Business writing skills: the power tool of the effective manager

Clear, concise writing that avoids phrases like ‘as a consequence of’ instead of ‘because’, or inanities such as ‘going forward’, creates a good impression and strengthens your arguments, says Peter...

Provide feedback to your employees

All employees, managers included, need feedback on how they are doing in their jobs. Yet so often this feedback is either not provided or is ad hoc and incomplete. The...

Is ‘fake meat’ a threat or opportunity for livestock farmers?

The anti-meat lobby and the emerging ‘fake-meat’ industry pose a threat to livestock farmers worldwide. Timely action by meat industry organisations, and exploitation of opportunities to grow crops for the...

Tracking global food trends

Major global food demand-and-supply trends, identified and monitored by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, were already visible before the onset of COVID-19. The pandemic, and governments’...

‘The bottleneck is always at the top of the bottle’

So says management legend Peter Drucker. He is right; delegation (done properly) gets the job done, saves time and gets the best out of employees! Peter Hughes explains.

Thriving in a family business when you’re not part of the family

A family business can offer good employment opportunities in a pleasant working environment, but it can come with unique challenges. Understand them and you’ll never regret being a family outsider,...

Check those references

Extracting bad news from referees can be good news if it saves you from employing an unsuitable candidate.

Fight that negative bias!

Never before has it been so tempting to wallow in negativity and pessimism. Beware! It’s an attitude that holds dangers for your business, career, marriage and friendships, says Peter Hughes.

Failure can fire up the will to win

It is easy to become dispirited, risk-averse or moribund after failure. The real winners in life, whether they are individuals, teams or businesses, are those that choose to press on...

Discover the power of zero-based budgeting

Tackle your annual budget from scratch, and you’ll discover many things about the finances of your business that you have never noticed before.

The often-abused business budget

A lazy ‘last-year-plus’ budget is an exercise in futility and bad management, but worse is to enter the new financial year with no budget at all.

Don’t let digital media take over your life!

Learn how to use digital media to your advantage, and avoid the debilitating pitfalls of addiction.

The threat of imitation animal products

The profits from imitation food products are higher than from the real thing, encouraging processors to increase their offerings of these items. The agriculture sector, especially the dairy industry, needs...

Lessons in leadership from the virus

The varying effect of the coronavirus pandemic in each country has depended entirely on the way in which its leaders have managed the process. Take note.

Building a motivated team

To achieve high productivity and ensure all-round business excellence, you need buy-in from your employees. Here’s how to build a committed, enthusiastic workforce.

Lockdown: time to reset your business?

Farmers, and businesses generally, have all lived through disruptions, but never before have we experienced anything like this. Here are some ideas on how to get through this trying period.

Preparing a constitution for the family business

A distressing number of family businesses collapse amid heartache and recriminations. Yet failure is not inevitable! With careful preparation, family members can lay a solid foundation for success.

Beware of the black swan

Any manager worth his or her salt takes the necessary action to mitigate damage from normal business risks. But how well will your farming operation cope with a wholly unexpected...

How the lockdown has affected food and farmers

The effect of the COVID-19 lockdown has differed from one country to another. In South Africa, disposable income available for basic food has increased due to money not being spent...

Succession planning: delay it at your peril

It’s tempting to put off the difficult job of succession planning. But if you wait too long, you could end up destroying a profitable business and harming family relationships.

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Tax & Management