Weekly Success Tip

Okay, so here’s some photos and lessons that I re-learnt during my stay in WA...

This first one is a photo of me standing perilously close to the oncoming jaws of the biggest ‘lawn mower’ I’ve ever seen. You’re looking at a large grain harvestor chewing up everything in it’s path.

The lesson here is one that every farmer understands; "There’s a time to sow, there’s a time to reap, but you don’t do both in the same season. What you’re getting right now in your life is what you were putting out 30–90 days ago or more."



This is Richard and myself in front of the truck, dropping off 23 tonnes of wheat to the Bin. Richard is a smart and experienced farm-hand...

In 2009, be sure to have the right people on your team for what you want to achieve... and make sure you seek out and apply their knowledge and experience.



In the photo above, I’m helping to empty grain from a field bin, into a truck, to then take the grain to the bin.

The lesson here is to always have a ‘hands on’ approach to your business. By all means, build a team and outsource everything you can that makes economical sense, but stay on top of the work being produced. That way you’ll avoid any nasty and expensive surprises.



That’s me perched way up high on a Silo full of grain. This grain will not be sold to market, but will be stored for next year's crop.

The lesson here is that one of your best returns on investment is back into your own business. In 2009, be sure to invest appropriately into your own business and education to ensure increasing future harvests.

That’s me, in front of large, temperature-controlled grain silos, valued at more than $50K each.

Remember, in the gold rush days, very few miners actually got rich. Those who almost always got rich however, were the merchants that supplied the miners with the tools of their trade; the picks and the shovels.

What are the gold rush (trends) of 2009, and what tools will they need that you could supply?



Above is a photo of Shane working at the local CBH Grain Bin, inspecting the quality and content of the grain we just delivered. The protein content of the wheat is a key factor in the price you can sell your grain for.

The lesson is to know the quality of your goods and aim to constantly improve. Higher quality = Higher price.



The higher quality grain often gets bought by boutique mills or buyers at a much higher price. The lower quality goes to what’s called the ‘stack’ (pictured behind me) and may be used for animal feed, for example.

This is the stack at the local grain bin. CBH stands for Co-operative Bulk Handling and the company was started by farmers joining forces to build facilities that enable them to economically get their produce to market.

The lesson here is Coopetition. In 2009, it may make smarter economical sense to work with your competitors, for a greater overall outcome for both, rather than independently or against them.

ACTION STEP:

Get out there and see this incredible country Australia. You’ll be amazed at what you find.