Category: Business Growth Strategy

As business owners we are good at adding. Adding more acres, more sales, more landlords, and more employees. More is a sign of success; at a certain point, more can limit new opportunities. Some opportunities may be growing the farm, succession planning, or building your employee team. There comes a time when you have to let go to get more of what you want. Work - Your time is valuable and there isn't enough time to get all the work done. Every year your time is squeezed even more. Has your role changed but your tasks haven't? Are you doing...

Is there a Third Question to Ask? You have probably heard the phrases, "we need the right people on the bus," and "we need the employees in the right seats" on that bus. These phrases imply we need to find the right people to join our businesses and then make sure they are in the right spot. This sounds reasonable. But is there another question you need to be asking? It's not a secret that farms have a competitive advantage when they consistently find good employees and keep them. Part of keeping an employee is placing them in a role...

As business owners, you want content and engaged employees who stay for the long haul. That requires open lines of communication and an effort on your part to seek feedback to improve employee morale and culture. However, sometimes it is hard to handle the truth, and some business owners don’t believe their team’s suggestions have value. Asking for input and then not initiating a plan to repair the problem is like adding more fuel to the fire. It is one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a leader. When you ask but do nothing in return, employee engagement decreases...

All that glitters is not gold. Farm incomes are down, and it may be tempting to start an off-farm business to produce non-farm income. You are probably excellent at production ag, but how well do those talents translate to this new venture? One owner confided to me that, "We have so many business ventures come across my desk in a week we would choke if we tried to take advantage of all of these good deals." His point was the deals were good, but they took his focus away from his core business. Another farmer bought a sawmill production plant...

As farmers, you plan for future.  Future crop rotations, increased herds, capital purchases, and hopefully even some well-deserved time off.  Unfortunately, what many businesses neglect to plan for is the PEOPLE.  The people who work on your farm and support your vision. It's easy to neglect people management because it's not easy nor clear cut.   People are the principle asset of any business.  Without good, well-trained people, your business may get stuck. But great businesses focus on their people as much as they do the production. Does managing employees have to be stressful?  No Does it have to be reactive? ...

The farm to-do list never ends. There is always one more thing to be done, and then another chore pops up that needs taking care of. And of course, the weather always plays a factor in determining what does or does not get done and when. Many farmers are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work to be done. What is the answer? Prioritization and time management! However, prioritization is not a skill that comes naturally to most farmers. How do you decide what is more important than another equally important task? Stephen Covey's Time Management Method You may have...

You want great, long-term employees on your farm. It doesn’t happen by chance. It takes effort. Yet when many farm managers hire a new employee, they tend to throw them to the wolves with little or no guidance. Too often good employees quit. And no one knows why. The answer may lie in HOW you bring a new employee onboard. It takes time and effort. Don’t leave it to chance. My latest blog post gives you the checklist you need to onboard employees. Use it to help them become outstanding, long-term team members. Click here to download the full article:...

Dairy farmers are essential, and we knew this before any health crisis arrived. Even with COVID-19, many farms are carrying on with daily work, and not much has changed. As owners and managers of the dairies, you each make certain the cattle are cared for, fed and milked on a set schedule, regardless of what is happening in the world around you. There is plenty of work to do and plenty of help needed. Amid all the vulnerability and uncertainty encompassing the COVID-19 epidemic, what actions are you taking to ensure your employees feel safe at work? Do they feel...