Business topics

Business Performance

Review or evaluate your business performance.

Discuss your business plan.

Begin the benchmarking process.

Review overhead costs.

Marketing and Social Media

Marketing your current business.

Understanding your marketing mix

Identifying and reaching your target audience / customers

Branding advice and social media marketing

Diversification

Where to start on a diversification project.

Discuss potential ideas and what could work for your business

Succession

Discuss any issues with a solicitor regarding succession including topics such as joint ventures, partnership agreements, tenancies, wills, probate and estate planning.

Start your succession planning to secure your business.

Legal

Discuss any issues with a solicitor regarding agriculture law including topics such as boundary disputes, public footpaths, land leases, grazing disputes, implications of land purchases/sales, issues with sales/purchases of stock etc.

Financial Planning and accountancy

Look at your business accounts and ways to improve your business structure.

Future plans for projects - including cash flow.

Business tax

Planning and development

Discuss issues you may have regarding the planning processes for buildings on your farm such as new builds, renovations and conversions, renewable energy plans, tourism opportunities

ICT

Develop your IT skills whether it being basic support on emails, documents or spreadsheets, video calling or more specific advice on particular systems such as VAT online, Quickbooks, Xero, Sage, BCMS, RPW online

Benchmarking

Discuss how to start benchmarking, physical data collection (scanning percentage, rearing percentage, selling percentage and so on), create simple data collection forms, inputting data into systems and discussing the results

HR / Staff Management

Staff contracts.

Changing employment terms and conditions e.g reducing hours.

Working health, wellbeing and safety tips.

Performance management and maintaining staff motivation and engagement.

Energy efficiency / Renewable energy

Discuss options on energy efficiency and what to consider when considering renewable energy options for your farm including electricity supply, planning applications, design and installation. Electricity use and analysis (including suppliers). Renewable energy design including off grid

To review and calculate your slurry capacity and storage