Amateur Hour

lazy farmer · Jun 23, 2018

have just been on a 2 day course which was wonderful, full of top class individuals and myself.
The main thing I took away from the 2 days is what an amateurish way in I run my business.
regardless of how well I run it nearly all the information on how to run it is in my head and I am not a very confident communicator at the best of times.
When I say everything is in my head i mean everything (apart from phone numbers and the grass budget)
So my questions are
who has an operations manual, a farm manual a farm calender?
who has standard operating procedures written down?
who has a proper health and safety document.? and safe use of machinery protocols.
But most importantly where do I start in creating these documents.
does anybody has a free budgeting programme they would recommend? My quicken programme is/was wonderful but was 20 yrs old and the computer it was on has died.

Its amazing I get anything done.
Thank you for any help you can give
chris

vantage · Jun 23, 2018

Have you invented a 36 hour day to do all this record keeping?
Seriously I guess it depends on the size of your business as to how far you go down this path. Obviously large business has has to have a belt and braces approach ,one man bands probably not. At the end of the day are you happy and does your farm make a consistent profit to enable you to do what you want,which from reading your posts over the years I think it does!

ollie989898 · Jun 23, 2018

lazy farmer said:
have just been on a 2 day course which was wonderful, full of top class individuals and myself.
The main thing I took away from the 2 days is what an amateurish way in I run my business.
regardless of how well I run it nearly all the information on how to run it is in my head and I am not a very confident communicator at the best of times.
When I say everything is in my head i mean everything (apart from phone numbers and the grass budget)
So my questions are
who has an operations manual, a farm manual a farm calender?
who has standard operating procedures written down?
who has a proper health and safety document.? and safe use of machinery protocols.
But most importantly where do I start in creating these documents.
does anybody has a free budgeting programme they would recommend? My quicken programme is/was wonderful but was 20 yrs old and the computer it was on has died.

Its amazing I get anything done.
Thank you for any help you can give
chris

None of the above have a 100% guarantee of putting a single £1 on your bottom line.

Look at all the big businesses around us that did all of the above and employed hundreds to do it. House of Fraser, M and S. TESCO. All been given a thorough savaging recently.

Rossymons · Jun 24, 2018

Whatever you do keep it simple and keep it consistent.

I have a handbook I give to each apprentice we've had. It's got field maps, emergency numbers, plus a couple SOPs.

Whatever information you give them you want it one page if you can. Anything more will be forgotten or not read properly.

I've found Microsoft Excel to be fantastic at budgets. But I've played with for ages to get it how I want it. I've tried a few budgeting software and purchased the Kingshay version but find it far too cumbersome.

If you PM me your email address I'll send you what I have so you can adjust it as you wish.

I find these courses can be great for providing new ideas but
A) don't beat yourself up. Improving on yourself is very profitable investment and payback is very quick

B) don't go making changes for changes sake. The potential loss from doing something different could be massive and how much is that extra 5% worth chasing for? Because that's probably what you will get.

You say you're worried about being a poor communicator so I would start with those that you regularly communicate with. Find out what they want and go from there.

wasted years · Jun 24, 2018

Having a written anything is fine if people read it, having things in your head keeps you and others around you focused on the job in hand.
The best companies I deal with are the ones where one or more people have got their brains in gear, know what they have, know where it is and do something about it.

pappuller · Jun 24, 2018

All passwords and bank details written down is most important nowadays even though its a big no no, but in our digital age a business can soon come to a halt without others having access if the unthinkable happens.

bigw · Jun 24, 2018

I was thinking about this the other day as I too work far to much from out of my head and need to start documenting far more stuff such as protocols etc. I find it so mundane and I don't believe the guys that work here would even look at it, but I think I need to be far more professional in the way i operate.

Steevo · Jun 24, 2018

pappuller said:
All passwords and bank details written down is most important nowadays even though its a big no no, but in our digital age a business can soon come to a halt without others having access if the unthinkable happens.

Password manager solves that one.

Bald Rick · Jun 24, 2018

Because we employ a number of full time staff, we have to have written protocols for Health & Safety, an accident book, written contracts of employment etc etc.
We also find a good metaphorical cuff about the ear also useful.

One is more effective than the other but both can get you in to trouble

As for budgets, benchmarking, cash flow monitoring etc - yes we do all these and more and rely on a number of trusted outside sources as sounding boards to work through ideas.

In the immortal words of CJ (for those who remember): "I didn't get where I am today by spending my time type sh!t on to TFF"

pappuller · Jun 24, 2018

Steevo said:
Password manager solves that one.

Note pad and gun cabinet here

buffalo_soldier · Jun 24, 2018

A lot of the documents mentioned are a farm assurance requirement I believe. They are done and filed away so they are easily to hand when they are needed, every 16 months mostly.

Important stuff is in my head or was written down in note form.
I have a notebook on my phone nowadays, which has replaced pen and paper.

The Agrarian · Jun 24, 2018

I've basically given my wife (who doesn't farm) a short list of trusted people to contact if the worst happens to me, so that an orderly wind down can occur. Unfortunately theres no way, with her current level of involvement, that she could run it without it blowing up before she got the hang of it.

I'm guilty as the rest of you of running too much of it out of my head. It does mean that taking time off for a holiday takes a significant bit of preparation, and instructions, to leave it that it'll run for a week or ten days.

honeyend · Jun 24, 2018

Nearly every document you need can be copied from another website and changed to suit your situation, don't let the jargon panic you.
When you buy a piece of kit ask if they have the H&S schedule/Risk assessment, when you buy chemicals, ask for the COSH documents.
Have a paper copy of all but try and get a PDF as well and everyone you employ signs a sheet to say they have read it or they know to refer to it, and keep the paper copy in an accessible place.
You do a risk reassessment once a year, or when something changes,and you guessed it, sign a sheet to say you have done it.
The adage is, if its not written down it never happened.
Officialdom loves paper, its a neat box for them to check, often if the paperwork is OK they will not look anything else

peclova · Jun 24, 2018

About 12 years ago we had an EHO audit for licensing our processing facility. The old boy who did the audit (he's retired now) looked me in the eye and said:
"Remember just one thing, we don't care how many people you food poison as long as it is all documented!"

Kidds · Jun 24, 2018

A lot of the documents can be put together by finding a template online and adjusting it to suit your situation. Quite daunting until you look at what someone else has written down.
HSE stuff is easy by using the above and when asked for it they will be well impressed.

(of course nobody will ever read it ever again.)

Woolgatherer · Jun 25, 2018

Can I suggest that you also write a step by step instruction for operating your parlours? I'm a relief milker, it's fine covering for farmers who are taking a break, they can show you what's what with the set up before they go. The problems start when there's been something unforeseen, like the time I got a call to milk on a farm where the farmer had had an accident, was in hospital and the cows needed milked. No one knew how to get the plant going or even where the cows were! I did manage it, luckily it was an old fashioned plant and I could work out what needed doing, it could have been a different story with a computerised machine! Half an hour writing down set up / milk and then set up / wash would do it, hopefully it would never be needed but instructions would be invaluable if the need arose!

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