PAGE 28 / 87

The Goransons, a Maine farming family, produce vegetables, berries, hogs, chickens and maple syrup. They sell their goods through wholesale, farmers' markets, a farmstand and a CSA. (Robert Mitchell)

Unit 1: Planning and Business Development

Step 5. Implement the Plan and Monitor Progress

With a plan in place, it’s time to move forward with implementation, secure financing (if needed) and put the plan into action. As an advisor or consultant you may also have an important role to play in this phase of the process.

A critical step in the implementation phase is to develop a system for monitoring and good recordkeeping. Monitoring helps business owners detect problems and adjust strategies and re-plan if necessary. We all know that internal and external circumstances change and no business strategy will unfold exactly as planned. Farmers and ranchers can monitor their progress by:

• Keeping good records

• Revisiting the business plan

• Meeting regularly with the advisory team

• Developing monitoring checkpoints

To stay organized and on top of things, encourage the use of Excel or another program for creating a spreadsheet that lists all of the business targets, dates, actions and results. When targets have been met, everyone involved in the business should be made aware of that. If certain targets have not been met by the dates assigned to them, it’s important to find out why and what steps can be taken to address the issues. Indicators such as sales volume, productivity benchmarks and market share statistics can be used to define whether or not a target has been met.