A Confession to Make…

“A Confession to Make…” How to Recognize Dairy Debt Problems Early

Recently, I was talking with a Client who suddenly confessed that, at his age, he shouldn’t have as much dairy debt on his operation as he actually does. Wow, I thought, the light finally came on, after 15 years. How interesting…

In actuality, it has been 15 years since I suggested (very strongly, I might add) that he take a much closer look at his nutrition program. I didn’t tell him to fire his Nutritionist, although that was one option available to him. I did not say that he should source his commodities somewhere else, although that, too, was an item to consider. What I did point out was that his feed costs were regularly about $1/cwt higher than others in the industry, including my other Clients. This was not his only expense area to consider improving, but it would be a great place to start, especially considering that feed represented 50-60% of his total costs.

Business coach Dan Sullivan says, “All progress begins with telling the truth.” Think about it: If he had decreased his feed costs by $1.00/cwt (not an unreasonable feat, given that he was regularly $1.00/cwt over my other Clients), he could have saved $25,000 per month. With 180 months since we had originally talked about it, he would have probably been better off by over $4,000,000.

Now, before you e-mail me and tell me that we cannot short the cows, save your time and effort. I already know that. We never want to cut costs only for the sake of cutting them, as some producers reluctantly did in 2009, nor do we want to make cuts where cow performance is impacted. I agree with that. However, to blindly move forward and leave this money on the table is foolish! I have many other Clients who made as much or more milk as this one did, and their feed costs were considerably lower…

This is also not a slam on the Nutritionist. Overall, I believe they provide a much needed service, and many of them do a fabulous job in an area that is not always easy to master. By the way, unlike this Client, in your operation perhaps its not feed cost that is out of line. Maybe it’s supplies, labor, or other areas. Whatever it is, do yourself a favor and identify it today! Learn what your Break-Even levels are, as all of my Clients have, and then make the necessary adjustments to improve your cash flows. The take-away here is:

 

“All progress begins with telling the truth.”

Dan Sullivan, Founder of The Strategic Coach

 

We will talk more about Break-Even levels next time, but until then, what confessions do you need to make? Getting the right information needed and then moving forward with a proactive plan is what I consider Next Level Thinking! If you need assistance with this, please let me know. I welcome your thoughts and comments.

If you would like to learn more about similar topics and the tactics our Clients have used to improve their outcomes, as well as what applications of these lessons you can make in your business, please join us for our next Success Strategies Mastermind Group series of quarterly workshops in July 2019. They are designed to teach more people the Finance & Strategy Concepts that I offer business people. Signups have begun, giving you the opportunity to learn these same concepts and meet with other producers who have overcome some of the same challenges you may be facing. Check them out at:

https://success-strategies.com/mastermind-group-for-dairy-farmers/

If you need assistance, please e-mail me at john@success-strategies.com or check out our website for many useful tools for your ongoing business evaluation at www.success-strategies.com. I’m always available for a follow-up call and wish you the best of success!

What Happens When Banks Diddle?

What Happens When Banks Diddle? Why is Your Loan Taking So Long?

I know this is probably going to “ruffle some feathers,” but I believe it is a question that needs to be asked… Now, I know that all banks are being subjected to a massive increase in the number of “eyes” who are reviewing their loans, but give me a break. Just because they are being reviewed more often does not mean that it is a “bad loan…” The last time I checked, I don’t think the auditors are running the banks! They are only evaluating them.

I also want to clarify that I am not talking about loan situations where the Loan Officer is waiting on the arrival of a new financial statement. That makes a lot of sense. In fact, it is clearly logical. I’m talking about scenarios where, in spite of the difficulty of a borrower’s industry, they are still able to attain profitability. Nonetheless, their bank still keeps its finger on the “Hold” button. Why?

Often, it is explained that we need more “clarity…” Really? It looks fairly clear that these are the times when borrowers need the ongoing support of their lenders, not a bureaucrat who cannot make a decision. I spent a number of years on the line, making loan decisions. No one said it was easy, but that is why bankers get paid, isn’t it?

If they are worried, they should exit the credit. Why leave it hanging around, hoping for a financial resurrection? Give the borrower a deadline to improve or move out of the bank, i.e. find another lender. You owe it to your shareholders. If it’s workable, then move forward and give the borrower a greater chance to succeed. Here’s why.

For a borrower who is being delayed, they are caught in a conundrum. First, they don’t know if or when the loan is going to be approved, so they wait, instead of finding another alternative solution to their challenge. This hurts their results. Additionally, they get frustrated and start to lose their focus. Frankly, this can lead to poor management decisions on the part of a borrower.

You know the old saying, “When you are up to your eyeballs in alligators, it’s hard to remember that the original objective was to drain the swamp.” As a result, they start to think short term only, instead of focusing on the benefits of not just surviving, but also thriving and hitting their long term objectives. That, my friends, is no way to run a successful business.

Overall, nobody wins in these messy scenarios. Borrowers stress needlessly and tend to make poor business decisions or, worse yet, not make any decisions at all, choosing instead to operate by default. Lenders then can get strung out financially, too. Ultimately, getting the right information needed and then moving forward with a proactive plan is what I consider Next Level Thinking! I welcome your thoughts and comments.

If you would like to learn more about similar topics and the tactics our Clients have used to improve their outcomes, as well as what applications of these lessons you can make in your business, please join us for our next Success Strategies Mastermind Group series of quarterly workshops in July 2019. They are designed to teach more people the Finance & Strategy Concepts that I offer business people. Signups have begun, giving you the opportunity to learn these same concepts and meet with other producers who have overcome some of the same challenges you may be facing. Check them out at:

https://success-strategies.com/mastermind-group-for-dairy-farmers/

If you need assistance, please e-mail me at john@success-strategies.com or check out our website for many useful tools for your ongoing business evaluation at www.success-strategies.com. I’m always available for a follow-up call and wish you the best of success!

Are You Kidding Me?

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“WINNING” More!

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Getting the Call

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The Search for Meaning

I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you a story that I had written in a previous blog almost three years ago. My reason for this is that, in spite of the difficulty we have faced with our economy these past ten years, I think we all still have a lot to be thankful for. Frankly, I couldn’t think of a better way to remind ourselves of that fact than to share this story of Victor Frankl once again. I hope you enjoy it.

Throughout the crazy events sometimes surrounding us, it’s often difficult to find meaning – in effect, to make sense of things that are occurring every day. Victor Frankl was a survivor of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Nazi Germany. Many entered Auschwitz; few survived. Victor Frankl in his book entitled Man’s Search for Meaning explained that the key to survival was that people needed to do six things. There may be some guidance here for us, too.

First, he said, “Realize that the game of life has changed.” Isn’t that applicable today with our worldwide economic situation? As Frankl stated, the old game is over, a new game has begun. That’s true for your industry, as well. We’ve got to operate under a new set of assumptions because the old game is over. Be open to change – it’s already coming!

Second, every day, you must find something beautiful. For Victor Frankl, from his cell, he could see a mountain range. For us, maybe it’s a sunset.

Third, every day, you must find something humorous, something funny. For Frankl, it may have been the way one of the guards walked. As you face the stress of working through any situation, find some humor each day. We all need it.

Fourth, every day, you must find something to be grateful for. Instead of focusing on what you’ve lost or what you don’t have, focus on what you do have; something you are grateful for!

Fifth, every day, you must find some way to be useful. For Victor Frankl, it was helping others by listening to them. What will it be for you? How can you be useful to someone else or to your industry today?

Finally, every day, you must find something to help you prepare for the future – a big goal, for example.  We all need a bigger goal beyond this current experience. For Frankl, what kept him going was his goal to write his book: Man’s Search for Meaning.

As Dan Sullivan, founder of The Strategic Coach organization says, “All progress starts by telling the truth.” So, remember, as Victor Frankl stated, realize the game has changed. We’re in a new experience. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we’ll be able to rise above it. Also, don’t forget the other five steps to success:

Every day, find something:

  • Beautiful
  • Humorous
  • To be grateful for
  • Some way to be useful
  • A reason to prepare for the future – A Goal!

Try this today. I think you’ll be glad you did!!!

 

Wanting What You Want!

I know what you are probably thinking, after reading the title of this blog. Wow, that sounds demanding, perhaps even childish. If so, I have to say that my initial impression was very similar. I can honestly say that because it was a concept that my own business coach Dan Sullivan introduced at a workshop that I attended. Gee, I thought, we spend most of our life being told to be more modest about our specific wants. You know: just cover your basic needs, don’t stand out too much, “Be average…” Instead of being “just one more performer among many,” this concept almost sounded self-centered. But wait!

I started thinking about this more and thought, “No, this isn’t self-centered at all! What else would you want out of life?” If you cannot answer that last question, you have two choices. Either stop reading this blog or give it some very serious consideration. That statement applies if you are a businessman, a sales representative, a service provider to the industry or a stay at home Mom. Being your best will undoubtedly have a more positive impact upon our society and economy (perhaps especially for the stay at home Mom and the great citizens she can create!). You have probably noticed. Generally speaking, do things get better when we all move toward the average? No. They get better when we make big improvements, create new ideas, and build new services! Henry Ford never did a “Focus Group” to see what his customers wanted. If he had, they would have told him they wanted a faster horse.

So, what is the central theme of this “Wanting What You Want” concept? I believe it is really about deciding what you want from your business and life, and then pursuing those objectives. Once you have the goals written down, develop a plan to get there. What steps will you need to take to reach those goals? What obstacles are you facing and what are the options available to overcome them? What is a reasonable deadline for reaching your objectives? Once you have given serious consideration to these items and actually written them down, you are almost there.

What are the primary challenges that we need to overcome in this process? Allow me to provide you with several:

  • 95% of us don’t actually know what we want. As a result, we often spend more time thinking about what we don’t want. So, instead of worrying about the fact that you do not want your banker asking you for more information, why not work on a plan to pay off your loans or, at least, get refinanced at a bank where you will be happier. Either way, you must decide what you want.
  • Society seems to want us to be average. Remember the first time you outscored everyone in your class on an exam? What did most people say to you? “Hey, lighten up. You’re making us look bad…” These forces of average must be overcome. Why not be superior? Outstanding? The first step will be to decide what you want to accomplish and set up the necessary steps to get there!
  • The greatest problem with many folks today is this. They suffer from TOM’S disease. That stands for “Terrified of Missing Something.” As a result, they will try just about anything, in an effort to get ahead. I assure you – you cannot afford this anymore. If you are currently living with the thought that you can, you are headed for big financial challenges…

Here’s the deal. We all know that business is getting tougher, so why not strive to develop a plan of action that will take you closer to your goals. Decide what you want, determine what actions you need to take to reach them, and remember that these can change as you proceed. Set some deadlines for your actions and their related goals, and then measure your results. Most of all, I think it’s perfectly acceptable to “want what you want.” Besides, you aren’t taking anything away from someone else when you seek your own goals. After all, they should have their own objectives. Think about it!

Living on “Someday I’ll…”

I still remember hearing a speech in the early 1990’s by Author Denis Waitley. He talked about how many of us spend a lot of time on “Someday I’ll.” You know the place, as we all do, only too well. As he describes it, “Someday I’ll” is a very comfortable location, where little changes from year to year. Your intentions are to make dramatic improvements in your business or your life, but there always seem to be distractions from the process.

Yes, you have wanted to boost your business’ productivity, but what if costs get too high? Your banker or accountant will be reminding you that you need to cut these costs, if they appear out of line with the rest of your industry. You know that you really should fine tune your labor efficiency somewhat but, “Hey,” you rationalize, “Joe has been with me for 20 years, even when we were barely getting by. I’ve got to keep him on my staff. Maybe ‘Someday I’ll’ be able to improve this cost area, at least by the time Joe retires…”

You know the type of employee I am referring to, don’t you? He is the guy that when you drive onto a business and see him standing around, you ask: “How long have you been working here at ABC?” to which he replies, “Ever since they threatened to fire me.” I think you get my point. It is time to start moving to higher levels.

You may recall the comedian Gilda Radner and her now famous quote: “When I was young, I always said I wanted to be someone. Now that I’m older, I just wish I’d been more specific.” While we find some humor in that quote, what was she saying? Set some new goals for your business. Prepare specific objectives for your operation and measure them regularly.

I often hear about measuring so many objectives in “real time,” and I agree that for some items that may be ideal. However, if an objective isn’t currently being checked weekly or monthly, I seriously doubt if it will get monitored minute by minute. Besides, sometimes we can become overwhelmed with too much information. In my own experience, I find establishing Goals is the first step to reaching them. After that, you should compare your actual results with what you have projected as your objective as often as you reasonably can.

You should make these SMART goals, too. This stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. In other words, they should be clearly defined. They should be something you can measure, yet be something you can, in fact, accomplish. Finally, the goals should represent something that matters to you and your business, as well as an item on which you can put a date by which you will accomplish it. I also suggest that we all need to be careful that we don’t set the horizon as our goal, because, have you noticed, it constantly keeps moving further away, and, eventually, you will get frustrated because you never can “reach it.”

What are some areas within which you can set goals and then monitor your results? How about Labor Productivity, e.g. how many units you produce per hour of labor input? What I find interesting is that if you get your entire Team involved in setting these goals, as well as monitoring them, your overall results can accelerate. Your Team will be excited about reaching them, primarily because you communicated these goals with them.

Sound ongoing communication will be the key in this process. Your employees realize that if you do better, they will benefit as well. I believe that most employees do not go to work, intending to do a bad job. They want to succeed, and, in reality, they want you to do better, too. Sharing goals with your Team will guide them to help you reach them more quickly. At least, this has been my experience. Make a point of setting some new goals for your business today, so you don’t get caught living on “Someday I’ll.”

To learn more about the points mentioned above, check out my website for financial tips at: www.success-strategies.com.

“There are no unreasonable goals, just unreasonable deadlines.”

Dan Sullivan, Founder of The Strategic Coach

 

Is it Time to Automate More of Your Business?

Have you started to automate your business yet? Before you say “No,” consider some positive areas that you’re probably not thinking about. Do you manage the finances of your business using a program like QuickBooks or are you still tracking everything with paper and pencil?

When you are considering an investment in new equipment or updated facilities, do you still study this potential purchase and its expected returns on a sheet of paper, writing only by hand? Perhaps you do this initially, but I expect that before long you are using Excel or at least a calculator. If you run a successful, growing dairy operation, are you still using paper based cow cards or have you adopted software like Dairy Comp 305?

If you answered “Yes” on any of these questions, you have already started to automate parts of your business. Whether you currently operate a dairy operation, a farming business or any other type of entity, it’s time to consider additional steps toward automation.

I regularly hear Clients saying that labor costs are rising or that potential employees are becoming less available. These two factors and the basic economics of labor efficiencies will eventually dictate more automation. I am fatigued by the ongoing discussions of the political ramifications of the U.S. lacking a positive immigration policy. Maybe this lack of supply goes beyond just that factor. Could it be that the labor supply & demand is changing in its balance, nine years after the “Great Recession?”

Further evidence of the possible need for more automation is “Skills Availability.” I was recently in a store when its registers went down. Fortunately, I was paying cash, so I could be processed okay, but… getting the correct change was another story, not exactly a testimonial to the math skills being taught in our schools today.

Here’s an idea. Start to look for items in every sector of your business that you can automate. It will pay in almost every area within which you can boost your efficiencies. If your business is the type of operation that can be “commoditized” or produced elsewhere, be cautioned that you could become a target for competition. This is just one more reason to get more efficient through automation.

Need another incentive? A recent article in Peter Diamondis’ newsletter, Abundance Insider, was entitled “Tax the Rich and the Robots? California’s Thinking About It.” A member of the Board of Supervisors for the City of San Francisco has launched the “Jobs of the Future Fund” to help California offset the societal effects of more automation. As their website describes it, “As workers are displaced, the companies continue to pay a portion of the lost tax into a fund that can then be used for education, retraining, and targeted investments in new industries.”

I thought that was why we already paid taxes, to educate and train future employees… This, in my mind, is just another reason to start to automate more. Perhaps, we can get “grandfathered” in before the Jobs of the Future Fund and its followers levy a tax on all new automation.

So, as I asked last month — if I was to ask you about your present and future labor efficiencies, how would you respond? How many units of production does your work-force produce daily? Is it more than five years ago? Are there opportunities for automation in your processes? Can you use robotics to your advantage? Even in my own business, I have started to offer more “automated services” for Clients and I believe it is the wave of the future.

I have two Clients who have expanded their dairies, and, as they added free stall barns, rather than building a new milking barn for huge money, they continued to use their older milk barn and simply add robotic set-ups in their new facilities. It’s just a different approach to expanding and applying automation without “breaking the bank.”

Please visit us at www.success-strategies.com for future updates on their automation. You may just find tools in our Financial Analysis section that you can use to evaluate your own efficiencies!