Mission Before Profit

Successful businesses have mission and vision statements. This allows planning and decision making easier for managers and owners. These statements are posted on websites, above the front door, and in the break room to keep reminding us why we are there, and why the customers are there too. The mission is the purpose of the […]
Read MoreEconomic Planning

Dwight Eisenhower said, “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” Eisenhower might as well have been talking about ranching. Speaking of planning … How is your economic plan coming along for next year? Things are changing rapidly. Costs and returns have taken some dramatic shifts in the past few years. The […]
Read MoreEconomic Analysis

We recently wrapped up our two day Economics Intensive where alumni of the Ranching for Profit School prepared their economic plan for the coming year. For many of us, if we are left to our own devices, we often put off making an economic plan or get stuck figuring out how to handle a certain […]
Maybe We Should Keep Those?

Have you ever looked at a group of calves, heifers, cull cows and thought, “Well… maybe we should just keep those?” If you have, you’re not alone. Acting on this type of thinking often leads to complicating the business with a lot of little enterprises which can be bad economically and financially. When you start […]
Read MoreSocial Distancing Rancher Style

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, all of us in America are changing many of our habits and routines to try and slow the spread. While social distancing is the norm for many in the ranching profession, we are most certainly adjusting our routines in the coming weeks and perhaps months. In my house, the major […]
Top 5 Business Management Actions on the Farm/Ranch

As we wrap up 2019, I want to share with you what comes to the top of my mind as actions that farms and ranches take when they are serious about their business management. If you are hitting the mark on these, well done! If not, then what will your strategy be to improve in […]
The Laws Of Economics

My Cousin Vinny is one of my favorite movies. There’s a scene where Vinny, played by Joe Pesci, challenging the witness, asks, “Are we to believe that the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove?” That line, makes me think of some people who market grass finished beef and use grazing practices that […]
Read MoreRecords Are A Waste Of Time

Some people think that records are THE key to managerial success. Not me. I think most records are a waste of time. Records give us data. We need information. It takes analysis to turn data into useful information. The problem is we spend 90% or more of our time collecting the data and only […]
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