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The Farmer's Office, Second Edition (PDF)
Tools, Templates, and Skills for Starting, Managing, and Growing a Successful Farm Business
You launched your farm because you love working the land and producing food. Yet to succeed you also need to think like an entrepreneur. The Farmer's Office, Second Edition is your must-have toolkit for starting and growing a sustainable agricultural business.
Written by a consultant and entrepreneur who has supported hundreds of farm-preneurs, this essential resource is fully revised and updated to empower readers to make sound decisions and manage their farm business for success. Topics include:
- How to write a business plan for a new or growing venture
- Detailed descriptions of accounting and business concepts
- Setting up and using QuickBooks for day-to-day sales and expense tracking, as well as for more complex tasks such as budgeting, cash flow analysis, cost accounting; reading financial statements
- Leveraging financial information to refine operations, improve profits, and develop strategies for growth
- Accessing financing and managing debt Adapting to external shocks and learning to pivot
- Planning for business growth and expansion
- Understanding mental blocks that can limit an entrepreneur's success.
Enhanced with detailed case studies of real farm businesses, The Farmer's Office, Second Edition is your personal business coach, providing guidance for all the business skills needed to succeed as a businessperson in a competitive and rapidly changing world.
Julia Shanks is a sought-after business consultant who provides business assistance and coaching to new and established farm and food entrepreneurs. She has an MBA in entrepreneurship, is a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and is co-author of The Farmers Market Cookbook. She lives in Marblehead, MA.
