WOMEN IN AGRIBUSINESS
Claire Williamson is owner and founder of Velma and Beverley and has been involved in many startup companies and says the key is to start small.
Don’t dream, do By Cheyenne Nicholson
There are a number of tips and tricks people can use when starting their own business to ensure it gets off the ground and is a success.
S
tarting a business, big or small, is a huge deal; from developing a plan to bringing your business idea to life, it’s an exciting venture. Over the past two years, we’ve been profiling women from the dairy industry, making a name for themselves with their off-farm businesses. We’ve gone back to many of those ladies and reached out to other businesswomen in the agricultural sector to pull together their top business tips. Address excuses and get researching How long have you been sitting on your business idea? How many times have you said, “I really need to take action on this idea”? Countless people
32
dream of becoming entrepreneurs, but they never do. They’re overloaded with excuses and fears of failing. From money, time and other responsibilities, it can be easy to make a case for not starting. Start out by writing down your idea, write out what problem you’re solving for people, what you want to achieve and brain dump everything onto paper. Tip: It’s so important to plan. What is the vision? What do you want to achieve? How are you going to do this? This needs to include market analysis, financial, people, digital strategy and sustainability factors. – Julie Christie of C suite NZ. Tip: Use a business model canvas to understand your ideas and channels
further. Is your idea actually solving a problem? Are you proposing something that has been done before? If so, then you must have a unique value proposition. Do your research before you commit everything to it? – Chanelle O’Sullivan of Borage and Bee Meadery. Get connected Develop a close group of individuals who will give you true feedback around your ideas – these might be friends, business associates or people you find through mentor groups locally or online. Facebook groups like The Connected Collective are a great place to start to link up with mentors and experts. Tip: Talk to an advisor before you
DAIRY FARMER
December 2021
