Unlocking the Key to SUCCESS- Planning


Dear Farmer,

 The rains are upon us and 2024  looks promising, today I want to challenge you to finish safe and start strong. There are many factors that as farmers that we may not have control over such as the climate, government policy, political landscape etc but through effective planning we can to a certain extent come up with a favorable outcome.

 The importance of planning in increasing efficiency, achieving profit targets, providing focus and coordination, aiding decision making, reducing risks, encouraging innovation and creativity can never be overstated. The question that almost always arises is how does one create an effective plan?

 Every plan has to answer 5 questions which are: Why, What, Where, When, Who  and this will help you effectively plan the How of execution.

 


 

 

 

WHY?

Why are  you in existence, do you operate the way you do, should customers and other stakeholders do business with you? This section deals with your vision and your ability to satisfy  the needs of your clients and other stakeholders.

 

WHAT?

What is it that you do? What is your core offering and which ones are periphery operations to augment income? A lot of farmers say I am a farmer and then we have to dig to find out what type of farming you do. Define your one thing you are an expert at and what is the rest you do to increase income. What activities form your operations?

 

WHERE?

Where are you now in terms of your business, Where do you want to be in 12 months for a start. If you have no destination, life will create one for you and trust me it won’t be one you like.

 

 

WHEN?

When do you want to achieve which set target to reach your destination. Break it down to monthly and weekly. Purchase a planner with dates and write deadlines in the Planner, review it weekly and adjust accordingly. Plan for the day and week ahead and you will become more focused and efficient.

 

WHO?

Who are your customers? Who do you need to achieve your growth plan (People, Titles and organisations)? Who is your competitor (direct and indirect)? Who  within the value chain can become part of your ecosystem and delivers value to you?

 

Answering the above questions will enable you to effectively answer the HOW question. How much will everything cost, how will you attract the right customers, how will you schedule production to coincide with customer needs, how will you respond to competitors, how will you acquire new customers and keep the old ones.

 

Be realistic about where you are, the resources you need and the strategies you will use. Treat your plan as if it was the only source of information for an investor or financial institution. Keep it simple and factual. Remember plans are not cast in stone and when something isn’t working interrogate it first before you discard the plan. Having a coach ensures you stay on track as they can help you see blind spots and call out any BS you may be using as excuses. A plan without discipline is a wish-list and discipline without a plan is a death wish.

 

I look forward to seeing your plan for next year,

 

Til’ next time

Rutendo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vision will not feed your children Part 3- The Fellowship

Image
In 2022 the opportunity to apply for a Professional Fellowship in Agribusiness came up and is always the case I shared the information with others and you guessed right. Initially my thoughts were “I am not academically qualified in Agriculture, this isn’t for me” and I ignored it. My boss made me do it, it was part of the work plan that I submitted weekly. Her advice- tell your story. I didn’t think I had a chance. I got called for an interview, I thought they just wanted to increase numbers. I remember stating three times in that interview that I wasn’t qualified for the work that I did. Then came the acceptance letter, in my head haaa I must be on the waiting list because they didn’t get that many applicants. It was a year between acceptance and beginning the travel arrangements and all. Again the importance of having a tribe with the right people, the Harambe Trust team had more faith than I did.   5 May 2023 I boarded a plane for the first time for the trip to Michigan State Unive
Read more

Vision will not feed your children Part 1

Image
  The Beginning I t was  2008 ,  the year of Zimbabwe’s most remembered economic melt-down, drought, political and civil unrest .  I was a final year student at Africa University and a single mother of one, facing an uncertain future after graduation. At the beginning of the final semester, as I sat outdoors contemplating my future, my eyes rested on the University’s field of winter wheat. My heart stirred and I remember it was a beautiful healthy green color, dense and weed free. Swaying to a dance in the breeze that even I became a part of as I watched, the crop  held an endless promise of a better future for me. That semester, I chose to do my work study program (working for the University in return for a financial scholarship) in the H orticultural department even though it would have been easier to choose working in the Library.  This gave me an understanding of how the basics of horticulture worked and how on a small piece of land things could still happen and happen well. With t
Read more