Playing The Game Of Business And Keeping Score

We have just completed another financial year in business within Australia.

Do you plan your business outcomes each year? Or do you wait and see what happens in the year depending on the weather, the seasons, and the economic conditions?

As a farm business coach, I support people in agriculture to build solid planned business results. I'm never surprised when my clients exceed their expectations because they plan their success.

A key to their results is getting clear on what they would like to achieve in the coming year. We set aside time to develop strategies in their business that will lead to their desired outcomes. It is imperative that farmers take control of their business and put all of their energy into things that they can control.

Consistent execution is essential to get the results you are after. “The war is won in the General's tent” provides insight into the essential role of planning and strategising.

Farming businesses need scorecards to measure and test performance and results. What we keep score on gets managed. Scoreboards can keep track of results and negative and positive trends and outcomes in any farming business.

Collecting data and results is of high value to the business if used. Analysis of results and comparative scores enable you to determine if your strategies are working. Calibrating results and tweaking tactics in your business can result in higher returns from your efforts.

Being in business in Agriculture can be very difficult. The level of difficulty can be managed through thorough planning.

You must identify the critical business numbers that demonstrate your business success. Farming activities are turned into numbers which are a record of your results. Numbers tell a story in business. We had an outstanding year … or we had a crap year.

Annual reviews and planning set you up to have a better year in business. You get to set your goals and anticipate your future results. Forecasting is based on several assumptions that you believe to be true. Your personal appetite for risk will determine if you are ambitious or conservative in your predictions. Either way, you must take responsibility for the results you achieve.

We encourage our clients to make the most money with the least effort in the shortest possible time while keeping everybody safe.

To achieve this stated outcome, it is critical to keep playing the game, putting scores on the board and practicing and executing in your chosen field of Agriculture. It takes 7-10 years to build a wildly successful business that exceeds your expectations.

Chris Morrison

The Farming Coach