I believe, from over 2 decades of observation/experience, that one major mistake being made by conventional farm support specialists is that they focus mainly – sometimes exclusively – on farm related issues, in serving farm business owners.
This can be self-defeating, because other aspects of the farm owner’s life can – and do! – interfere with his/her ability to make progress with the farm!
Farm CEOs are human beings like the rest of us: they have to balance different aspects of their lives!
That means virtually everything that we have to contend with in life, outside their core vocation is what they most likely also have to deal with.
Most people do not think about it, but many times stuff that happens in other parts of our lives can – and do – affect our ability to function effectively and successfully in our chosen vocations.
Indeed, many of the most successful people in the world get to be that way because they develop strategies to keep firm control of other areas of their lives, so that nothing interferes with their ability to focus on the core purpose they have.
That’s why many top sportspersons have personal managers, and other people they pass their routine chores to. Down to getting their laundry done, these guys readily pay good money to have someone else handle such tasks.
Farm CEOs can also get very busy, and quite often their work may require spending long periods trying to set standards in place, and study trends to take the right decisions. If they have other areas of their lives going out of control, this becomes more difficult to do.
That’s why this blog’s articles categories are multidisciplinary: I like to see the big picture and offer complete solutions
It goes without saying that some visitors to www.tayosolagbade.com will have wondered why I don’t just write ONLY farm business related stuff all over my website.
Well, the above case in point is the major reasons.
My multidisciplinary write-ups are designed to offer potentially useful best practice information and education, on different aspects of life, in a way that enhances people’s ability to succeed.
Those who pay attention will notice I often use farm related explanations in most of the examples I discuss in my articles.
But as with everything else, the lessons offered can be applied or adapted to suit the needs of people in other fields. And they are. Which is why I also get feedback and enquiries from prospects and clients in non-farm related fields.
Below, I discuss each of my blog categories, and how they are relevant to farm business owners, and their workers.
NB: It’s quite likely that many of them who have visited in the past probably never thought of it this way before. So, I guess I should say: “Now you know!”
1. Parenting
With the exception of those yet to have offspring, Farm CEOs typically have spouses and kids they live with. Whatever happens in that home can – and does – affect the farmer’s state of mind.
Kids in particular, can be a challenge for any adult. I say this as a father of 4 boys and 2 girls. And I also say it as one who has had to endure years of being unable to independently provide for them – while struggling to establish myself as an entrepreneur in Nigeria.
Parenting has little to do with how financially well off you are. After all we know of many people who are financially successful today, whose parent(s) raised them while battling crippling poverty.
However, the training instilled in the kids by the parent(s) helped them develop the character needed to later achieve financial success in life.
The story of Ben Carson, the famed American Neurosurgeon in his book – “Gifted Hands” – describes an excellent example of what I call World Class Parenting – by his mother.
My articles are experience based.I draw from what I went through in my childhood years, as a very naught teenager, before I reformed myself. And I add to that what I did to coach other people’s kids to achieve excellence in my early adulthood.
Lastly, there’s the VERY challenging experience I’m, having currently as a parent to 2 teenage boys, and their siblings.
Some of those who have read my articles on parenting have commented on how useful they found them. Several of my articles have been syndicated on parenting websites outside Africa – in the USA for example. I believe that’s a sign that there’s value to be had in them.
As a farm CEO, with kids, these articles are for you to study, in order to do a better job of parenting your kids. Make use of them.
2. Career Development
I have noted in the past that a growing number of Farm CEOs purchasing my products are persons who hold day jobs. A good number actually work with large companies (e.g. oil service multinationals), and run their farm businesses on the side.
They often use the salary they earn – and/or loans or grants from their employers – to finance their farm businesses. It goes without saying therefore, that their continued good performance at work is crucial to the long term survival of the farm.
Of course, at some point, with good management, the farm business is bound to become self-sustaining. However, depending on the kind of enterprise it is (e.g. poultry layers, broiler, piggery etc), some need for the security of “extra income” to meet periodic shortages may remain for a while.
And even if that’s not the case, discussions with some such farm CEOs suggest they are planning to keep running their farms on the side till retirement – which is not due for 5 or more years.
I have a track record of high performing success from my 7 year stay in a world class multinational. I started as process manager, and later become a people manager – competently holding senior management positions.
What’s more, I received exposure to a wide variety of high profile training on best practice performance improvement and people coaching in the workplace. All of this equips me to help others.
So, Farm CEOs pursuing careers during the day can really benefit from reading my Career Development write-ups.
Many of them have been extensively syndicated online. Some got me invited to speak in places like the Centre for Management Development, while others have been published – with my permission – in international journals.
3. Entrepreneurship
I have written severally in the past about the need for farm CEOs to realize that they need to think like entrepreneurs, if they want to succeed – indeed excel.
My ideas have gotten me invited to speak to audiences at events like Yaba College or Technology’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development.
That’s apart from many which have been republished across the web, since I began using article marketing in 2005.
With Farm CEOs, I have hammered on the need to develop competent sales and marketing know how. Too many of them still thing traditionally. They focus on producing and then start waiting for buyers to come. If you want the best prices, and you want to make timely sales, so as to maximize your farm output capacity, this is an aspect you cannot ignore.
My articles on entrepreneurship can help you.
4. Writing/Blogging
If you’ve been reading my writing for a while, you will know that I have repeatedly stated that farm CEOs need to adopt writing as a strategy for “farm business promotion”. Apart from being zero cost, more or less, it also helps them develop marketing credibility and ultimately achieve authority status.
Why is this important you ask?
Well, we are not all equally ambitious. But why come to the match if you don’t intend to give it your best shot? I argue that farm CEOs should aim to generate income via multiple channels – including those NOT directly related to farm product sales.
How? Well, sell your expertise as a Farm Business Expert. You are effectively already a consultant, by virtue of your being a farm CEO!
Get started by WRITING regularly, to share your experiences. Use a blog – at the least.
Don’t stay on paper – you’ll achieve less reach and impact. Tell readers about successes and failures and what you did to get there. As your writing evolves, package yourself to offer solutions to those aspiring to do what you do, or others who have begun, but need help.
E.g. business plan preparation, farm start-up consultations, feasibility studies, farm personnel training. You could write manuals to help others who come to you – they would pay – gladly too.
Because you already have a farm, they are likely to take you seriously. And when you ask them to pay, they will.
I say this as someone who still has not started a farm business, and yet get farm CEOs from within and outside Africa sending me payment for products and services I offer them.
Want to know more – or need help? Click here to send me a message.
5. Public Speaking
And lastly, people may wonder what concerns Farm CEOs with public speaking. Some may even ask how a farmer can possibly expect to be a speaker.
Well, I argue that if tie-wearing agriculture experts, who only lecture and do not run their own farms, can get paid to address audiences of farmers on farm business, then Farm CEOs can do the same too.
The thing is that too many people fail to think outside the box. Should farm owners, with the right training and preparation, not be able to SPEAK to audiences about what they do. Should they not be able to SHARE their experiences with researchers and farmers from other parts?
Think about it. Some farmers are making smart improvements in the way they run their businesses that others could benefit from.A Farm CEO who can prepare, package, promote and present his/her ideas attractively CAN get invited – as a paid speaker – to international conferences, to share his/her story.
You can plan to do it locally, and also internationally, making intelligent use of the web. And this can open doors to finding better (and bulk) buyers for your farm products in the process.
This is why I offer articles on public speaking. Read them and apply what you learn.
Want to know more – or need help? Click here to send me a message.
6. Self-Development
The study of 1 to 5 above will more or less be an exercise in self-development.
But it goes beyond that. Your physical, mental and emotional fitness also need attention. Regular physical exercise, along with diligent investment in leisure to eliminate stress is crucial to keep yourself going. You cannot afford to let yourself break down.
So many of my articles on Self-Development have been widely read and republished. You would do well to study them.
Final Words: As you can see, Farm CEOs will find some of the above useful at various times in life.
As with everything else, you may not have career concerns today, but a parenting challenge could be on your mind as you drive to your farm.
If you’re lucky, browsing through the parenting articles archives on this blog may turn up something useful (try it now).
Some other day, you may have received an invitation to deliver a talk on Poultry Farming to students in a university…..and you may be wondering how to go about it. The archives section of my Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter may come in handy.
In other words, I am saying that if you’re a farm CEO, virtually all the major products and services on tayosolagbade.com are created with YOU in mind. (No offence to my other clients in various industries, but farm businesses are my primary target audience.)
So, even when you see an article title that does not relate with farming, REMEMBER that you are first and foremost a human being. And you well being, your state of mind, will have an impact, directly or indirectly on your ability to run your farm business competently.
As such, anything that can affect you inn that regard needs to be carefully nurtured. This is why feeding yourself with useful tips, and information, to take care of those areas of your life would be a wise thing to do.
www.tayosolagbade.com offers you a continually growing library of potentially useful resources you can tap into.
Don’t be a stranger – visit daily and learn. In fact, go a step further and subscribe/join the mailing list, so you get notified when new stuff is published. You can only get better that you currently are!