Women's Agricultural Network Blog

It is the time of year for gift-giving and to each of you here are the five gifts I most wish that I could give you for the coming year…
Gift #1 is the gift of resilience. Resiliency is the ability to quickly recover from change or misfortune. No matter what the future holds for you and your business, we know that it is likely to be a challenging year. Don’t fight the changes, instead look for ways to emerge better and stronger.
Gift #2 is the gift of love and support. As you are faced with challenges and opportunities this coming year let those that care for you be a part of your decision-making. Look beyond your immediate family to friends, other business owners and your customers. They can all be a great source of wisdom and support.
Gift #3 is the gift of professional development. Never stop investing in yourself. Take a class, attend a workshop, join an association, read a book, go to a conference, start a discussion group or attend a networking event at your local chamber of commerce. Continue to learn and push yourself (and your business) to try something new. It is historically true that adversity and hard times often lead to the periods of greatest innovation.
Gift #4 is the gift of humor. Laugh well and often in the coming year. Look for the silly side of things and don’t take yourself too seriously. Laughter will make you feel better and help you put things into perspective. It will also bring relief to those around you.
Gift #5 is the gift of truth and courage. There will be many opportunities for you in the coming months to speak up and advocate for your business and yourself as a farmer and business owner. Speaking the truth to those that need to hear can be a frightening thing but fear should not stop you from stating what you need and why you need it. Your experience is relevant and your needs are valid — so be present in the dialog.

The economic crisis has dominated the news recently and despite all the expert testimony it is clear that no one really knows how long this downturn will last or how bad things will get before the situation turns around. Many small farms and micro-businesses are wondering if they can survive the wild ride. While there is no guaranteed recipe for survival, there are strategies that have proven useful during previous periods of economic uncertainty. One of them is ensuring that your employees know what is going on.
Keep your employees in the loop. Turbulent times can sometimes cause us to withhold bad news in order to protect others. That instinct is absolutely wrong. During periods of uncertainty it is critical that you be even more transparent in your communications. Start with your employees. Tell them the truth about how the business is doing and what your benchmarks are going to be for decision-making. You do not want to be in the position of having your key employees panic and start looking for new positions just when you need their creativity and skills the most.
Informed employees can be a tremendous source of help during turbulent times. They may well have innovative ideas for attracting new customers or marketing in new ways. They can help with cost-cutting and money-saving. Perhaps most importantly, informed employees can project confidence and optimism to customers because they know the situation. At all costs you want to avoid the downward spiral of poor morale and uncertainty being projected to customers who then lose confidence in the business and look for other places to make their purchases.
Having a regular opportunity to share ideas and provide updates can help short-circuit the rumor mill that can be the worst enemy of the small business.

Ever had a great idea for a product, service or some little gadget that would save you time or money? Then you watch while someone else brings “your” idea to market. Well there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get the credit and the cash for your great ideas. There are organizations all over the country that are standing by ready to help you figure out how to patent your idea, get a prototype produced and figure out the logistics of getting your product to market.
In Vermont, we have a nonprofit organization, Invent Vermont that offers regular education and networking opportunities as well as support for inventors and wannabe inventors. To find an organization in your area check with your state Small Business Administration Office or local Chamber of Commerce.