7 ways to be a top farming entrepreneur

British farmers are less entrepreneurial than other British businesses, according to a report from the Oxford Farming Conference 2016.

But fear not, far from farmer-bashing, the author, Graham Redman, says that you can learn the skills to be so entrepreneurial you’ll rival the likes of Facebook founder Mark Zukerberg.

See also: OFC 2016: Are British farmers ‘less entrepreneurial’?

Here’s seven tips for innovative thinking to help make you a top farming entrepreneur.

1 Look for ways to add value to other peoples’ lives and businesses. This is the key to adding value to your own. Why? Because free trade assumes both parties in a deal expect to be better off from it.

2 Engage with other farmers and business people who can help act as a catalyst for ideas and opportunities.

3 A farm is an excellent place upon which to build an entrepreneurial business, whether you choose to diversify or remain focused on commodity agriculture. The farm offers opportunities to build entrepreneurial ideas into new areas of business.

4 Create opportunities for yourselves rather than wait for them to arrive. And remember, the best opportunities are never given away.

5 Implement ways to make fuller use of your resources throughout the year – capital, social and human resources alike.

6 Be prepared to test new ideas. They might not all work but they won’t stand a chance without proactivity and persistence.

7 Take a step back from the day-to-day grind and look for opportunities in your business.

Source: Oxford Farming Conference report 2016, for the full report go to www.ofc.org.uk