A collection of blogs and other writings
from John Ellsworth
Even More Ways to Achieve Financial Success
Ask John Ellsworth of Success Strategies
John’s dairy industry service spans 25-years in strategic planning, debt restructuring, and cash flow management. John knows farm finances and what your bank expects.
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What is the Secret to More Positive Cash Flow?December 6, 2024 - 1:25 pm
Are We Getting Too Comfortable?November 26, 2024 - 6:11 pm
Why Aren’t You Dancing in the Rain?November 12, 2024 - 12:28 pm
What Is Your Next Step?October 30, 2024 - 9:59 pm
Are You Facing Adversity?October 16, 2024 - 7:43 pm
“How can I get past this challenge?”
Do you ever find yourself having difficulty being optimistic? I think we all do at times. Of course, not when we are getting in excess of $20 per cwt for our milk, but how about when milk prices are far less positive, as they were from 2009-2012? You might want to save this article for those times…
The Trial of the Century!
I realize that, given the solid margins of 2014, it is easy to forget about how difficult the prior eight years had been in the dairy industry. Recall the challenges of high feed costs for most of 2008 to 2013 and the calamity of $10 milk prices in 2006 and 2009? These years represented the trial of the century!
What Would Croesus Actually Do?
In their book Why Not? How to Use Everyday Ingenuity to Solve Problems Big and Small, authors Barry Nalebuff and Ian Ayres tell the story of Croesus and his ability to successfully overcome any problem. However, they go one step further by answering the question about what you can do to solve challenges when you do not have unlimited funds, like most of us.
Are you “Fine Tuned” or “Wandering?”
Why does this matter? Simply stated, if you want banks to loan you money in the future for operating needs or expansion, you will definitely need to illustrate that you have your costs under control. Would you loan money to someone who had no idea what his future cash flows and profitability will be?