Creating a Family Business: From Contemplation to Maturity

This book is a must have for those who want to build their own business and stop working for someone else.

The author, Allan Nation, was the founder and editor of The Stockman Grass Farmer from 1977 until his untimely death in 2016. Among his legacy of journals and notebooks, he left chapters for a book on business. With the help of his partners, Sonny and Glinda Davenport, Allan’s spouse, Carolyn, brought the manuscript to completion.

Although there are references to the business of grass farming and ranching, his intention was that these principles apply to anyone who has their own business. Nation gives an insider’s story of The Stockman Grass Farmer–the lessons he learned from the euphoric acquisition of a farm magazine, its near bankruptcy, and ultimate success–so that others might avoid his mistakes and follow a clearer path to profits. This is the kind of book I wish I’d had when I started out, he explains.

Chapters cover the following: How to turn your dream into reality; Figuring out where you are and where you’re going; Making a business plan; The three-legged stool of production, finance and marketing; Selecting a product and setting a price; The importance of due diligence; Working with your spouse and children; Bringing in employees and partners; What to do when disaster strikes; Enjoying the fruits of your labor.