Focus on Success, and Delegate the Rest!

In order to be competitive and to succeed, farmers and small business owners need to focus on their key issues and core competencies: production and product development, sales and customer service.

A business owner still has many other tasks and obligations to ensure the success of the business and to meet regulatory requirements. Failure to complete these tasks will lead to major problems.

A business person's most valuable and rare resource is time. I am here to help. While you focus on the success of your business, you can delegate the rest.

​Spend your valuable time where you are most competent and most needed. Don't waste your time trying to do everything. Learn to delegate and ask for help. 

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​The life of farmer and business owner can be very lonely with so much work, so many responsibilities, so many questions and decisions.

Instead of a consultant, maybe you just want to talk about it, or brainstorm, or get a second opinion. I have used an affordable business coach for over 10 years and found it immensely beneficial.

Call me, just for a conversation. The first 30-minute phone call is free. Then decide on more in-depth discussion, or a monthly check up. 

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Tom often works independently and directly with clients. Do not hesitate. Give Tom a call to inquire about your project or just to have a conversation. 

In addition, Tom works in teams with other consulting organizations and associations:​

• Tom is a farm and food business consultant in the Growing Eastern Ontario Organically program from Canadian Organic Growers. GEO-O is a three-year, on-the-ground initiative to support farmers to transition to organic through mentorship, financial incentives, and on-site experiential learning.​

• ​Tom is a working partner with the Vectors Group to bring advanced and effective methodologies to your organization or business. Vectors Group is a management consulting firm that helps non-profit organizations apply business practices to achieve and maintain high-impact and sustainable results. 

• ​Tom is advisor with the Fair Finance Fund REAL Assist Program which provides reliable support for loan clients as well as social enterprises in Ontario's local food and farm sector. We're working with a team of experienced and knowledgeable advisors that work hands-on with your business.

• ​Tom is the Executive Director of the Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network. The EOAN is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to coordinating the development of the local agri-food sector in Eastern Ontario and fostering dialogue between its members and partners.

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Contact Tom to share and delegate your challenges. 

​See my résumé and credentials to review my capabilities.

Tom Manley brings 40 years of business experience to make life easier for business owners. Tom addresses the business planning and the paperwork requirements while the business owner focuses on growing the business. 

Some specific ares of expertise:

• Business:
  • business plans and strategies,
  • financial forecasts, cost analysis, and reporting,
  • marketing plans and market development.
    
• Business Coaching:
  
  • Just talk about things and organize your thoughts.
    
  • Brainstorming and second opinions.
    
  • Monthly check-ups and problem solving discussions.
• Operations:
  • operational efficiencies and optimization,
  • operating policies and procedures,
  • financial and HR policies and procedures.
• ​Reporting:
  • financial reports to bankers, accountants, and investors.
  • reporting to regulatory agencies,
  • applications and report for business development grants.
• Regulatory compliance:
  • preparations and the application to a regulatory body,
  • readiness assessment, application, and internal procedures for organic certification,
  • CFIA feed regulations,
  • workplace policies and compliance.
• Training:
  • organic certification and readiness.
  • organic markets and value chains.

Tom completed these mandates for multiple clients...

Editing scientific communications: Dr. Andrew Hammermeister, Director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada, writes: "Research can only have impact if it is communicated effectively to the producers who can use it. Tom provided a valuable service in the review and editing of articles communicating results of the national Organic Science Cluster program. Tom knows how farmers think and the information they are looking for. His support was extremely valuable.”.

Farm Business Planning: Business planning, financial management, and certification for Dream Small Farm. Anna and Patrick Brunet write: "As new organic vegetable farmers, my husband and I had much to learn regarding the business side of setting up a new farm.  Tom assisted us in so many ways – from writing our business plan, to helping us identify our market and scale, to showing us how to use Quickbooks to track our finances and business transactions.  Throughout the process, Tom was patient, efficient and kind.  His genuine interest and eagerness to help, with his unique combination of background and skills, lend themselves perfectly to his work as a farming business consultant."

Organic Certification: Application for organic certification of cannabis extracts and formulated oils for MediPharm Labs of Barrie ON, along with organic operating procedures, traceability adjustments, a review of inputs and suppliers, a mock inspection, and assistance during the organic inspection.

Marketing: Brainstorming and input on the business plan, the packaging strategy, and the distribution plans for Cullen's Foods, a private label of organic edible beans grown in Ontario.

​Ben Cullen writes "Tom takes a very sincere approach to his work. He is generous with his knowledge and experience, and is committed to promoting the success of his clients and the good of our industry."​

Organic Farmers: Ongoing participation as a business consultant to farms in organic transition with Canadian Organic Growers to grow eastern Ontario organically. GEO-O is a three-year, on-the-ground initiative to support farmers to transition to organic through mentorship, financial incentives, and on-site experiential learning.

Market analysis: A partnership with the Organic Council of Ontario to survey organic operators and assess and report on the effectiveness of the organic certification bodies in a competitive market place. 

Business Development: Business planning, organic certification, marketing, feed formulations, ingredients, sourcing, and logistics, to help GreenSide Organics open an organic feed mill and farm supply business in the premises previously used by Homestead Organics in Berwick Ontario. 

Grant Application:  A successful grant application to the CAP for new bread packaging equipment at Little Stream Bakery. Graham Beck writes "This spring we applied for a major grant through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Tom was invaluable in supporting us, writing the grant application with concise and timely input, and helping us to frame the grant correctly with supporting documents. We were successful in receiving the grant thanks in part to Tom’s timely support."

Cost of Production:  The development of a cost of production budget and benchmarking methodology and tool for organic field crops with surveys of organic farmers. The tool will serve conventional farmers considering transition to certified organic production and help current organic farmers assess their cost of production in comparison to the average of the industry and to successful farmer with higher yields.

Segregated Crops:  Considerations and strategies to manage organic and in-transition crops on a dairy farm during the transition period for Ivandale Farms in eastern Ontario. Craig Waddell writes ​"Tom's wealth of knowledge in the organic sector provided us with concrete answers to the questions and uncertainties we had. Transitioning to organic is difficult enough, therefore having confidence is of great value."

​And several other miscellaneous projects:

• ​A profit and cash flow analysis for a private construction company.
• An organic readiness assessment for a commercial maple syrup operation. 
• A significant market analysis and development strategy for a professional services company in the organic sector.
• An application for organic certification for a field crop farm.​
• A spreadsheet to record multi-year field crop operations for each field on one sheet, for a large dairy and field crop farm, an improvement on the typical templates provided by the organic certification bodies..