Are you still proud of your company?

'What the future may bring'. Thus begins an old song that is often sung around the turn of the year. The future… Many entrepreneurs worry about the future to a greater or lesser extent.

When one thinks about the future, many questions arise: what will the new year bring? Can I turn my business around financially? Can I handle all the work and all the regulations? Do I still retain the job satisfaction and passion for my company? Are we going to continue as a family or relatives?

Trots
At the recently organized theme evenings of LTO Noord, which I and a colleague were able to give substance to, I asked the entrepreneurs present: "Are you still proud of your company?" To my delight, the vast majority of entrepreneurs indicated that they were proud of their company. Being proud of what you do and believing in what you do are important positive drivers, which can help you as an entrepreneur to continue and persevere, despite sometimes difficult circumstances.

The difficult thing about these situations is that you can often only exert a limited influence on your circumstances. And that can lead to unpleasant situations: financially, physically, emotionally or relationally. What you can influence is the way you react in difficult situations. And for many there could be a key to staying afloat.

stay fit!
It strikes me that many agricultural entrepreneurs structurally fail themselves. By that I mean that the balance between work and private life is often hard to find. There are people who think that there is no other way: the work has to be done! But is that really so? Because in the end you won't last.

My end-of-year tip is therefore: make sure you stay fit! Stay fit in different areas of life: physical, mental, relational and social. So it starts with yourself. If you don't stick with it, your company won't eventually either.

• Physically fit: you only have 1 body. Be careful with that. Working even harder is usually not the right solution. Maybe it can be done smarter?
• Mentally fit: if there is no rest 'in the head', you become exhausted and unbalanced. Seek help and talk about your concerns with family, friends, or a good counselor.
• relationally fit: invest in the people closest to you. They need you and you need them. I see that many relationships in the agricultural sector come under pressure when business becomes difficult. Avoid a double battle, behind (company) and in front of (family). The same applies here: keep talking and seek help in time if you can't figure it out.
• Socially fit: don't close yourself off to the outside world when you're having a hard time. Look for connections with people from outside the sector (family, friends, et cetera). It is also very good to show that you are proud of the sector and your company! We should certainly not be ashamed of our sector.

Vision
Develop a business vision if you don't already have one. This is still a difficult one for many entrepreneurs. Especially in difficult times, a company vision is important to serve as a guideline and to bring focus to your business operations. Where do you want to be in 1, 5 or 10 years? How do you want to achieve that? What steps can you take to achieve your goals? How do you deal with setbacks? A good company vision helps you focus on the future and the goals you want to achieve. Is that easy? No, in many cases and under the current circumstances often not. But doing nothing or complaining is certainly not an option, you won't help yourself with that.

What the future holds, we don't know. In any case, stay proud of your company and stay fit, because the challenges are great!

Happy Holidays!

fat cattle child

Dik Veefkind is an agricultural coach and mediator at AgroCoach. In his blogs he focuses on the psychological challenges of the farmer, such as burnouts and business conflicts. He also supports people entering the grounds in difficult situations.

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