1. Order Collection: Customers place orders and pay online or at pickup
  2. Order Fulfillment: Growers prepare and deliver orders
  3. Manual Settlement: Market manager calculates grower payments manually
  4. Payment Distribution: Pay growers via check, cash, or direct arrangement

Grower Payment Coordination

Important: LocallyGrown does not provide automated grower payment systems. Market managers must handle grower payments manually using their preferred method.

Manual Payment Options

  • Checks: Write checks to individual growers based on your calculations
  • Cash: Pay growers in cash at market
  • Bank Transfers: Use your own banking to send transfers
  • Venmo/PayPal: Use personal payment apps
  • Store Credit: Allow growers to shop with their earnings

Grower Payment Calculations

LocallyGrown automatically calculates what each grower is owed:

  1. Run the sales report to see what each grower sold
  2. The system automatically calculates totals per grower
  3. Market commission/fees are automatically deducted
  4. Any adjustments or credits are included in the calculations
  5. Pay growers the calculated amounts using your chosen method

Record Keeping

Maintain your own records for:

  • Payment dates and amounts
  • Commission rates applied
  • Any adjustments or special arrangements
  • Year-end tax reporting needs

Getting Financial Information

What's Available in LocallyGrown

You can access basic order and payment information:

  • Order lists: See all orders with customer names and totals
  • Payment summaries: View payment totals by method (cash, check, card, etc.)
  • Individual order details: See specific products ordered by each customer

Reports Provided by LocallyGrown

LocallyGrown automatically generates these financial reports:

  • Grower sales summaries with totals
  • Commission calculations (automatically deducted)
  • Order breakdowns by grower
  • Payment summaries by type

What You Need to Create Yourself

You'll need to handle these items outside of LocallyGrown:

  • Tax reporting documents (1099s, etc.)
  • Profit/loss statements for your business
  • Annual financial summaries
  • Custom reports specific to your market's needs

Exporting Financial Data

You can export data for your own financial tracking:

  • Download PDF reports (sales, packing) from the orders page
  • Export order data as CSV for spreadsheet analysis
  • Copy payment summaries for your records

Managing Market Finances

Record Keeping Best Practices

  • Track cash carefully: Record all cash transactions at pickup
  • Save payment summaries: Download or screenshot payment totals regularly
  • Document adjustments: Keep notes on any order changes or refunds
  • Backup important data: Save order information outside of LocallyGrown

Tax and Legal Considerations

Consult Professionals: LocallyGrown does not provide tax or legal advice. Work with qualified professionals for tax planning, legal structure, and compliance requirements.

Common areas that may require professional guidance:

  • Business structure: LLC, corporation, nonprofit, etc.
  • Sales tax: Collection and remittance requirements
  • 1099 reporting: If paying growers over $600/year
  • Insurance: Liability and business coverage
  • Local regulations: Business licenses and permits

Common Financial Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get payment information for my market?

Access payment information directly from your admin panel:

  • View order summaries on the orders page
  • See payment totals broken down by method
  • Click any order to see individual customer details
  • Download reports as PDFs for your records
How do I see what I owe each grower?

LocallyGrown automatically calculates grower payments:

  • Run the sales report to see each grower's totals
  • Commission rates are automatically applied
  • Market fees are automatically deducted
  • The report shows exactly what to pay each grower
Can LocallyGrown generate tax reports?

No, LocallyGrown does not generate tax documents. You'll need to:

  • Create your own 1099s if required
  • Calculate your own income/expense reports
  • Work with a tax professional
  • Export data from reports as CSV or PDF for your tax records

Financial Resources

LocallyGrown provides all the tools you need to manage your market's finances independently:

  • Access order and payment information through your admin panel
  • Set up your own Stripe account for payment processing
  • View comprehensive payment summaries and reports
  • Export data as CSV or PDF for your own tracking
  • Automated grower payment calculations in reports

Remember: LocallyGrown provides basic order tracking and payment processing. Advanced financial management, reporting, and tax preparation are handled by market managers using their own systems and professionals.

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