Last Friday a group of Iowa State Ag Entrepreneurship Initiative spent the day visiting three family-owned companies in North Central Iowa: Sukup Manufacturing, Hagie Manufacturing and Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.
These industry tours gave student an opportunity to go “behind the scenes” and meet with owners about what it’s like to start a business and how to strike a balance between work and family life. Students also asked us to share some best practices for aspiring entrepreneurs.
If only I would’ve known that Harry Stine’s “7 Insights for Entrepreneurs” was going to be published March 28 by Forbes, I could have saved myself some prep time! Many of the insights that Stine shared in this article are similar to my beliefs:
- Entrepreneurs don’t work traditional hours. Business hours may be posted as 8 AM to 5 PM, but you’re never really “off the clock.”
- Any industry is constantly changing. You either need to adapt and change or get out of the way.
- Always be mentally and emotionally prepared to walk away from any deal. Desperation leads to bad decisions.
Whether you’re engaged in a farming operation or operating a retail outlet, chances are you exhibit these characteristics. You’re doing what you love. You’re a planner. You’re using technology to your advantage. You’re accessible. You’re getting involved. You’re part of a team. You’re making a difference. You’re persistent, and you’re also an eternal optimist.
Sometimes entrepreneurs, including farmers, find themselves working another job in order to support their hopes for the future. If you dream of farming full-time but don’t have the opportunity to do so right now because your resources are limited or the timing isn’t yet right, the team at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds might be able to help you plant seeds for the future!
By operating your own Latham® seeds dealership, you could earn the equivalent of full-time employment. Some benefits of a Latham dealership include:
- Accessing new seed traits and technology before they’re widely available.
- Gaining first-hand knowledge of the industry’s broadest, deepest product lineup through product training and Hi‑Tech crop planning / management tools.
- Belonging to a group of people who share your passion for farming and value honesty, integrity and family.
To learn more about farmer-dealer opportunities available with Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, talk with your local Latham representative or call 1-877-GO-LATHAM (1.877.465.2842).