• Confidential business planning
• Management audits
• Feasibility studies
• Planning for the future
• Management systems development
  

Confidential Business Planning.
Business planning can be a delicate process, requiring caution when exploring business ventures or options. Inadequate business planning can cost you profits, as well as relationships. A consultant can help you assess your business in an effective and confidential manner. We can assist you:

• With or without disclosing information to your lender or others.
• Check feasibility of ideas and plans with a neutral party

Management Audits.
For a successful farm or ranch to remain efficient and profitable, constant evaluation of business systems, employees and management is necessary. Understandably, owners can develop biases that limit their view of the business. A consultant can provide valuable assistance in reviewing:

• Profitability
• Business structure
• Management processes
• Labor issues
• Information systems
• Risk management
• Marketing programs
• Enterprise diversification
• Other areas of special interest

Feasibility Studies.
A consultant can perform feasibility studies to assist you in a number of important decisions including:

• Expansion - Are you considering a purchase of additional land? Are you contemplating your profit margin? A consultant can help you conduct a feasibility study to explore all of the components of expanding a business venture.
• Capital purchases - Capital purchases may increase your efficiency. How and when you acquire those items may be the key to making a profitable purchase.
• New enterprises - By considering all of the facts and alternatives, a consultant can give an unbiased opinion of how a new enterprise might add to your profitability and help you achieve your goals.
• Value enhancement - There are many ways you can add value to your business. Now more than ever, it is critical to increase the value of your products. A business consultant can help you decide what kind of value enhancement is right for you.

Planning for the Future.
A consultant can help guide you through planning your retirement or continuing the business.

• Creating opportunities for the next generation - Planning how to help the next generation continue the family business is a complicated task. Noneconomic issues often play a role in deciding how the operation will continue. A business consultant can help convene or facilitate sensitive family meetings.
• Business succession with help from your CPA and attorney - It is necessary to plan carefully for your retirement years. A consultant can provide valuable options for retirement and business succession planning.
  • Convene family meeting
  • Creating business and personal visions
  • Exploring alternatives
  • Developing effective strategies and action plans
  • Facilitating Implementation of plans with other professionals

Management Systems Development.
Our consultants give individual or group computer assistance. They offer systems/software development and setup. With today's growing dependence on computers and software programs it can be difficult to keep up with all of the progress. A business consultant can be a helpful resource for reviewing.

• Effectiveness of accounting practice
• Ability of systems to support decision making
• Appropriate controls
• Compliance issues

See how our consultants can help in these aspects of your business. Call your local Northern California Farm Credit office, e-mail us or visit our consulting Web site, www.KeepTheFarm.com to learn more.

• KeepTheFarm.com NCFC business consulting site
• Who needs a consultant?
• Building a business plan
• Business management advice
• Do you need a will?
• Estate planning tips
• How to be a better risk manager

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