The GrowFARM Online Business Analysis System (GrowFARM OBA) is the vital measuring and forecasting tool to help you plan for and generate spare cash from your drystock farm business. It is live and accessible to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is the mechanics of profit planning and delivery in the GrowFARM System.
Being Internet based, you are able to log in to your business information from any Internet connected computer in the world. Keeping up to date with how your business is performing and being able to make changes when you see fit puts you firmly in control of your choices and business direction. Your coach provides personal help, training and support to help you get the most from the GrowFARM OBA, while you receive a PDF manual on the basics of how to operate the system effectively.
The major sections of the GrowFARM OBA are the entry pages and the report pages. Entry pages provide templates and fields to allow you to enter specific crucial business data and forecasts. These include the Cash Flow, Business Unit figures, bank account information and other data such as fertiliser purchases and pasture profit drivers. Regardless of the date of data entry, you are able to enter historical (actual) figures as well as forecasts for all figures, including animal numbers, income drivers and cash flows. This may occur well before the next financial year begins to allow you to hit the ground running on day 1. Preparation is vital if you want to execute well and deliver the results you really want.
The Report pages show the outcomes of any given scenario as entered by you in the Entry pages. It provides instant feedback because a change made in the Entry pages is updated on the spot in the report pages. This gives you huge power in running options and scenarios to decide what is likely to work best for your business in achieving what is most important. These scenarios can be run well before you need to take action providing not only peace of mind but options in case market or climate conditions force changes. The reports show the overall Business Health KPIs, right down to the profit any animal entered will make on any day of the year (after expenses have been allocated to each animal). Other reports such as the Cash Flow and liveweight carried are also available.
The Strategic Planning tool allows your Vision, Mission, Strategies and Action Plans to be recorded, updated and actioned.
The two major principles we used when building the OBA are simplicity and accuracy. These are a must if you as a Farm Business Owner are to make solid headway and learn to do what it takes to achieve what is most important.
Clients David and Jodie Munn from Hunterville put it this way:
“Entering our business figures is very easy and the instant results give us some payback immediately. Any changes are easy to make and we like how we can keep up to date at any time.”
As mentioned, decision making is much easier and peace of mind results from having done the preparation before it is needed. If you want to have control of your business numbers and your future, the GrowFARM OBA (as part of the GrowFARM System) is the tool you need.
This article appears in the GrowFARM Connector (March 2010) - our monthly e-Newsletter. Click here to subscribe to the e-Newsletter