Tuesday, February 3, 2015

By Ines Flores


Planning is very important for success of any business. Assessing the feasibility of an agricultural enterprise is the first step to developing a business plan. The plan should not just be drawn, but put into practice for it to be of help to the farmer. Determining what to grow and how to sell it are the first steps in starting a agricultural-based business. The plan should be simple, realistic, complete and specific. The tips below are vital when formulating farm business planning Finger Lakes.

Drawing a good plan has an advantage when you want to get credit from financial institutions. A good business plan goals should be specific, measurable, time bound, achievable and realistic. A good budget will help secure a loan from a financial institution. There are short-term goals, which are meant to be accomplished within one year and long-term goals, which are expected, go for two years and above.

Go for goals that are realistic. Consequently, the dates and objectives should be in tandem with the operation of the farming business. Formulate simplified goals, which are easy to read and understand even by other not so learned people. However, the goals keep on changing as the business grows thus review and analyze the plan regularly.

Let your plan capture the mission and vision of the farm. The goals should be clear with objectives to be achieved by stakeholders, the owner, employees, lenders and customers. The stakeholders want to be clear on the justification of the existence of the enterprise, and the direction the school is going to take. Take into consideration production methods, financing procedure by lenders and marketing personnel. When planning, cover details from sowing to harvesting.

You need to prepare financial statements at the end of the fiscal year. The balance sheet will list and detail assets and liabilities. It gives the net worth of a farm with a record for future reference. It is important to remember to use current market rates when evaluating land, equipment, buildings, machinery crop and livestock. In addition, you need to factor in interest on loans and any payment on arrears.

Prepare an income statement to show whether the farm business is running at a profit or a loss. The statement covers a given accounting period, usually one calendar year. You may use the cash or accrual method to prepare the statement. However, using the accrual method shows the true financial position of a farm.

Implementation of the plan will set your business apart from others. There is marketing of the products, which is vital to the profitability, and viability of the land. During the implementation phase, you will realize that some strategies are not feasible to work out. Such should be revised or discarded.

There are many risks and uncertainties in farming. Some are natural like diseases and pests, adverse weather conditions among others. It is, therefore, important to formulate an exit plan in your plan. Quitting may be unpopular for you however; it may turn out to be the best decision for your land and family because of illness, death of a close partner, old age, lack of finances among other factors.




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