Sunnyside Farms, featured in Hoard’s Dairyman.
Neil Rejman of Sunnyside Farms, a Red Wing Software customer, was featured in the September 10th, 2016 issue, of Hoard’s Dairyman. The story, entitled Rejman named Progressive Commercial Dairy Manager, gives details about Rejman recently being awarded the 2016 Progressive Commercial Dairy Farm Manager Grant Award. Rejman received a $2,000 travel grant, and plans on visiting several other progressive dairies around the country.
Lamont Fruit Farm/Fish Creek Orchards, featured in Fruit Grower News.
Lamont Fruit Farm/Fish Creek Orchards, a Red Wing Software customer, was featured in the September 2016 issue of Fruit Growers News in the story New York state growers adapt to changing markets. Lamont Fruit Farm owner, Rod Farrow describes methods used to increase efficiency within their operation.
Spiech Farms, featured in Fruit Grower News.
Red Wing Software customer Spiech Farms LLC was also included in the September 2016 issue of Fruit Grower News, in the story Spiech Farms invests more than $1 million in new products. Spiech Farms Chief Operating Officer / Owner, Tim Spiech explains plans for a new product line expansion for frozen produce.
Hillside Farms featured in Progressive Dairyman
Laura Flory of Hillside Farms, a Red Wing Software customer, shares some great advice and experiences about keeping a family farm on track, in the August 7, 2016, issue of Progressive Dairyman. In the story “Becoming the ‘A Team’: How a consultant′s repeated advice got our farm back on track”, Flory explains how a person′s roles, responsibilities, and expectations make such a difference within a farming organization.
September may seem like a strange time to talk about budgeting for your business, but actually, any time of year is a good time to review how your business is tracking against your projections. Whether it’s planning for next year, or comparing this year’s results to what you were planning, looking at your actual numbers compared to your business plan for the year should be something that happens on a regular basis.
To illustrate, I’ll use a couple Red Wing Software examples of why this is important. Each manager of their respective department is responsible for creating their budget for the coming year. Of course, not only expenses are projected, but revenue is also part of the budget. For example, each salesperson puts together the sales goals that they expect to achieve on a monthly basis, and how they expect to achieve those goals. Sales numbers are then measured throughout the year on a daily basis so we are aware of how we are performing compared to our projections. If sales numbers are not what we expected, (either lower or higher), it is important to know the reasons and react quickly to any discrepancy. Of course if sales numbers are higher than we expected, we want to know why, and keep making decisions that ensure continued success.
On the expense side, you obviously want to make sure you are not spending money that was not budgeted without a serious look as to why these expenses were increased. Also, and this may sound strange at first, you want to make sure you are spending all the money that is budgeted unless there is a good reason for not spending it. For instance, our Marketing Manager budgets to spend a certain amount on very specific items. Whether it’s advertising, trade shows, web presence, travel, or any number of other things, it is important to stick to this plan. If marketing dollars are not spent as planned, the result could very well be a decrease in revenue. It can be a delicate balancing act.
We are fortunate at Red Wing Software to have seasoned, experienced managers and staff that are very good at planning for their respective departments, and our revenue and expense numbers are typically within two percent of their projections. I believe with practice, discipline, and timely analysis, most businesses can be equally accurate in their planning process.
- Ken Hilton, President