Your farm is made up of a lot of hard work and money. From livestock, to expensive equipment, to specialist vehicles, you probably won’t be surprised at how much it all adds up to – after all, you purchased it!

A lot of hard work happens on a farm. Hard work that takes years to build up. And a lot of the time, farming isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life that’s been passed on through the generations. In fact, did you know that there are 151,000 family firms in the agricultural sector?

Farming really is more a way of lifel than a lot of people realise. This is one of the many reasons that you’ll want to make every effort to keep it safe and secure with electric fencing.

Here are a few tips to help you choose the right electric fencing to keep your livestock safe and secure.

• Find out what kind of electric fence you need

There are a few types of electric fencing and these include temporary and permanent fencing.

The type you opt for will depend on your farm’s specific circumstances and what you’re trying to achieve.

Temporary electric fencing

Temporary electric fencing (or portable electric fencing) is perfect for fencing off different field areas, or constructing short-term paddocks. As the name suggests, this fencing is portable, so can be quickly relocated. This is because it uses stakes that are easily inserted into and removed from the ground.

Permanent electric fencing

Permanent electric fencing (or fixed electric fencing) is a long-term solution that uses posts made of timber or steel, meaning it’s more durable but timber can be prone to wear and tear over time.

• Choosing your electric fencing size

The two main things to think about when establishing the size of your electric fence are:

• The size of the largest area you’ll be locating it
• The size of the livestock you’re managing

To decide the length of your electric fence you’ll need to know the dimensions of the area you’re trying to cover. And if you’re choosing a temporary electric fence, you should think about the largest area of space you’ll need to erect the fence so you order the right quantities of material in the first instance.

To decide on the height of your fence and strand options, you’ll need to consider the livestock being managed. Different animals will have different requirements, so make sure you do your research beforehand.

When purchasing your electric fence, find out from the supplier which type of fence is most suitable for your farm. Most farming suppliers should provide electric fencing for different animals including horses, cattle and pigs.

• Confirm the details

When purchasing electric fencing, you’ll need to confirm:

• The type/number of stakes

This is normally determined by the type of electric fence you choose (whether it’s temporary/permanent). For example, permanent electric fences normally use timber stakes, whereas temporary electric fences use plastic stakes.

How many stakes you need will then be established by how long your electric fence is and how much space you need between them.

• Type and size of wire/tape

The wire/tape you choose will usually depend on the livestock you’re managing. Most suppliers will stock various wires such as galvanised wire, rope and tape in different sizes. The number of strands you opt for will again depend on the animals being managed.

• Type and number of insulators

Your choice of stake and wire will usually dictate the type of insulator you need for your electric fence. To work out how many insulators you’ll need, you’ll usually need to multiply the number of stakes by the number of strands that you opted for.

• Deciding on an energiser

The type of energiser you choose will probably depend on the length of the fence line. Typical options normally include solar powered, mains powered and mixed option mains and battery powered.

Battery/solar powered energisers tend to work well with temporary electric fencing as they’re easily movable and can be used in remote locations lacking power supply. A mains energiser will typically provide more power, however it will need direct access to a power supply. If you opt for a battery energiser, you’ll obviously need to replace the battery every so often, whereas a solar energiser will recharge itself.

• Pick a reputable electric fence supplier

One of the most important parts of investing in an electric fence is picking the best supplier for what you’re looking for. The right supplier can be the difference in high-quality, long-lasting fences that pay for themselves over time, and lower quality fences that may end up costing more money in the long-run.

There are a few things you can check before choosing a supplier:

• What brand of electric fencing do they stock?

You should check the manufacturer that your farm supplier uses. This is important as it gives you a chance to do some research into the brand. Things you should look into include quality of electric fences, ease of use/setup, electric fence lifespan and so on.

• How long has the electric fence supplier been in business?

As with any online retailer, you should do your checks to ensure the company you’re looking to purchase from is legitimate and trustworthy. There are lots of reputable businesses out there, but it’s always better to do your due diligence.

Also, farm suppliers that have been serving people for years will have a deep insight into what their customers want, and are likely to stock manufacturers that are well received by long-term, loyal customers.

• What do other people say about them as an electric fence supplier?

A big part of shopping for anything online is usually researching the website you’ll be shopping on. Good places to check for reviews from real people are review sites or social media platforms.

• Are they easy to get hold of?

What happens if you have any questions/problems with your electric fencing? Is their customer service team responsive? Do they know what they’re talking about? Giving the supplier a call can be a good idea to see how knowledgeable their staff are and how easy they are to work with.

• What are their electric fence delivery options?

Do they have delivery options? How much does it cost to deliver? If they don’t deliver, how far will you need to travel to collect the electric fence equipment? These are the sorts of questions you could think about.

Most decent suppliers will also offer free/discounted delivery if you spend over a certain amount of money – so make sure you look out for any offers that may be available.

H2 Other ways to secure your farm

Other than electric fences, there are other ways you can boost your farm security to avoid crime. Here are some of them:

• Conduct a farm security review

Assess your farm land and try to identify any gaps in security. This could be areas of land where there is expensive equipment and weaknesses in security, or fences on the perimeter of your land that may be out of sight, or maybe compromised. You can then prioritise any issues you find and resolve them in order of urgency.

• Review and upgrade door/window locks

If you have a barn door padlock that’s slightly insecure, or maybe a vehicle window that’s broken, make it a priority to fix them. One broken door can attract thieves and cost you a lot more money than it would to fix it.

Also, if you have a storage building that holds particularly expensive equipment inside, you could think about blocking the entrance with hay bales or vehicles to restrict access.

• Hide vehicle keys

Vehicles can make for some of the most expensive pieces of farm equipment. To make sure thieves don’t successfully target them, they should be parked out of sight at the end of each day, with keys hidden away.

• Consider security equipment

Security cameras/alarms/lights can deter thieves. And if they don’t deter them, they can help identify them and also alert you that someone is on your property. Signposting security measures can be a good idea to warn intruders away.

• Brand your equipment

If you are unfortunate enough to experience a theft, branding your equipment can help in the police’s efforts to locate the stolen items. Also, if you raise the alarm and make people aware what items have been stolen, if they witness any equipment being sold on, they’ll know it’s yours. You can pick up a serial number kit to help with this.

• Take photos of your equipment

Relocating any stolen equipment will be easier if you have pictures to pass to the police and share publicly.

• Secure the outskirts of your farm

Farm land is often so large that it can be easy for thieves to spot weak areas to break through. As well as electric fencing, you may want to think about fencing to maximise security. You could also consider additional security cameras/motion detectors in areas that are specifically out of sight.

• Always lock away tools and equipment that aren’t in use

If you’re finishing work late and starting early the next day, it can be tempting to leave any equipment you’re using accessible ready for the morning. But to prevent theft, you should always take the maximum measures possible to secure your equipment.

• Fit vehicles with immobilisers

Fitting vehicles with immobilisers can help them stay put if thieves attempt to steal them. Also, having an immobiliser in place can deter thieves in the first place.

• Keep an accurate record of all livestock

Keeping a register of livestock will allow you to easily keep track of whether any of your animals are missing. Marking/tagging them will also make them easier to find if they go missing.

• Make your farm less easy to access

Installing or improving existing gates on your farm can make your farm more secure by discouraging unwanted visitors. Of course, this may not be an option if you rely on farm visitors, but could be a good idea outside of visiting hours.

• Sign up to Farm Watch

If you haven’t already, you could sign up to a Farm Watch Scheme. The schemes are sponsored by the police and aim to reduce opportunities for farm crime by creating community alerts, gathering information, regular police visits and conducting farm surveys from Crime Reduction Officers.

• Invest in farm insurance

Just in case something unfortunate does happen, making sure you have insurance in place will provide cover for all of the assets you choose to cover.

You’ll need to be really careful when working out how much cover you need though. The last thing you want is not being able to claim for everything you need to because you didn’t calculate enough cover. Depending on your insurer, this would normally include all of your farm equipment, plus personal possessions. If you live on your farm you may even be able to get a policy that covers your contents and building structure, plus farming facilities.

• Use suitable lighting

Installing lights that are triggered by motion sensors can make it easy for you to get around your farm, but not so easy for trespassers. You should check the lights regularly to make sure they’re working properly.

• Display warning signs

Signposting restricted access is a good way to make sure people are fully aware that if they go any further, they will be trespassing.

• Look after your laptop

Your laptop probably holds lots of important business information. Banking details, confidential records, company plans and so on. You should make sure that your laptop is completely secure, not sharing the password with anyone other than those who require full access. You may also want to make sure it has antivirus protection and is insured to make sure it’s covered should something unexpected happen.

 

Running a business is all about juggling and finding better ways of getting things done.

Indeed, any actions that shorten and streamline your process are almost always good for business.

DevOps is a good example. Learn more on this here as well as how outsourcing through DevOps specialists in Montreal supports your business.

What Is DevOps

Essentially, DevOps relates to a set of practices that integrate and automate software teams. This brings together software development, and IT teams to work in tandem as opposed to working in a mutually exclusive fashion.

Working collaboratively ensures they build, test, and release software to the market more reliably and much faster.

For this to work best, organizations need to look at DevOps as something going beyond tools. DevOps is a culture based on practices, processes, and active team collaboration.

How DevOps Speeds Up Time to Market

Theory aside, entrepreneurs need to know how any changes or adopted processes benefit their businesses, productivity, and profitability.

So how does adopting this culture speed your time to market? Here are x ways.

1. Trust and Collaboration

The term DevOps is a combination of the words Operations and Development. Traditionally, these two teams work entirely separate from each other.

On the other hand, DevOps brings these two teams together, fostering a culture of transparency, joint accountability, and accelerated feedback.

Collaboration and problem-solving are the primary principles of DevOps.

A lack of shares goals ultimately leads to misaligned priorities and purposes, a lack of dependency planning, blame game, and a ”not our issue” work culture. These actions create disparities and allow product issues to fall through the cracks, which then slows down time to market. The reverse is true, as well.

2. Supports Continuous Release

The software market is competitive and is expected to become increasingly so.

With a more discerning and demanding market, software firms have no option but to keep up with the demand. This includes faster new product releases and updates.

One way DevOps supports this is through early defect detection. With a culture of information sharing, constant inter-team monitoring makes it much likelier for either team to catch minor and major product defects. These can then be resolved in the early stages of product development.

It also avoids expensive mistakes that will take both time and money to resolve-and lengthen a product’s time to market.

Software companies have their own fair share of challenges. Differentiation especially becomes a dicey issue as the product offerings tend to follow the same rules. All is not lost, however.

By taking on DevOps and ensuring faster, well-tested releases, you can gain a stable market share by ensuring your products hit the market earlier than most.

If you have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace and are unsure of your options in reporting the incident, it’s a must to know about the legal procedure against workplace sexual harassment. Verbal or physical abuse will have a strong legal case against the harasser. Apart from talking to your company’s HR, it’s also recommended to consult an experienced sexual harassment lawyer as soon as possible.

To guide you on what to do, here is the legal procedure to take against workplace sexual harassment.

Write down all the details of every incident.

Although it may be uncomfortable, it’s important to write down as many clear details about the incident that you plan to report. Important details include the place of the incident, the time it took place, and other possible witnesses. Also, mention your relationship with the harasser. Is he or she a colleague, your immediate superior, or someone with a higher position? The more detailed information you can record, the easier it will be for your lawyer to take these as evidence.

Send an email about your incident to your HR department.

Another step you should take is to write an email to your HR department and list down all the details of the incident. The reason why it’s better to send an email to your HR department instead of calling them or talking face to face is to create a paper trail. If your HR department ignores your email or threatens you due to your complaint, you’ll have evidence to share with your sexual harassment lawyer. Furthermore, if the company you’re working with tries to fire you for making a complaint, you can talk to your lawyer about a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against them as well.

Hire a successful sexual harassment lawyer.

Your next step should be to hire the best sexual harassment lawyer New York City if you haven’t consulted one yet. It’s important to ask an experienced lawyer with a successful track record to guide you with the next steps, especially if the company you are working for has ignored your complaints. In this situation, you have a higher chance of winning the case against them, regardless of the position of the harasser in the company.

 

Getting your very first business off the ground and making your mark in your chosen industry is an endeavour to be proud of, as not everyone can say they took a great idea and made it a success in a competitive industry. As a matter of fact, most inexperienced business owners often start their business feeling discouraged due to the high level of competition.

After all, there is very little leniency for a new company — you are expected to compete at a professional level no matter the size of your company, and the largest and most popular businesses are direct competitors from the get-go. While it can be quite intimidating, it does not have to be a miserable affair. Here are a few things to consider when getting your first business off the ground!

On the topic of proper insurance

Insurance is not just about begrudgingly purchasing coverage options to maintain the bare minimum in order to run a company. Insurance might not seem that important, but there are few things more crucial than having proper coverage. After all, having a crack in the armour is something that will eventually cause problems down the line, as it can be easy for someone to take advantage of the situation and get the business caught in a legal issue. Few things can tank a young company harder than a legal loophole, which is why it pays to err on the side of caution when considering coverage options. Be safe, and be thorough — you never know what could happen in the future!

The power of digital marketing

Without a doubt, marketing is one aspect that is going to make or break a company. After all, a company that provides the very best service will still end up going under without the necessary relevance and influence. With so many people keeping indoors due to the COVID-19 crisis, more and more online users are checking reviews and various other online channels to see whether or not a company is worth their time and money. Getting started with an effective digital marketing strategy in your preferred social media channel is a great way to get started. After all, a social media account is entirely free.

Implementing solid systems with outsourcing

A fine example would be human resources — maintaining an HR system can be quite challenging for most startups, which is why many new business owners go for Tugela People for their payroll solutions and HR systems. Sometimes, the ideal solution would be to implement the services of other companies through outsourcing methods. It can make a startup look like a company with years of experience rather than the new kid on the block.

If you want clients and competitors to take your company seriously, it is crucial to make the necessary preparations. Understanding your niche and filling the demand with your services is at the very core of running a business, and the steps above are designed to help you reach your goals.

The goal of every business owner is to expand. When the business grows bigger, the chances of earning more money also keep expanding. However, there are times when downsizing is better. It might not bring more money, but it will keep the business alive. These are the instances when you have to start considering downsizing your business.

Financial instability

If your business is in a financial mess, you have no choice but to downsize. You will keep bleeding money if you decide to expand. You would rather wait until your business becomes more stable before considering other options. It’s even more crucial during this pandemic when you don’t have the same amount of money flowing in. You might even fail to keep up with the operational costs. If you barely make ends meet, you have to consider downsizing right away. However, you should also be cautious, and ensure that you aren’t wasting money in the process of attempting to save it.

For instance, looking for a supplier of high quality, cheap stationery isn’t always easy, but that little extra time will save you plenty in additional costs in the long term. Quality remains key, even on a budget.

Reduced profits

You can check the company’s profits over the last few months. If there’s a downward trend, it’s a bad sign. It means that the business isn’t doing well. While it’s not the only barometer to consider, it’s quite important. If the profits are moving down, it might be time to downsize. It won’t increase profits, but it reduces expenses. The net profit will be more stable as a result.

Product quality gets affected

If you keep on growing your business, but you can’t keep up with the demand, it’s a sign that you should downsize. You might earn more money because of the increased demand, but product quality is on the line. If it gets affected, it would be bad for your business. You will lose even your most loyal clients. They stayed because they believe in what you have to offer. If you can’t even meet the standards, it would be terrible for the business.

Work-life balance is on the line

When you started your company, you were alone. Even as it began to grow, you still didn’t have a lot of employees with you. You got help, but you’re pulling a huge bulk of the work. At some point, the work-life balance gets affected. It’s time to downsize if you already spend your entire time working on your company. It’s no longer healthy, and it will affect how you deal with people around you. There’s no time to spend with family and friends. You might earn a lot, but you’re not happy. There’s no point in living this kind of life.

Be reasonable 

Downsizing your business isn’t an indication of failure. It’s a smart decision to keep things going. If you decide to operate under the same conditions or even grow, your business will ultimately suffer. You might even have to close. Before it happens, you have to take the right step. Don’t allow your emotions to determine the next best step.

You can make gradual changes and try to downsize where you can. Eventually, you can get back to a bigger operational scale. Monitor the changes in your business and decide if it’s safe to go big again. You know what’s best for your company, so you have to make the right choice.

As a business professional, it’s important to maintain a clean reputation. Networking and being social is a strong asset for an entrepreneur. You have to put in work to achieve a good name with other professionals in your circle.

If you’re looking to start building your own empire, it’s time to do some research. Take a few moments to consider these tips on how to build your reputation as an entrepreneur, and get started today.

Always do what you say you will do

It sounds like a simple piece of advice, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. Think about how it feels when you ask a vendor to call you back about something and they never get back to you? Don’t be that person.

Return phone calls. Deliver on deadlines, and strive to hit a little above the bar. Doing what you say you will do shows that you are dependable as a professional. If you run a business, it also reflects well on your establishment.

Network through social media

Networking is a huge part of business and a huge part of building your rep as a professional or entrepreneur. Social media happens to be the hotspot for digital networking, and building yourself a notable presence will also build your reputation.

LinkedIn is a great business-centered social media outlet. Heidi Houston, a successful real estate entrepreneur on LinkedIn shows you how to get started with building your name on the platform. Nurture the connections you make through social media, because you never know where they will take you.

Go out of your way to help others in your realm

It’s easier to build relationships with others in your profession when you’re focused on boosting the endeavours of all, rather than having a more one-track mind. Foster the mindset of helping others.

Offer up your time to answer questions or offer guidance. Maybe you know someone that could help another professional you know. Make the move to connect the two, and they will be grateful for the effort.

Engage with your community

Engage with your community, whatever that may be. It may mean being more social in the office. It could mean hosting a holiday event in the neighborhood. Consistently find ways to connect with people.

Take the time to look the part

If you want a solid professional reputation, you need to look the part. Whether or not people admit it, they make judgements before ever hearing a word out of your mouth. Looking the part will help open doors. Even if you work in a generally casual field (like a tattoo artist, for example), it helps to always look well put together.