oi.'K v 7 Sf.rirt fiwteV.K t.rrdyMW ji'.p rn'pn-1 Vlfiw 11 H nrikt.Ft Waiownn unrilT-ftT Farm Business Plans and Labor There are just not enough hours in the day. Every farmer in a busy planting or harvesting sea son has that thought. As farmers explore new methods of increasing efficiency on their farm, they ul timately look at hiring additional help, especially when the farm is expanding. But before you put an ad in the iHelp Wanted? section, there are a few things you need to check on your farm business plan. iHaving a complete business plan is not nearly as important as the process you use to develop your plan,? according to Dr. Berme Erven, professor and exten sion specialist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Ohio State University. A busi ness plan is your blueprint for success and is complete with goals, objectives, strategies and, most importantly, benchmarks By defining your own standards of Introducing the new and improved F-Series Bobcat® 753 Skid-Steer Loader NEW! 43.5 HP Kubota diesel engine for improved performance! NEW! Larger tilt cylinder, more rollback power for improved digging and loading capability! NEW! Faster travel speed (6 6 mph) for quick cycle times! NEW-' More hydraulic flow (U. 3 gpm) for faster cycle times, better attachment performance! NEW! Higher Rated Operating Capacity (1,350 lbs) for more lifting, carrying ability! NEW! Strong one-piece tailgate design resists damage! See One Of These Local Dealers Today! Quarryville, PA GRUMELLI’s FARM SERV. 717-786-7318 Lebanon, PA EVERGREEN TRACTOR CO. 717-866-2585 1-800-441-4450 Mifflinburg, PA BS & B REPAIR 717-966-3756 success and the specific ways they are measured, you can make a good decision about hiring an em ployee. Review your past years! bal ance sheet and record books. Did your bottom line meet your ex pectations? If they did not, what were the specific benchmarks in your business plan that were not met? Was it caused by increased capital costs? Did you overesti mate revenue potential? The final question to think about is, iwould an additional employee have made my farm more profitable or less profitable?? This is where the de cision is made. The next step is defining the type of labor assistance most ap propriate for your farm. Must you find a full-time employee, or would it be more efficient to hire a consultant or temporary help? The challenge is to identify the specific type of help needed for your individual business and then BUY. SELL. TRADE OB BENT THROUGH THE *4 k-n i =lUi 1 Top Performance. Top Value. Harrisburg, PA HIGHWAY EQUIPMENT 717-564-3031 Lititz, PA 717-625-2800 Muncy, PA BEST LINE LEASING, INC. 717-546-8422 800-321 -2378 find an employee who matches those criteria. A «ood, honest, thorough business plan will help make that decision for you. What do you do best and what are the weak spots in your opera tion? Do you need to hire a per son who can fill the voids or do you need to free more of your time to update your own skills. These are also areas where a solid business plan will help you make a good decision. Some questions from a local iGoing Into Business Guide! in clude: Where will you find employees and how will you recruit them? What will be the specific duties of the employee and the em ployer? What will the wages or salary be? Must you hire a full-time per son or will part-time/seasonal be better? What continuing training will your employees need? What are your legal responsi bilities as an employer? Who will handle payroll, pay ment, and tax records? What will employee benefits cost? (health insurance, vacation, etc.) According to Dr. Erven, the most common question revolves around salary. His rule of thumb is that the wages must be fair and competitive tor your area The labor issues we face in agriculture are very similar to the problems faced by other small businesses Reading, PA CSI ENTERPRISES INC. 610-926-4400 Bethlehem, PA 610-868-1481 Martinsburg, PA BURCHFIELDS, INC. 814-793-2194 Talk with some of your local business owners and find out their thoughts on hiring a new em ployee. As agriculture becomes increas ingly complex, today's successful farmers realize the key to their survival involves smart decision making. Additional labor may be a part of making your farm more Lancaster Farmland Trust Farm Estate Workshop LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) Effective Financial and Estate Planning for Farm Families is the subject of a free workshop sche duled for Thursday, February 19, from 9:45 a.m. until noon. Lunch follows. Hosted by Lancaster Farmland Trust, this farm transi tion seminar is open to all Lancas ter County fanners interested in learning the role farmland pre servation plays in passing a farm on to one’s children. The work shop will be presented by Ameri can Express Financial Advisors and James & Clark, LLP and be held at the Farm and Home Center auditorium, 1383 Arcadia Road in Lancaster. The workshop and lunch ate free, but advance regis tration is required. Please call Lancaster Farmland Trust at 717-293-0707 to register. Chambersburg, PA CLUGSTON AG & TURF INC 717-263-4103 ter bobcat ,T yisindtf .ysbiuts? Minna 5 ! H}eB3figJ-&sa Lancaster Finning, Saturday, February 7,1999-A25 profitable. The challenge is to develop a solid business plan complete with goals and bench marks and then implement your strategy for success. Feel free to send your com ments and ideas to Jim Shirk at the Chamber by email at HY PERLINK jshirk@lcci.com or call him at 397-353 J. “Without effective financial planning, farm famililes may not be able to pass on their farms and live comfortably in retirement,” said Karen Weiss, director of Land Preservation at Lancaster Farmland Trust “This workshop helps farmers overcome some of the complex tax issues associated with rising land prices here in Lancaster.” The session uses case studies to show attendees how other Lancaster County families successfully solved typical prob lems. Cases include issues related to new 1997 federal estate tax benefits for preserving farms, sell ing to one’s children, ensuring that all family members are treated fairly, and what to do when loved ones pass on. WATERLESS TOILETS “Sun-Mar” Composting Toilets Several models available including non-electric • NO Septic System • NO Chemicals Save the Environment l Recycle Back to Nature l FREE: 12 Page Color Catalog We Reclaim Failing Septic Systems - Guaranteed Results! ECO-TECH Call Today 1-800-879-0973 b „s. _
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers